Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 43 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 43, in the owner's own words
ALL OF THE PAINT ON THE TRIM MOLDING HAS COME OFF. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO TALK TO THE MANUFACTURER AND TOLD BASICALLY TO GET LOST I GAVE UP AND HAVEN'T PURCHASED ANOTHER PONTIAC SINCE. OF COURSE, OUR FAMILY HAS MADE THREE NEW CAR PURCHASES SINCE THEN BUT NONE OF THEM PONTIAC.
I PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH LOW MILEAGE AND HAVE CARED FOR IT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL AND I HAVE HAD TWO MAJOR EQUIPMENT FAILURES. THESE SHOULD NOT OCCUR AT SUCH RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE TOTALS. I UNDERSTAND SOME MODELS OF PONTIACS HAVE HAD RECALLS FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM, BUT I WAS TOLD THIS MODEL DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL FOR THAT EQUIPMENT. I WILL DEFINTELY CONSIDER ANOTHER MODEL OF CAR OTHER THAN THIS ONE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF MY FRUSTRATION.
VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A SQUEALING SOUND WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. VEHICLE WOULDN'T PASS INSPECTION IN STATE OF NY. ROTORS/CALIPERS AND PADS WERE REPLACED TO BRING UP TO STATE STANDARDS. CONSUMER HAS PUT OUT OVER A $1000 REPAIRING BRAKE SYSTEM. DEALER STATED THAT EMERGENCY BRAKES HAD TO BE DONE ONCE A WEEK TO KEEP IT FROM MESSING UP BACK BRAKES. IF NOT IT, WEARS THE BRAKES OUT.*AK *SLC
WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, ENTIRE CAR STARTED VIBRATING AND LOUDING "RUBBING" NOISE WAS HEARD. CHECKED TIRES FOR ADEQUATE AIR AND FOUND RT REAR WHEEL COVER TOO HOT TO TOUCH. DEALER REPLACED REAR ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS FOR $500.
THE BRAKES OFTEN DO NOT ADEQUATELY SLOW THE VEHICLE WHEN APPLIED. OCCURS AT ANY SPEED AND INTERMITTENTLY. IN TO DEALER FOR PROBLEM MANY TIMES. STILL BAD. SCARY. WE'VE ONLY AVOIDED A COLLISION DUE TO EXTRA CARE TAKEN IN FOLLOWING DISTANCES AND WITH LUCK.*AK
THE PROBLEM WITH THE ABS: USUALLY OCCURS WITHIN THE FIRST MILE DRIVEN AFTER START UP. WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED, THE PEDAL GOES WAY SOFT AND CAR LURCHES FORWARD. A MECHANICAL SOUND IS HEARD AND THE ABS LIGHT THEN COMES ON. I AM UNSURE IF THE ABS WORKS OR NOT AFTER THAT, BUT THE LIGHT IS ON. I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AS I CAN NOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AT THIS TIME. THIS HAPPENS REGARDLESS OF ROAD CONDITIONS (WET, DRY, ICE, ETC.) THE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM HAS RENDERED IT USELESS. IT WILL HOLD A SPEED, BUT WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN SWITCH IS DEPRESSED. WHEN USING CRUISE CONTROL AND LEFT OR RIGHT TURN SIGNAL IS USED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES UNTIL SIGNAL IS TURNED OFF. THE BRAKE LIGHTS GET CONDENSATION INSIDE THEM AFTER RAIN OR A WASH, AND THER TRUNK HAS LEAKED SO BAD THAT IT FILLED THE SPARE TIRE WELL (ALL THE WAY UP) WITH WATER. I CANNOT FIND THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK, BUT THE CARPET IS ALMOST ALWAYS WET IN THE TRUNK.*AK
REAR BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON, AND THEN HAD BRAKES CHECKED. DEALER NOTED THAT REAR BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AT ALL. THERE WAS NO WEAR IN BRAKE PADS. CONTACTED DEALER AND DEALER DID NOT WANT TO HELP.*AK
BRAKE PEDAL IS SPONGY WHEN APPLIED, AND STOPPING DISTANCE IS POOR. ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT RESPOND. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
REAR BRAKE ROTOR FAILED RESULTING IN FAILURE TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT BARELY HITTING TWO OTHER CARS.
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ABS DOES NOT KICK IN - VERY SLOW RESPONSE TIME EVEN WITH NEW BRAKES
ROTORS CORRODE AND WEAR, CAUSING BRAKING DISTANCE TO EXCEED AND ARE VERY COSTLY TO REPLACE. *AK
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED WITHOUT PROPER VENTING, RESULTING IN CORROSION OF THE BRAKES/REAR. *MJS
WHILE AT A STOP VEHICLE PROCEEDED FORWARD, ANOTHER VEHICLE COMING AT 30MPH HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HEAD ON, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANTS IN THIS CRASH. ALSO, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE FROM INOPERABLE OR FAULTY ABS/BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK
WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED BRAKES HALF WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING POOR BRAKING POWER. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK
DROVE 40-45 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY FOUR HOURS, WITHOUT USING BRAKES. WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO STOP, ON SLIGHT DECLINE, THE AUTOMOBILE DID NOT SLOW CAR DOWN ANY. BRAKE PEDAL DID NOT SEEM TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. PRESSING HARDER AND HARDER DID CAUSE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN ENOUGH TO AVOID COLLISION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30-35 MPH, NO INCLEMENT WEATHER, GOOD ROAD CONDITIONS, CONSUMER EXPERIENCED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE WHILE GOING DOWNHILL. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A DRAINAGE DITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
THE DEFECTIVE BRAKE CALIPER COMES OUT OF THE SOCKET, CAUSING IT TO STICK OUT AND MORE WEAR AND TEAR TO THE BRAKE ROTOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *AK
REAR BRAKE ROTORS/PADS RUSTED, CAUSING VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING.
WHEN TRAVELING AND UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL ON WET PAVEMENT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A GRADUAL STOP, CONSUMER NOTICE THE REAR END FISHTAIL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKES VERY SPONGY. WAS ADVISED BY DEALER NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT ON ONE OCCASION.
WHEN THE VACUUM HOSES GET HEATED UP, THE HOSE GETS WEAK AND ALSO COLLAPSES. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, IT WILL POP OFF THE ENGINE, AND WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE NOT TO RUN. *AK
AT LOW SPEEDS BRAKES WILL FAIL FOR NO REASON, ONE INCIDENT RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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