Electrical
Filed Mar 14, 2003
FAILURE OF THE IGNITION WIRES & PLUGS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 3 YEARS. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10010483
- Incident
- Mar 10, 2003
1996 Pontiac Grand Prix Electrical Problems
Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Electrical reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Mar 14, 2003
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 79 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0
What this page shows
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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.
Owner reports naming electrical
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Electrical
Filed Sep 27, 2002
VEHICLE ON 4TH ALTERNATOR AT 63,000 MILES. ALTERNATOR FAILURE IN THIS VEHICLE CAN OCCUR SUDDENLY, WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING, AT ANY SPEED, LEAVING DRIVER WITH LIMITED ABILITY TO CONTROL VEHICLE. VOLUNTARY MANUFACTURER RECALL 8/99, SPARK PLUG WIRES REPLACED TO BETTER HANDLE ELECTRICAL LOADS. PROBLEM IMPROVED BUT NOT RESOLVED. OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS HAVE SAME EXPERIENCE AND COMPLAINTS INCLUDING AT NHTSA WEBSITE. VEHICLE MODEL & YEAR WITH 3.4 LITRE ENGINE UNABLE TO SUSTAIN NORMAL ELECTRICAL LOADS. ALTERNATOR FAILURE OCCURS EVERY 1-2 YEARS, ALWAYS WHEN AIR CONDITIONER OPERATING. MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO COVER MOST RECENT REPLACEMENT UNDER "SECRET WARRANTY". REPAIRS WITH REBUILT ALTERNATOR COST NEARLY $800 EXCLUDING TOW, CAR RENTAL & CELL PHONE CHARGES. VEHICLE BLOCKING LANE OF TRAFFIC ON MAJOR ARTERIAL DURING RUSH HOUR. FREQUENCY OF ALTERNATOR FAILURE IS CLEARLY NOT NORMAL WEAR OR USE. RECEIVED NO WRITTEN RESPONSE FROM PRIOR WRITTEN COMPLAINTS TO PONTIAC. TS
- NHTSA ID
- 767826
- Incident
- Aug 15, 2002
Electrical
Filed May 17, 2002
CAR STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE ALMOST KILLED MYSELF AN OTHER DRIVERS BECAUSE OF THIS. IT IS ALSO HARD TO START. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 762021
BrakesElectrical
Filed Dec 18, 2000
VECHICLE ABS LIGHT CAME ON ALL INTERIOR AND EXTERNAL LIGHTS DIMMED, ONCE VECHICLE WAS SHUT OFF IT WOULD NOT RESTART. BATTERY WAS REPLACED IT WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK. I WAS INFORMED THE ALTERNATOR WAS NOT PUTTING OUT ENOUGH AMPS, SO THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AND 1 WEEK LATER SAME PROBLEM AGAIN SO ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED A 2ND TIME. THAT SAME DAY THE PROBLEM WAS REPEATED. IT SEEMS WHEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE POWER FROM THE BATTERY IS DRAINED.
- NHTSA ID
- 737968
- Incident
- Nov 27, 2000
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Sep 29, 1999
VEHICLE HESITATES ON ACCELERATION DUE TO EGR VALVE FAILURE. YH
- NHTSA ID
- 548613
- Incident
- Oct 30, 1998
Electrical
Filed Jul 27, 1999
HORN WORKS SOMETIMES.
- NHTSA ID
- 547586
Electrical
Filed Jun 4, 1999
PROBLEM IS WITH FACTORY PASSENGER'S KEY II SECURITY SYSTEM. VEHICLE WILL MOST OF THE TIME, BUT WILL NOT START AT TIMES. THE OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT IF THIS OCCURS WAIT THREE MINUTES THEN IT WILL START EXACTLY THREE MINUTES LATER. I HAVE TALKED WITH SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE AND HAVE OR HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR AT A PONTIAC DEALER AND HE STATED THAT HE HAS REPLACED A "BARREL FULL" OF THE KEY CYLINDERS AND NOT THE SECURITY SYSTEM MODULE. IT APPEARS THAT IN AN AREA THIS SMALL WITH AN INCIDENT RATE THAT HIGH THAT THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM IN WHICH PONTIAC NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 707198
- Incident
- Nov 1, 1998
Electrical
Filed Oct 7, 1998
ALTERNATOR FAILED.
- NHTSA ID
- 541915
- Incident
- Jul 13, 1998
Electrical
Filed Jun 25, 1998
HORN REQUIRES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO ACTIVATE.
- NHTSA ID
- 537512
Electrical
Filed Nov 5, 1996
INTERMITTENT STALLING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WHILE TURNING/ WHEN SLOWLY ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 510958
- Incident
- Nov 2, 1996
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .