Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 149 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 149, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE CAUGHT FIRE FROM THE INSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.
AT 4:06 PM ON NOV. 04,2013, MY WIFE PARKED IN A LOCAL WALMART PARKING LOT. SHE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. BYSTANDERS STARTED YELLING FOR HER TO EXIT THE CAR. ONE BYSTANDER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, LOCATED 1.25 MILES AWAY. MY WIFE EXITED THE CAR CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEN CALLED ME WITH HER MOBILE PHONE BY THE TIME THE FIRE ENGINE ARRIVED, THE PLASTIC PARTS ON TOP OF AND AROUND THE ENGINE HAD BEEN DESTROYED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. I ARRIVED FROM FOUR MILES AWAY, AND AFTER SURVEYING THE DAMAGE, I CONSIDERED THE DAMAGE TO EXCEED THE VALUE OF THE CAR. I CALLED A LOCAL TOWING SERVICE AND THEY TOWED THE CAR TO MY HOME. THE CAR HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BEFORE THE FIRE. I AM 77 YEARS OLD AND MY WIFE IS 74 AND OUR MEMORIES ARE FAILING. I THINK WE RECEIVED A POST CARD NOTIFICATION OF A RECALL, BUT I THINK IT WAS FOR A STEERING PROBLEM: NOTHING RELATED TO ANY DANGER OF AN ENGINE FIRE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GENERAL MOTORS CHOSE TO NOT NOTIFY US BY REGISTERED MAIL OF THE IMMINENT DANGER OF A FIRE. . *TR
AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS EXTINGUISH WHEN HEATER FAN SWITCH SELECTED TO POSITIONS 2,3, OR 4. *TR
FIRST OF ALL I LOVE MY GRAND PRIX. I HAVE HAD BOTH BOTH HEAD LIGHT LENS FALL OFF WITHIN A MONTH OF ONE ANOTHER. YOU CANT PURCHEASE THE LENS YOU NEED TO BUY THE WHOLE UNIT FORM PONTIAC. REPLACED MY SELF EACH UNIT WAS ABOUT $100. GEAR SHIFT LOCKED UP IN GARAGE WAS ABOUT $350 PLUS A TOW. ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH BLOWER MOTOR WORKS ON 5 ONLY. LIGHTS WILL ONLY WORK WHEN BLOWER MOTOR IS OFF OR ON 5. REPLACED BLOWER RESISTOR AND DID NOT HELP. 2 ELECTRCAL WIDOW PROBLEMS. ALTERANTOR PROBLEM APPROX $350 NORMAL WITH GM. ALL ISSUES UNDER 80,000 MILES. IT APPEARS MOST PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES. VERY DISAPOINTED GM DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT WITH LOYAL GM OWNERS. THE FIRE ISSUE IS VERY CONCERNING I WILL BE TAKING MY GT TO DEALER SOON. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD SPORADICALLY FAIL. THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WAS GREATLY REDUCED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS. FOUR YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND OTHER ASSOCIATED PARTS AT THE COST OF $852.12. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 156,000.
MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ELECTRICAL OUTAGES A MONTH AGO WHICH INCLUDED THE HEADLIGHTS, BLOWER MOTOR, AND GAS SENSOR. MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD SHUTOFF BY THEMSELVES AS WOULD MY BLOWER MOTOR, PERIODICALLY. I NOTICED THAT IT CORRESPONDED TO WHAT LEVEL MY BLOWER WAS PUT ON. LEVEL 5 WOULD KEEP THE SYSTEM ON BUT LEVELS 1-4 WOULD PROMOTE THE OUTAGES. I HAVE HAD THE BLOWER MOTOR AND BLOWER SWITCH REPAIRED ON MY CAR NOT MORE THAN A YEAR AGO BUT YET I AM EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER BLOGS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE POSTED PROBLEMS WITH THEIR PONTIAC WHICH ARE IDENTICAL TO MINE. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE OVER THE PAST MONTH. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT, THE HEADLAMPS SEEM TO SHAKE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIGHT HEADLAMP LENS WAS LOOSE AND THE LEFT HEADLAMP LENS WAS LOOSE AS WELL. THE REASON THE SHAKE WAS NOTICEABLE IS BECAUSE BOTH LENSES ARE MARRED BY SUN DAMAGE AND PROBABLY AGE. I WAS ABLE TO GLUE THE LENS BACK IN PLACE, BUT THAT IS JUST A TEMPORARY REPAIR.
CONTACT STATES: HAS A 1997 GRAND PRIX, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLASH ON/OFF INTERMITTENTLY; THE BLOWER FANS WOULD ALMOST ALWAYS GO OFF, AND HAD NO HEAT OR DEFROSTER. HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEM FIXED. STATED THAT IT TURNED OUT IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. *AK
I HAVE A 1997 PONTAIC GRAND PRIX. THE HEADLIGHT LENS (GLASS) COMES OFF WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE CONDITION BEING THAT THERE IS A PROJECTILE THAT COULD HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE OR A PEDESTRIAN AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. IN CALLING AROUND TO FIND A REPLACEMENT LENS, I FOUND THAT THIS HAPPENS A LOT AND THE SALAVAGE YARDS SELL THEM AS FAST AS THEY GET THEM IN. THAT IS A LOT OF LENS COVERS FLYING AROUND ON THE HIGHWAYS. IT IS EVEN TAKING A DEALERSHIP A WHILE TO ORDER ONE, SINCE THEY ALSO CAN NOT KEEP THEM IN STOCK. I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IT MINE HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE, AS IT WAS THERE WHEN I LEFT AND GONE WHEN I GOT TO MY DESTINATION. I HEARD A NOISE LIKE A STONE OR SOMETHING HITTING THE CAR, BUT WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT IT REALLY WAS. IF PONTAIC KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THEY SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK
THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT LENS FELL OFF DURING NORMAL DRIVING, I PULLED UP TO A STOP SIGN AND STOPPED RIGHT THEN THE HEADLIGHT LENS FELL OFF. THE PART WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE.*AK
PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT LENS FELL OFF, RESULTING IN BULB FAILURE. NO ACCIDENT OR ANYTHING TO CAUSE THIS, HEADLIGHT JUST FELL OFF, HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING DID NOT NOTICE UNTIL I GOT HOME. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE LEFT HEADLIGHT LENS FELL OFF. *AK
WHILE DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT LENS BLEW OFF. THIS RESULTED IN THE HEADLIGHT BULB BLOWING OUT WHEN THE RAIN CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE BULB. PASSENGER SIDE LENS FELL OFF THE DAY AFTER. THE LENS COULD NOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT REPLACING THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE LENS FELL OFF BECAUSE THE SEALANT AROUND THE LENS DRIED OUT. IT COST S87.00 TO REPLACE EACH HEADLIGHT LENS. *AK
ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO ON MY 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT LENS COVER JUST FELL OFF OF MY CAR. JUST THE LENS COVER, THAT PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT IS DIRECTLY OVER THE HEADLIGHT. WHERE DID IT FALL OFF? I HAVE KNOW IDEA. AT FIRST I THOUGHT SOMONE STOLE IT. WHEN I WENT TO THE JUNK YARD TO BUY JUST THE HEADLIGHT COVER. IT COST ME $132. I HAD TO BUY NEW BECAUSE THE GUY SAID "THERE ARE NO USED COVERS BECAUSE THE ALWAYS FALL OFF". NOW JUST YESTURDAY THE HEADLIGHT COVER FELL OFF OF MY DRIVERS SIDE WHILE I WAS DRIVING OF THE HIGHWAY. OF COURSE I RAN IT OVER AND THEN IT HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. THIS IS GOING TO COST ME ANOTHER HUNDRED DOLLARS. IF THE WIPER BLADES CAN BE RECALLED I THINK THE HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE TOO.*AK
FRONT HEADLIGHT COVER KEEPS FALLING OFF. THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR THIS VERY SAME ISSUE, YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX IT. THIS CAUSES LIGHTS TO BURN OUT AND SAFETY AND VISIBILITY ISSUES AS WELL AS THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING PULLED OVER FOR HAVING NO HEADLIGHT SINCE IT KEEPS BURNING OUT! *JB
MOST RECENT COMPLAINT IS, HEATED DRIVER SEAT GETS TOO HOT AND MAKES IT HARD TO STAY SEATED. HEATER BLOWER QUIT WORKING. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR EVERY 3RD YEAR (3 TIMES). HAVE HAD OIL PAN GASKET AND VALVE COVER LEAKAGE. POWER STEERING FAILED TO MAKE LEFT HAND TURNS. HEADLIGHTS CONTINUE TO HAVE POOR RANGE AND VISIBILITY EVEN WITH BULB REPLACEMENT. CAR LURCHES FORWARD WHEN STARTING UP ENGINE. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DISPLAY KEEPS WRONG TEMPERATURE. A.M. RADIO WOULD NOT WORK. WATER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. ABS LIGHT STAYED ON. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN ROAD. *LA
THE HEADLIGHT 'GLASS' ASSEMBLY GLUE FAILS AND THE GLASS FALLS OFF. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWICE ON MY VEHICLE WITH A COST OF $182.00 EACH OCCURRENCE. THE DEALER TOLD ME TO INQUIRE ON THIS AS THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS PART FAILING. I WOULD LIKE TO GET REIMBURSED, IF POSSIBLE. *LA
#1) SHIFT LOCK AFFECTED; MARCH 2003: AT FIRST IT OCCURRED ONLY ON OCCASION, BUT AS OF NOW I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL THE SHIFTER OUT OF PARK IN MONTHS WITHOUT USING THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE. DAILY I MUST STICK A KEY INTO THE RELEASE IN ORDER TO REMOVE MY CAR FROM PARK INTO REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, ETC.. THE INDICATION LIGHT FOR PARK AND NEUTRAL NO LONGER COMES ON. #2)IGNITION SWITCH AFFECTED; MARCH 2003: THE KEY WILL NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. WHICH I BELIEVE HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SHIFTER NOT COMING OUT OF PARK. I HAVE NOT REMOVED MY KEY SINCE THE END OF MARCH. IVY BEEN TOLD SEVERAL SOLUTIONS NONE OF WITCH HAS WORKED. I'VE SPENT $100+ REPLACING PARTS THAT HAVE NOT RESOLVED ANYTHING.*AK #3) HEADLIGHT COVERS AFFECTED; JANUARY 2003: NOT EVEN TWO DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR THE LEFT HEADLIGHT COVER FELL OFF. OF COURSE IT WAS RAINING THE HEADLIGHT INSTANTLY BUSTED. THE DEALERS SOLUTION WAS TO GLUE IT BACK ON. TO ENSURE THAT THE OTHER ONE DOESN'T FALL OFF THEY GLUED IT . FROM THE HEADLIGHT COVER FALLING OFF AND BULB BUSTING I HAVE BLACK SPECKS IN THE SILVER/ CROME INNER LINING OF THE HEADLIGHT. IT MAKES THE CAR LOOK BAD!! MOISTURE NOW BUILDS IN MY HEADLIGHTS. THERE ARE 124 COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE ALONE WHEN WILL SOMETHING BE DONE!!!!! #4) REARVIEW MIRROR AFFECTED; SEPTEMBER 2003: MY MIRROR IS NOW FULL OF BLURE. THE MIRROR FIRST STARTED OOZING WATER BUBBLES FLOATING TO THE TOP EVENTUALLY CREATING A HUGE BUBBLE. NOW JUST A COMPLETELY FOGGED MIRROR. IS A MIRROR USEFULL WHEN YOU CANT SEE AN IMAGE THROUGH IT???? NO! I HAVE A COUSIN WHO HAS FACED PROBLEMS 1,2,AND 3 ALL WITH IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO ALSO. WHY MAKE A CAR AND HAVE THE BUYER HATE IT? I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THE GRAND PRIX OR EVEN PONTIAC TO ANYONE! MY SUGGESTIONS TO BUYERS HAS BEEN ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING BUT THESE CARS!*AK
THE HEADLIGHTS OF 1997 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX HAS COLLECTED MOISTURE WITH IN THE UNIT, REDUCING THE VISIBILITY OF THE DRIVER. *LA
EGR VALVE MADE OF CHEAP PLASTIC. HEADLIGHT LENS FALLING OFF CAR. FAULTY HYDRAULIC MODULATOR AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. *PH
PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING PUMP, ALTERNATOR, RACK AND PINION, POWER WINDOWS, AND HEAD GASKETS. *MR THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD SUDDENLY GONE OUT IN TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ABRUPTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC(THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED), THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE INOPERATIVE UPON START DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE WIPER LINKAGE UNDER THE COWL, THE STEERING SKIPPED AS THE CONSUMER MADE RIGHT HAND TURNS(THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP), THE HEADLIGHT LENS HAD FALLEN OFF, THE CERAMIC HEADGASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE WAS A HESITATION AND ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR A SECOND TIME, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAD COME ON DUE TO A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS, THE TRANSMISSION GRABBED ALONG WITH HESITATION(A TUNE UP WAS PERFORMED AND WORK WAS DONE TO THE TRANSMISSION), THE VEHICLE COULDN'T BE TAKEN OUT OF THE PARK POSITION(THE SHIFTER WAS REPLACED), THE POWER WINDOW(S) FAILED, THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED, AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER PUMP LEAKED AND WOULD NOT HOLD FLUID. *SCC *CB
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITH NO WARNING HEADLIGHT LENS WILL FALL OFF, CAUSING A DISTRACTING TO CONSUMER'S VIEW. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY, SINCE 2000, AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHTS AND BLOWER HAVE SHUT OF FOR A PERIOD OF 5-10 SECONDS. THIS SUMMER, WHEN CONDITIONS ARE EXTREMELY HOT, THE HEADLIGHT FUNCTION, AND THE AC WILL NOT WORK UNLESS I SET THE FAN SPEED TO 5, AND THE A/C SELECTOR TO MAXIMUM WHEN TEMPERATURES COOL, FUNCTIONS RETURN TO NORMAL.*AK
THE DRIVER SIDE HEAD LIGHT LENS FELL OFF WHICH CAUSED THE BULB TO BLOW OUT. *NLM PH *JB
FRONT HEAD LIGHT LENSES HAVE COME OFF TWICE. THE FIRST TIME VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE SECOND TIME CONSUMER FOUND A LENS AND REPLACED IT HIMSELF. *AK
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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