ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED.
1992 Pontiac Grand AM complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1992 record →
VEHICLE HAS POOR SUSPENSION EVEN WITH NEW SHOCKS AND STRUTS.
THE FRONT STRUTS ON VEHICLE BROKE AT 30,000 MILES AND WERE REPAIRED, THEN THE FRONT STRUTS BROKE AGAIN AFTER ANOTHER 30,000 MILES. INCIDENT ALSO RESULTED IN HAVING TO REPLACE THE FRONT BALL JOINTS. THE DEALER IS NOW OUT OF BUSINESS AND VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.
RADIATOR FAILED TWICE.
OIL LIGHT STAYS ON.
ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD FAILED. *AK
CRACKED ENGINE BLOCK CAUSED WATER TO MIX WITH OIL RESULTED IN LOUD NOISE, SMOKE FROM TAILPIPE AND THE SMELL OF ANTIFREEZE THROUGHTOUT THE CAR.
HEAD GASKET FAILED.
FUEL PUMP IGNITED, BURNING MOTOR.
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION AND THE SEAT BELT BROKE, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO BE THROWN OUT OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE.
STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES WHEN GOING OVER SMALL/LARGEBUMPS IN THE ROAD. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THERE IS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES. IN A PANIC STOP THE BRAKES LOCK UP AND THE VEHICLE SHEMIMIES. THE FRONT ROTORS , BRAKE SHOES AND DRUMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON VEHICLE . THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STOP. PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS WHEN WET OUTSIDE. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED. *AK
ENGINE STALLS.
ENGINE BLOCK FAILED, CAUSING GAS TO MIX WITH OIL AND VEHICLE HESITATION.
THE FRONT CARTRIDGE NUT WHICH SHOULD BE A CRIMPED NUT AND SHOULDN'T SPIN OFF FELL OFF, CAUSING THE STRUT TO COME APART, CAUSING THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE WHEEL TO COME OFF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
IGNITION SYSTEM FAILURE.
SLAMMED ON BRAKES, HEARD LOUD NOISE, COULD NOT TURN WHEEL, TIRES SQUEAKED, CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AT STANDSTILL, NOT CHECKED BY DEALER, INSURANCE CO FOUND NOTHING WRONG, VEHICLE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *AK
ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
DESIGN OF THE ALTERNATOR/ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ALLOWS FOR DAMAGE OF OTHER COMPONENTS WHEN THE ALTERNATOR FAILS (DRAINING BATTERY AND DESTROYING ECM COMPUTER AND IGNITION MODULE).
MECHANISM IN THE TILT STEERING WHEEL IS BROKEN, CAUSING THE STEERING NOT TO STAY IN POSTION WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHEN USING HEATER AND DEFROSTER ALONG WITH OTHER COMPONENTS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN, RESULTING IN SHUT DOWN OF VEHICLE POWER. *AK
AUTO-TRANSMISSION; WHILE DRIVING ATTEMPTED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, (4 LANE HWY) VEHICLE FAILED TO GO INTO PASSING GEAR, SUBSEQUENTLY WENT INTO PASSING GEAR, ACCELERATOR STUCK, ENGINE ACCELERATED FROM 60 TO 90 MPH, LOW TRAFFIC, NO ACCIDENT. *AK
REAR WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED.
WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLS/HESITATES/STUMBLES. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES (ABS), VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW UP, TURNED VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT, TRYING TO BRAKE STEERING WENT, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, NO BRAKES, HIT POLE; DRIVER HAD SEAT BELT ON, ALSO REPLACED PITTED ROTORS. *AK
BODY RUST.
REAR BRAKES FAILED AFTER MAJOR WORK WA SDONE ON VEHICLE. *AK
STARTER WILL NOT START IN VEHICLE. *AK
RIGHT REAR AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK FAILS TO LOCK.
THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SOURCE UNKNOWN.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
DRIVERS SEAT BACK COLLAPSED IN COLLISION, ALLOWING DRIVER TO BE EJECTED FROM AUTOMOBILE THROUGH REAR WINDOW/DEATH. *DSH
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR IS COMING OF HINGES. *AK
ABS: ANTI LOCK SYSTEM INTERFERED WITH NORMAL BRAKING; CAUSED TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE; PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR; VEHICLE STOPPED AFTER HITTING SNOWBANK. TT
TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SD
THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET CRACKED, FILLING CYLINDER HEAD WITH COOLANT, CAUSING ENGINE TO SEIZED. TT
FUEL THROTTLE STUCK WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. TT
THERE IS A CRACK IN HEAD GASKET, LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE. TT
THE WHEEL CAME OFF THE AXLE WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. TT
VEHICLE HAS REPEATED ABS BRAKE FAILURE W/ROTORS REPLACED AND ROUND, AND (9) SETS OF PADS. VEHICLE AGAIN NEEDS BRAKES SERVICED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
HEATER CORE CONTINUES TO FAIL EVEN AFTER REPAIRED (3) TIMES. MANUFACTURER HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT. *DSH
THE ABS SYSTEM HAS FAILED. WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED THE SYSTEM ALWAYS GOES ON. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
AUTO CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITTING IN PARKING LOT AT 6 AM. TT
PURCHASED NEW CAR AND HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT ROTOR AND PADS ABOUT FOUR TIMES. *AK
DOOR LOCKS FAILED.
TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CRACKING CYLINDER HEAD. *AW
RIGHT FRONT ANTI-LOCK BRAKE BROKE OFF. *SKD
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1992 Pontiac Grand AM → · Every Grand AM year → · How the figures are calculated →