2008 Pontiac Grand Prix

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 142 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 1 time.

When it fails
020k40k60k90k120k200k
81,000 milesMedian miles at failure

112 complaints record an odometer reading. Failures cluster around 75,00090,000 miles.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System31
010
Exterior Lighting19
000
Air Bags16
7010
Engine15
000
Power Train12
000
Steering7
000
Service Brakes5
000
Vehicle Speed Control4
000
Structure › Body4
201
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Electrical System › Ignition14V400000
Filed Jul 3, 20145,877,718 vehiclesGeneral Motors Llc

Defect. This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Risk. If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Exterior Lighting
Filed Feb 17, 2026MI

Low beam lights quit randomly, running lights did once too. This has happened multiple times so I switch to hi beams before I crash. This is a documented safety issue and recall should include my car.

Electrical System
Filed Oct 2, 2025194,000 milesMI

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the ignition switch unintendedly turned off the vehicle, and the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to immediately restart the vehicle. Occasionally, the contact had to wait for several minutes before the vehicle restarted and was able to be driven. The failure had become more persistent over time and the contact became aware that the failure mostly occurred in warmer weather. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V400000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 194,000.

Electrical System
Filed Oct 28, 2024KS

Purchased the car in march and filed with local dealership to get the recall repaired for the ignition. 6 months later and the dealership says that GM hasn’t sent the part. It’s needs repaired now. I’m tired of waiting, it shouldn’t take this long to get a recall repaired.

Power Train
Filed Jun 13, 2024IL

The transmission shifting cable has clips that keep it held in place for you to be able to put your car into drive or reverse and park ect. Is broke and at least once a month or more my car won't go into gear the shifter just slides smoothly but don't catch a gear. So far it hasn't happened on the road just when it's parked. But still feels like it's not in park. I worry that it won't be in park and back up or roll forward on me while I'm trying to get into or out of my car. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 21, 2021MI

Car cuts off without notice while driving . Starts back up but eventually shuts off again . Also when put in reverse it shuts off

Engine
Filed Oct 12, 2020150,000 milesGA

I WAS RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY AND A CAR INFRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON BRAKES AVOIDING A DEER CAUSING ME TO SLAM ON BRAKES EVER SINCE I HAVE HAD A OIL LEAK RUNNING DOWN THE MANIFOLD. I NEVER WRECKED INTO THE VECHILE IN FRONT OF ME I SEEN ON DIFFRENT YEAR PONIAC WERE SIMULAR RECALLS WERE MADE.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Oct 7, 2020143,360 milesMT

WHEN I TURN OFF MY CAR MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT WILL NOT STAY OFF AND IT KILLS MY BATTERY. I LOOKED ONLINE FOR HELP WITH THIS AND IT SEEMS MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WITH THIS PROBLEM YET I SEE NO RECALLS FOR THIS. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME?

Service Brakes
Filed May 26, 2020208,000 milesMI

ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR HAS MINIMAL ACCELERATION NOT ALLOWING TO GO OVER 40 MPH. ANTILOCK BREAK AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS BOTH ON. BREAKING ISSUE WHEN THIS HAPPENS CAUSING BREAKS TO HESITATE. ALL ISSUES LISTED HAPPEN WHILE IN MOTION ON CITY STREET & HIGHWAY, WHILE GOING STRAIGHT & TURNING AND WHEN BREAKING. *TR

Seats
Filed Aug 15, 2019IA

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT PRESURE SENSOR IS GOING BAD. THE WARNING LIGHT WILL PERIODICALLY COME ON AND THEN GO OUT AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THIS WOULD OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS; STATIONARY, MOVING AND OR TURNING.

Power Train
Filed Jun 19, 2019102,000 milesTN

TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMP IS OVERHEATING

Engine
Filed Feb 11, 2019130,837 milesNC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WAITED A FEW SECONDS, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED NORMALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY FOR TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOB KING BUICK GMC (5115 NEW CENTRE DR, WILMINGTON, NC 28403) AND KEPT FOR TWO WEEKS FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 9-5020128648. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,837.

Air Bags
Filed May 10, 201888,000 milesMO

DEALER STATES AIRBAG HAS BAD INFLATER, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY

Electrical System
Filed May 8, 201865,000 milesOH

I FILED A COMPLAINT IN AUG OF 2017. NEVER HEARD ANYTHING. MY CAR IS WORSE. IN THE SHOP AGAIN. THE CAR WILL DIE OUT IN PARK OR WHILE DRIVING IT. DIES OUT WAITING AT A RED LIGHT OR AT A STOP SIGN. IT ALSO STARTS WHEN IT WANTS TO START. THE ENGINE CRANKS OVER NORMALLY WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR, BUT THE ENGINE DOES NOT START AT FIRST ATTEMPT. CAN TAKE UP TO 4 ATTEMPTS AND 15 MINUTES (GIVE OR TAKE MINUTES) BETWEEN EACH ATTEMPT TO FINALLY START. 3 AUTO PLACES AND NO ONE CAN FIND OUT WHAT IT WRONG. THIS CAR CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WHEN IT DIES OUT WHILE DRIVING.

Exterior Lighting › Turn Signal › Switch
Filed Apr 5, 2018WA

2008 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR TURN SIGNAL SWITCH REPAIRS. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SHUT OF WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER WITH NO POWER STEERING, BRAKES, OR GAS. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED 5 MINUTES LATER.*JS

Electrical System
Filed Nov 8, 2017122,000 milesMO

I WAS DRIVING AT DARK HOURS WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AND LIGHTS JUST WENT OUT. TURNED ON BRIGHT LIGHTS AND THE LIGHTS WORKED. TURNED BACK TO DIM AND LIGHTS WORKED FOR ABOUT HALF A MILE.LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN TURNED ON BRIGHTS AND SAME THING AS BEFORE THE LIGHTS WORKED. I THOUGHT I SEEN SOMEWHERE A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. I GUESS I DIDNT.

Structure › BodyCrash1 injured
Filed Oct 30, 2017GA

HAVE HAD 2 MOTOR ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BIG NEVER DEPLOYMENT

Exterior Lighting
Filed Oct 16, 2017OK

TAKATA RECALL. AFTER DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY I NOTICED MY LOW BEAM LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON ALSO NO DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. I PULLED OVER SHUT CAR OFF CHECKED CONNECTIONS AND FUSES TURNED CAT BACK ON STILL NO LOW BEAMS. HIGH BEAMS AND FOG LIGHTS WORK JUST NO LOW BEAMS

Electrical System
Filed Oct 13, 2017RI

CAR IS TURNED OFF BUT HEADLIGHTS JUST RANDOMLY COME ON AND A LOUD FAN BLOWING TYPE NOISE UNDER THE HOOD.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Aug 17, 2017125,000 milesAR

THE HEADLIGHT MODULE (LOW BEAMS) AND/OR FUSE BOX, KEEPS FAULTING OUT. DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY GO OUT. VERY DANGEROUS. THIS THE 3RD MODULE IVE REPLACED, AN NOW IM ON MY 2ND FUSE BOX.THIS HAPPENS AT ALL TIMES, WHETHER MOVING, STATIONARY, OR ETC.

Electrical System
Filed Aug 13, 2017OH

RECALL FOR MY CAR 14V400. I WAS GIVEN 2 LITTLE KEY RINGS FOR MY KEYS, AND A LITTLE BLACK RUBBER INSERT WAS PLACED IN THE KEY SLOT. THE RUBBER INSERT, BY THE WAY, ALWAYS COMES OUT (3 DAYS AFTER IT WAS PUT IN) IT WILL NOT STAY IN AT ALL. I AM VERY WORRIED DRIVING MY CAR. MY CAR HAS DIED OUT 3 TIMES AT A RED LIGHT AFTER I HAD THE LITTLE KEY RINGS AND RUBBER INSERT. ( I HAVE NOTHING ON MY CAR KEY HANGING WHEN IT GOES INTO MY IGNITION ) . I DO HAVE PROOF OF ONE TIME IT DIED OUT, ITS ON PAPER FROM SPITZER'S AUTO. THEY WERE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY MY CAR WON'T START AT FIRST ATTEMPT, AND WHY IT TOTALLY DIES OUT. THIS ISSUE IS STILL GOING ON. IT IS REALLY GETTING WORSE. IT WILL NOT START ON 2ND OR 3RD TRY ANY MORE (WAITING FOR 10 MIN. IN- BETWEEN TRIES. ITS WORSE, IT TAKES 20 MIN TO 40 MIN IN-BETWEEN TRIES FOR IT TO START. MY CAR DIES OUT ON ME AT RED LIGHTS, ITS A SHORTER TIME PERIOD IN-BETWEEN TRIES. WHEN IT DIES OUT, TAKES 10 TO 15 MINUTE WAIT, TRY TO START IT AGAIN, IT WILL START. I DONT FEEL SAFE IN MY CAR. I REALLY NEED THIS LOOKED INTO. FROM READING THE PAPER I WAS SENT EXPLAINING ABOUT THE RECALL .. I FEEL THAT IF MY CAR IGNITION IS GOING TO THE "RUN" POSITION, BY ITSELF, THEN THE KEY RINGS AND RUBBER INSERT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFO PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU .IT IS ASKING DOWN BELOW "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN" ..I HAVE SEVERAL DATES, IT WILL ONLY LET ME CHOOSE ONE.

20 of 142 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1997
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2008 — this page142131Fatalities reported
20072204182Fatalities reported
20062392210High concern
2005148250Routine
20044549582Fatalities reported
20031067370High concern
20023307961Fatalities reported
2001308101068Fatalities reported
200046191620High concern
199941281252Fatalities reported
19984998601Fatalities reported
199781091082Fatalities reported
199679230Routine
1995169441Fatalities reported
1994213220Above average
1993131281Fatalities reported
1992114260Routine
1991172640Routine
1990176910Routine

Compare every Grand Prix year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jul 3, 2014. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.