Your vehicle report
2002 Pontiac Grand AM
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 395
- Received Feb 2002 to Mar 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Turn signals work intermittently or fail63 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Ignition key sticks or will not turn59 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes12 complaints · 3.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V400000This 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 22 crashes, 3 fires, 23 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 24 |
| 2003 | 31 |
| 2004 | 42 |
| 2005 | 38 |
| 2006 | 42 |
| 2007 | 41 |
| 2008 | 28 |
| 2009 | 20 |
| 2010 | 24 |
| 2011 | 10 |
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2014 | 38 |
| 2015 | 20 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 395 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 63 | 16% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 59 | 15% | – | NHTSA recall #14V400000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 12 | 3.0% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 12 | 3.0% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 10 | 2.5% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 10 | 2.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 9 | 2.3% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 9 | 2.3% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 8 | 2.0% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 8 | 2.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 7 | 1.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 5 | 1.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.0% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 4 | 1.0% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V400000July 3, 20145,877,718 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Pontiac Grand AM.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN