1990 Pontiac Grand AM problems & reliability
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Pontiac Grand AM. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 14 | 37% |
| Power Train | 7 | 18% |
| Structure | 5 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 8% |
| Steering | 3 | 8% |
| Tires | 3 | 8% |
| Seats | 2 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Consumer called complaining about having problem with the rims on the vehicle about five months ago the firs one broke wich was the front driver side and now there is a second one was the back drivers side. Manufacturer was contacted on a recall back on 1995 but hers were not included on the recall. Mr”
Wheels · filed Nov 13, 2002
“There is a noise coming from the steering wheel area, when backing up or making turns, consumer was informed that the noise is from the power steering cut out switch for a/c only when a/c is on and cornering full left or right.*jb when braking or turning right, there is a noise in the steering wheel area. *slc”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Sep 12, 2001
“4 tires purchased at sam's wholesale club all developed sidewall bubbles. *ak (dot number: bhkatt 114 tiresize: p195/75r14)”
Tires · filed Jun 28, 2001
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Pontiac Grand AM.
Information regarding snow intrusion into rear drum brake assemblies. **mr
000524001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Pontiac Grand AM in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Pontiac Grand AM?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.