1997 Pontiac Grand AM problems & reliability
383 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Pontiac Grand AM, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
31 complaints report injuries (37 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1997 Pontiac Grand AM vehicles were involved in 6 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 105 | 27% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 83 | 22% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 69 | 18% |
| Air Bags | 41 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 36 | 9% |
| Visibility | 34 | 9% |
| Suspension | 26 | 7% |
| Power Train | 22 | 6% |
| Steering | 21 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 19 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 96,024 miles (middle 50% between 61,130 and 131,182 miles), based on 66 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The theft warning system keeps the ignition switch from engaging. The car will not start unless the key is in the "on" position for fifteen minutes and resets the system. *tr”
Electrical System · filed Jun 4, 2020
“When trying to start the car the steering locks up and you have to move the steering wheel back and forth for it to catch and finally will start like it keeps locking up. My son bought this car as his first car so no sure how long it has been like this doing this as we purchased from a friend and he did say that…”
Steering · filed Apr 26, 2016
“The ignition on this college students 97 pontiac grand am randomly defaults. It will get stuck in on or off position. Car sometimes continues running. Keyes will lock in the ignition and can not be removed. Lights remain on while keys are stuck in ignition. Ignition gets warm. *js”
Electrical System · filed Jul 28, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURE
Recall Query RQ03001 · opened Jan 2, 2003 · closed Sep 15, 2003
- OVERSENSITIVE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTS
Recall Query RQ98013 · opened Aug 26, 1998 · open · led to recall 98V146000
Technical service bulletins
67 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Pontiac Grand AM. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.
19NA273 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 2, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 15, 2017
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
The 1997 Pontiac Grand AM has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1997 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 96,024 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.