1998 Pontiac Grand AM problems & reliability
172 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 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.
10 complaints report injuries (11 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Pontiac Grand AM vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 36 | 21% |
| Electrical System | 33 | 19% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 23 | 13% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 9% |
| Steering | 14 | 8% |
| Suspension | 14 | 8% |
| Visibility | 14 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 13 | 8% |
| Power Train | 13 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 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 80,000 miles (middle 50% between 45,250 and 112,250 miles), based on 42 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While starting the vehicle, the anti-theft circuitry cuts out the ignition system and prohibits re-starting the vehicle. A 'pass code' light appears on the dashboard. In one instance, the anti-theft circuitry cut out while the vehicle was in motion and could not be re-started. The vehicle could be steered (no power…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Sep 15, 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand am. After the vehicle was started, the passenger side air bag deployed inadvertently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 208,000.”
Air Bags · filed Aug 11, 2015
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac grand am. The contact stated that the driver was traveling at an unknown speed when the vehicle stalled and crashed into a tree. The driver was killed and the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed of the incident. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The…”
Engine · filed Jul 9, 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
Technical service bulletins
62 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 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 1998 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 1998 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 80,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.