2004 Pontiac Grand AM problems & reliability
293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Pontiac Grand AM, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
12 complaints report injuries (18 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Pontiac Grand AM vehicles were involved in 40 fatal crashes with 31 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 | 140 | 48% |
| Exterior Lighting | 53 | 18% |
| Air Bags | 21 | 7% |
| Structure | 20 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 6% |
| Engine | 17 | 6% |
| Steering | 15 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 4% |
| Power Train | 11 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 4% |
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 77,096 miles (middle 50% between 43,750 and 118,250 miles), based on 220 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“NHTSA # 14V400, Mfg. Campaign # N140350 Was informed about this recall and called the number given to me by Pontiac (South County Buick GMC 2202 National City Blvd. National City CA 91950, (619) 477-4462) but all I got was endless automated messages. The one real person I talked to was rude and sounded like she was…”
Power Train · filed Nov 15, 2021
“On multiple occasions, I have to go through a timely security re-set procedure due to the system disabling my ability to start my car. I have read that this is a recurring issue with other car owners like mine. The vehicle is stationary when this happens. It happens at random times. *tr”
Electrical System · filed Jun 30, 2020
“I was the owner of the car and someone else was driving and filed a claim. I want to know why I did not get anything in the law suit her name is [xxx] at the time she lived at [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr”
Air Bags · filed Jul 17, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
445 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 Pontiac Grand AM. The 10 most recent:
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or…
PIP5358D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 20, 2025
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…
PIP4723J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized…
PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2024
Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to…
General Communication · Service Campaign · issued Aug 26, 2024
This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
18-NA-099 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2024
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492, or E6961 and…
24-NA-098 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 6, 2024
This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the policies/procedures and the warranty transaction submission procedures that support the Personal Property Damage process.
09-00-89-008G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2024
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 2004 Pontiac Grand AM has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2004 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 77,096 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.