1989 Pontiac Grand Prix problems & reliability
139 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix, 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.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 63 | 45% |
| Structure | 18 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 14 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 14 | 10% |
| Steering | 12 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 4% |
| Suspension | 6 | 4% |
| Power Train | 4 | 3% |
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.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1989 pontiac grand prix. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer…”
Engine · filed Dec 17, 2015
“Instrument cluster goes out intermittently. Sometimes it is off all the time, other times only when headlights on, other times only when headlights are off. Speed, fuel odometer... Nothing can be seen. *tr”
Electrical System · filed Mar 15, 2010
“Tl*the contact owns a 1989 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that his brake light lamps would remain illuminated when the vehicle was not in operation. This caused the battery to fail. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 90v185000 (exterior lighting:brake…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Dec 26, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STRUCTURE
Investigation RP01001 · opened Nov 28, 2001 · closed Jun 13, 2002 · led to recall 00V189000
- ENGINE CRADLE SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA00011 · opened Apr 10, 2000 · closed Jan 12, 2001 · led to recall 00V189000
- CRADLE BOLT FAILURES
Recall Query RQ97017 · opened Oct 2, 1997 · open · led to recall 97V058000
- CORRODED REAR DISK BRAKES
Preliminary Evaluation PE94063 · opened Aug 12, 1994 · closed Dec 21, 1994
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA91051 · opened Nov 26, 1991 · closed Jun 30, 1992 · led to recall 92V086000
- W-CAR HINGE PIN FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE91133 · opened Oct 1, 1991 · closed Dec 5, 1991
- STEERING WHEEL SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE91072 · opened May 1, 1991 · closed Jul 8, 1991
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix.
Customers may complain of grinding / scraping / groaning noise from rear suspension. *tt
990309004 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 1999
Rear strut related thumping/squeaking noise. *tw
133405 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Abs warning light is on. *tw
435012A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 1995
Abs wire harness for the right front wheel may rub on the brake line causing the abs warning light to come on. *tw
435012 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1994
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 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix 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 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix?
- · 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.