1996 Pontiac Grand Prix problems & reliability
79 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1996 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.
5 complaints report injuries (6 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes 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 | 16 | 20% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 13 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 11% |
| Steering | 8 | 10% |
| Structure | 7 | 9% |
| Power Train | 5 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 5% |
| Seats | 4 | 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.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 pontiac grand prix. While driving 25 mph, the power steering malfunctioned. It was extremely difficult to turn the steering wheel to the left. The contact had to exert force upon the steering wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The…”
Steering · filed Oct 27, 2016
“After stopping at a stop sign, lost control of steering while making left turn. Car continued, ran over a mail box and came to rest in a flower bed. When tow truck arrived and picked car up, tow truck driver noticed that engine cradle had fallen down and disabled the steering. Mechanic and insurance adjuster later…”
Power Train · filed Jul 7, 2014
“Tl*the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand prix. The vehicle caught fire twice where drops of engine oil fell on the exhaust manifold. The fires occurred three days after purchasing the vehicle. The contact was responsible for the repair cost of $2000. The contact was not aware of recall# 09v116000, component: engine…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Sep 1, 2009
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE02050 · opened Jun 13, 2002 · closed Oct 22, 2002
- INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
Engineering Analysis EA99026 · opened Aug 31, 1999 · closed Dec 28, 2001 · led to recall 00V171000
- INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
Engineering Analysis EA96023 · opened Sep 27, 1996 · closed Feb 13, 1998
Technical service bulletins
50 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix. 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 1996 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 1996 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.