2004 Pontiac Grand AM: common problems

Owners of the 2004 Pontiac Grand AM filed 293 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 293
involving a crash: 24

What fails most often

1 Electrical system 48% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 18% of all complaints
3 Air bags 7% of all complaints
4 Structure 7% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
7 Engine 6% of all complaints
8 Steering 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Electrical system: 140 complaints (48% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 53 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 21 complaints (7% of all), 13 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 20 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 19 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
3.4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 5 complaints

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 293 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

won't start45 · 15%
smoke, burning smell, fire24 · 8%
warning lights, check engine23 · 8%
windows, sunroof16 · 5%
stalls while driving15 · 5%
steering or power steering problems12 · 4%
airbags did not deploy10 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise8 · 3%
fuel system, fuel smell7 · 2%
infotainment or screen glitches7 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Electrical system	140	6
Exterior lighting	53	1
Air bags	21	13
Structure	20	1
Service brakes	19	1
Vehicle speed control	18	2
Engine	17	0
Steering	15	6
Engine and cooling	12	0
Powertrain	11	0
Visibility	9	0
Electronic stability control	7	0
Fuel/propulsion system	7	0
Fuel system	7	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

While the contact's daughter was driving and attempting to turn, the power steering failed without warning. The vehicle became difficult to steer and caused the driver to crash into a snowplow. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. A police report was filed.
Electrical system · crash · 2017-03-20 · NHTSA complaint #10967133
The contact stated that while approaching a stop light at 10 mph, the vehicle stalled. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. A police report was filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
Electrical system · crash · 2015-03-16 · NHTSA complaint #10694630
The contact stated that the vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags did not deploy. The details of the crash were not available. The contact stated that there were also problems with the ignition switch. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was not available.
Electrical system · crash · 2014-11-05 · NHTSA complaint #10652826
The contact stated while driving 10 mph, another vehicle crashed into the contact's driver side door and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 195,300.
Air bags · crash · 2014-06-26 · NHTSA complaint #10606349
Airbags did not deploy and driver's seat belt popped loose. Driver sustained a mild concussion. Passenger suffered chest pain and has since been diagnosed with torn cartilage and 2 cracks in sternum.
Air bags · crash · 2013-03-19 · NHTSA complaint #10503617
A 2004 pontiac grand am, driving eastbound on dirt road. Driver came around a curve on dirt road and had sudden loss of control of vehicle. Driver described wheel being torn out of his hands with loss of control. Vehicle then rolled onto its side.
Suspension · crash · 2011-01-04 · NHTSA complaint #10374670
2004 gm pontiac grand am with power steering issues that have occurred after 30,000 miles. When the powering steering fails it's extremely difficult to steer when traveling under 15 mph.
Steering · crash · 2010-03-02 · NHTSA complaint #10315531
2004 pontiac grand am hit another vehicle because the drivers tire was flat. No injuries were present. The consumer felt the tire go flat, as he tried to get to the shoulder, the rear of the vehicle spun out of control on the wet roadway. (ohio traffic crash report)
Tires · crash · 2007-10-23 · NHTSA complaint #10207168

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20031
200415
200513
200612
200731
200833
200918
201026
201114
20129
201319
201442
201526
201612
20176
20188
20196
20201
20211

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,382 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand AM has 233 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 293, above average.

What to check before buying

Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Pontiac Grand AM?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, exterior lighting, air bags. Total complaints: 293. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: won't start (15%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%), warning lights, check engine (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Pontiac Grand AM?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2004 Pontiac Grand AM from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2004 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.