1990 Pontiac Grand Prix: common problems

Owners of the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix filed 176 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 176
involving a crash: 13

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 54% of all complaints
2 Structure 14% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 10% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
5 Suspension 7% of all complaints
6 Steering 6% of all complaints
7 Exterior lighting 5% of all complaints
8 Parking brake 4% of all complaints

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

Service brakes: 95 complaints (54% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Structure: 25 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 17 complaints (10% of all).
Engine and cooling: 16 complaints (9% of all).
Suspension: 13 complaints (7% 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.

2.3 L · petrol · 4 cyl
3.1 L · petrol · 6 cyl
3.1 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
automatic, 3-speed
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 176 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion34 · 19%
brake failure15 · 9%
smoke, burning smell, fire6 · 3%
headlights and tail lights5 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise5 · 3%
stalls while driving5 · 3%
steering or power steering problems5 · 3%
warning lights, check engine5 · 3%
seat belts4 · 2%
overheating, coolant loss2 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	95	7
Structure	25	1
Electrical system	17	0
Engine and cooling	16	0
Suspension	13	1
Steering	11	0
Exterior lighting	9	0
Parking brake	7	1
Powertrain	5	0
Seat belts	4	1
Equipment	3	0
Vehicle speed control	3	3
Wheels	2	1
Air bags	1	1

What owners report

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

The driver was wearing a seat belt, but sustained injuries. The police took a report at the scene. The vehicle was towed to a junk yard and inspected by the manufacturer, who provided no clear determination as to what caused the accident.
Suspension · crash · 2006-04-28 · NHTSA complaint #10156381
Air bags did not deploy. Radiator and hood were no good. The bumper was split in half and the hood buckled in a 45 degree angle.
Structure · crash · 2000-12-26 · NHTSA complaint #876956
While driving and pulling into the driveway the vehicle was still running. Put in park, then again put the vehicle in drive and touched the gas pedal a little, and the vehicle took off. Went right into the garage door. There was a closed investigation for sticking throttle, ea92-024.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 1999-02-17 · NHTSA complaint #823275
Driver lap/shoulder belt broke shoulder belt broke, impact 12:00 position speed 45 mph,
Seat belts · crash · 1996-05-31 · NHTSA complaint #985084
Brake failure, causing extended stopping distance, twice resulting in loss of control/accident/injury.
Service brakes · crash · 1995-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #480973
Rear subframe retainers rusted out causing engine/transaxle to drop and steering shaft to separate causing loss of control where the vehicle ended up in the on coming lane of traffic. The retainers have been replaced at least once before. Replacement parts have the same defect as the original parts.
Structure · 2007-10-19 · NHTSA complaint #10206369
Car would get horrid gas mileage, occasionally stall, exhaust smell under hood, black exhaust. The crossover pipe from each exhaust manifold has a common cracking on the bellows and must be replaced, they run $2500 from gm which just crack again, or $425 for jeff m one that doesn't crack.
Engine and cooling · 2006-03-09 · NHTSA complaint #10152257
If you use the turn signal, the steering wheel will start smoking. Took vehicle to dealer and dealer didn't want to fix it. Turn signals still worked when applied.
Electrical system · 2005-11-28 · NHTSA complaint #10143848

When owners complained

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

199555
199617
199716
199819
199920
200027
20017
20026
20033
20042
20052
20062
20071

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,291 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Prix has 187 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 176, about average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, structure, electrical system. Total complaints: 176. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (19%), brake failure (9%), smoke, burning smell, fire (3%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix?

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 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix 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 1990 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.