1997 Pontiac Grand Prix: common problems

Owners of the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix filed 810 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 810
involving a crash: 34

What fails most often

1 Steering 27% of all complaints
2 Exterior lighting 18% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
5 Visibility 10% of all complaints
6 Air bags 7% of all complaints
7 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
8 Engine 6% of all complaints

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

Steering: 216 complaints (27% of all), 15 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 149 complaints (18% of all).
Engine and cooling: 136 complaints (17% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 88 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 78 complaints (10% 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.

3.1 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 12 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 810 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights124 · 15%
smoke, burning smell, fire118 · 15%
steering or power steering problems102 · 13%
warning lights, check engine33 · 4%
windows, sunroof29 · 4%
airbag warning light25 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise19 · 2%
stalls while driving17 · 2%
A/C or heater15 · 2%
oil leak or consumption14 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Steering	216	15
Exterior lighting	149	0
Engine and cooling	136	2
Electrical system	88	2
Visibility	78	1
Air bags	56	14
Service brakes	51	6
Engine	45	0
Powertrain	32	1
Suspension	26	0
Structure	19	0
Fuel system	17	0
Vehicle speed control	16	2
Equipment	14	0

What owners report

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

The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained head, neck, and back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Air bags · crash · 2015-02-09 · NHTSA complaint #10682052
Kumho tire on my 97 pontiac grand prix blew out, resulting in accident
Tires · crash · 2004-12-31 · NHTSA complaint #10104837
Steering locked when making a turn, then vehicle rolled over. Vehicle was towed to dealer. However, it was not inspected. Consumer stated that the wheels locked.
Steering · crash · 2004-09-01 · NHTSA complaint #10090225
While making a left turn steering wheel locked up. Consumer was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and hit a curb. Consumer drove the vehicle to dealer for analysis, and mechanic was unable to resolve the problem.
Steering · crash · 2004-01-28 · NHTSA complaint #10056058
Was driving 40-45 mph when the steering wheel locked up. Driver lost control of vehicle. Then, vehicle flipped over. Driver and front passenger suffered injuries. Had emergency room treatment.
Steering · crash · 2002-04-04 · NHTSA complaint #8006929
Upon impact, driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. Contacted dealer and they are not willing to do anything. Consumer stated there was an injury in the accident. Two weeks after purchase, water pump failed. Alternator failed. Windows quit going up and down.
Engine and cooling · crash · 2001-11-15 · NHTSA complaint #899174
Consumer's stopped vehicle was hit from behind by another vehicle traveling about 45 mph, air bags deployed and consumer got knocked out from inhaling an irritant that is in the air bag, consumer continues to have breathing problems.
Engine and cooling · crash · 2001-06-29 · NHTSA complaint #891750
While driving 35-40 mph abs/traction control light came on, slowed down vehicle to 10 mph. At that time vehicle sped up, wheels screeching. With foot on brake, and vehicle spun around and landed in ditch. Consumer tried to get out of ditch, vehicle accelerated again opposite way.
Service brakes · crash · 2001-02-13 · NHTSA complaint #880479

When owners complained

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

19962
199730
199842
199963
200086
2001103
2002151
2003100
200462
200519
200611
20077
200823
200930
20109
20119
20126
20134
20145
201511
201628
20174
20182
20191
20202
20211

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 354 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Prix has 187 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 810, above average.

What to check before buying

Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, exterior lighting, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 810. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (15%), smoke, burning smell, fire (15%), steering or power steering problems (13%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 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 1997 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 1997 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.