1998 Pontiac Grand Prix: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix filed 499 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and exterior lighting. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 499
involving a crash: 19

What fails most often

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

Engine and cooling: 90 complaints (18% of all).
Exterior lighting: 90 complaints (18% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 89 complaints (18% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 51 complaints (10% of all).
Visibility: 49 complaints (10% of all).

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 2 complaints
3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
3.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 499 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights80 · 16%
smoke, burning smell, fire67 · 13%
steering or power steering problems35 · 7%
windows, sunroof30 · 6%
stalls while driving24 · 5%
A/C or heater15 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise14 · 3%
seat belts14 · 3%
oil leak or consumption12 · 2%
airbag warning light11 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	90	0
Exterior lighting	90	1
Steering	89	3
Electrical system	51	0
Visibility	49	0
Service brakes	36	1
Engine	33	0
Air bags	24	9
Powertrain	21	0
Fuel system	18	0
Seat belts	14	3
Suspension	13	1
Vehicle speed control	11	1
Equipment	10	0

What owners report

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

Updated information. Above. Sent 2 I was driving on an intrastate road. Traffic was moving at @60mph. After passing a curve I suddenly came upon a car completely stopped in the left lane. I reacted quickly and came to a full stop. I left @9 ft. In front of me. I was unable to change lanes.
Seats · crash · 2015-04-19 · NHTSA complaint #10706470
In may, the passenger rear coil spring broke for no appant reason. It lodged into the tire and ruined it. This happened before it was rearended in january 2003. Now the rear driver coil spring has broken. I have never heard of coil springs just breaking for no reason. Is there a recall that I do not know about?
Suspension · crash · 2004-04-22 · NHTSA complaint #10070050
Steering pulled to the right causing vehicle to leave road, crash into tree, and burst into flames.
Steering · crash · 2004-01-13 · NHTSA complaint #10053028
While traveling on the highway and without prior warning the steering wheel made a certain turn. Unable to control the vehicle, hit a tree, and caught on fire.
Steering · crash · 2003-07-18 · NHTSA complaint #10029677
Rack and pinion steering failed, vehicle lost control, resulting in a collision.
Steering · crash · 2003-02-03 · NHTSA complaint #10005972
Upon impact, front air bags did not deploy. Contacted dealer, and dealer could not find cause of problem.
Air bags · crash · 2002-06-24 · NHTSA complaint #8012470
After driving approximately 60-70mph on freeway off from incident hood came up and wrapped around windshield, and and went through sunroof due to a failed hook that snapped into hood latch.
Latches, locks, linkages · crash · 2001-03-26 · NHTSA complaint #884159
My car accelerator stuck on me this morning when I was pulling into a parking space and the next think I knew was up on a snow bank, then when I put foot on brake and was putting it into reverse to come off snowbank, before I could even go near the gas pedal, it flew backwards about 100 feet into a fence, and would…
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2001-01-31 · NHTSA complaint #739851

When owners complained

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

19973
199829
199946
200040
200158
200264
200365
200448
200518
200612
200719
200818
200917
20109
20114
20122
20131
20142
201514
201622
20173
20182
20191
20201
20221
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 750 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Prix has 187 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 499, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
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 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, exterior lighting, steering. Total complaints: 499. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (16%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%), steering or power steering problems (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 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 1998 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 1998 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.