2001 Pontiac Grand Prix: common problems

Owners of the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix filed 308 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and engine. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 308
involving a crash: 14

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
2 Engine 21% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
5 Steering 7% of all complaints
6 Visibility 6% of all complaints
7 Exterior lighting 6% of all complaints
8 Fuel system 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: 102 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 65 complaints (21% of all).
Electrical system: 60 complaints (19% of all).
Powertrain: 22 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 21 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.

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

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 308 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire124 · 40%
warning lights, check engine18 · 6%
windows, sunroof18 · 6%
oil leak or consumption16 · 5%
stalls while driving14 · 5%
steering or power steering problems14 · 5%
headlights and tail lights11 · 4%
overheating, coolant loss9 · 3%
airbags did not deploy8 · 3%
A/C or heater8 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	102	1
Engine	65	0
Electrical system	60	0
Powertrain	22	1
Steering	21	1
Visibility	20	0
Exterior lighting	18	0
Fuel system	14	0
Service brakes	12	1
Air bags	11	9
Equipment	10	1
Fuel/propulsion system	9	0
Tires	9	5
Vehicle speed control	9	0

What owners report

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

My vehicle was struck in the front, and back, my air bags never deployed. Wanting to report: break problem with my vehicle, and non-deployment of air bags. (can not send you pictures as you only allow 5mb files, and I guess, my pics are larger, and they will not let me send them to you.)
Service brakes · crash · 2017-03-06 · NHTSA complaint #10958985
That when I brought the car seat it didn't fit in the car triedbto adjest the bealts but didn't work the whole car seat fell apart.
Seat belts · crash · 2015-10-25 · NHTSA complaint #10785869
Consumer states vehicle caught fire the consumer stated he drove the vehicle to his sons house and after pulling into the driveway, he turned off the vehicle and went in the house. A few minutes later, his daughter-n-law saw smoke by her front her window. The vehicle then caught on fire.
Engine and cooling · crash · 2012-08-30 · NHTSA complaint #10473462
Pontiac grand prix 2001: was hit by another car in the left rear while car was at red stop light waiting for green light, spinned, went on to "automatic" drive and hit fire hydrant on the right side fender.
Powertrain · crash · 2010-02-11 · NHTSA complaint #10308647
2001 pontiac grand prix right wheel separated around the rim, right front tire blew out causing vehicle to hit a guardrail. The consumer stated it was raining extremely hard and all of a sudden he felt the vehicle hydroplane.
Tires · crash · 2006-12-08 · NHTSA complaint #10176428
The consumer is reporting that the 2001 pontiac grand prix is an unsafe vehicle, which caused the death of his wife, where the airbags did not deploy, and a trunk that was pushed all the way to the drivers seat.
Air bags · crash · 2004-06-14 · NHTSA complaint #565983
The consumers wife was stopped at a red light when a suv crashed into the back of her vehicle, the trunk was pushed all the way to the drivers seat, the air bags did not deploy and the vehicle was knocked into a street sign pole and a fire hydrant, the consumers wife was killed in the accident, consumer stated the…
Air bags · crash · 2002-08-20 · NHTSA complaint #566983
Airbags did not deploy when grand prix was hit in the rear by speeding suv and air bags did not deploy when grandprix impacted on to the fire hydrant due to the crash. Trunk was compressed up to drivers seat. Tires were cut on impact with smooth edged curb.
Air bags · crash · 2002-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #764792

When owners complained

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

20018
200217
200320
200425
200516
200616
200726
200830
200921
201011
201110
201212
20133
201419
201521
201633
20175
20186
20194
20203
20222

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,304 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 4% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Prix has 187 complaints (29 years in the data). This year has 308, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 308. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (40%), warning lights, check engine (6%), windows, sunroof (6%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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.