AI Damage2001 Pontiac Pontiac reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Pontiac Pontiac filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 27% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 18% of all complaints
- 4 Tires 18% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Latches, locks, linkages 9% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (27% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (27% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Tires: 2 complaints (18% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Vehicle began running poorly with decreased gas mileage, sat in vehicle while idling and noticed rough idle. Shut off and restarted 10 minutes later the vehicle backfired and would no longer idle at all. Same problem the following morning, needed a mechanic immediately.
Have a 01 grand am gt with the turn signal clicking noise that is coming from the dash. When I hit a bump on the road or touch my turning signal lever it will start clicking. However, it will make this morse code clicking noise that is saying gm will not pay for this problem, hand over 300 dollars.
Leak in both upper and lower intake manifold gaskets. Had to have it repaired twice and now vehicle still isn't running correctly.....cost of $600.00 plus many headaches.
Anti-theft keeps going off. There is broken wire in our ignition.
Leaks water on the drivers side area, drivers side electric window does not roll up without help, electric door locks do not work on passenger side, overheats, I'm told it was the head gasket or intake gasket which I am also told is very common for these cars around 50k miles.
Auto rear window failure. Both rear windows have failed on this car. They each cycled less than 10 times since purchase. The last incident happened when I closed the rear door and the window fell down.
Van would not start day of test driving. 2. After only three weeks, had transmission problems. Sent in to be fixed and was told there were metal shavings in the pan. 3. Passenger power door lock would not always unlock, sent in more than once for this. Fixed , works for now? 4.
(1) the first day that I noticed something was wrong was when the dash lights were hesitating. When I first turned the car on and put the headlights on when it was dark.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,867 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Pontiac has 6 complaints (16 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Pontiac Pontiac?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine and cooling, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (27%), door locks, latches, handles (18%), headlights and tail lights (18%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 Pontiac Pontiac?
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 Pontiac 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 2026-11-06.