AI Damage1999 Pontiac Trans AM: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Pontiac Trans AM filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 31% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 19% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- Structure: 5 complaints (31% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (25% of all).
- Suspension: 3 complaints (19% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 1 | 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.
The tie rod snapped and caused causing the left front wheel to turn to the extreme left or right which resulted in a crash.
While sitting in traffic another vehicle hit consumer at45 mph ,and drivers and passenger seatbacks reclined. Consumer felt that seats should not recline. Consumer, daughter and passenger suffered injuries.
Both of my sun visors have fallen out without the ability to put back in place. There have been several times I have needed these visors to drive safely when the sun is coming up or going down. I feel this could lead to an accident in the future.
No engine lights come on, vehicle simply loses forward momentum. Transmission guy says everything is fine, found nothing wrong.
Car cannot be driven because needles may enter the engine and cause engine to seize up or complete engine failure. They had to replace 16 rocker arms, drain magnet,r and r oil pan to clean,change oil and filter.
It now has 31,310 miles and both my door panels have cracks, about 1/4 way back. Also, I had a growling noise in my rear bearings and I had to have a new pinion bearings, carrier bearings, ring and pinion gear set installed.
Rear differential whining unbearably loud. Took to local gm dealer to diagnose, they say it needs replaced. Warranty I bought is inspecting to see if they are going to pay for it. This affect's the comfort, reliablity, and safety of this car. I will update when more info is recieved from the gm dealer.
Headlights flip up and down and makes grinding noise when car is turned off. Same occurs when factory installed alarm is activated. Dealer reports actuator bad. Same problem has occurred 4 times since 2000. Along with that, the driver side window motor has burned out twice along with the actuator.
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 9,040 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Trans AM has 6 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 16, above average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Pontiac Trans AM?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, powertrain, suspension. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (19%), engine failure or replacement (6%), jerking, harsh shifts (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Pontiac Trans AM?
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 1999 Pontiac Trans AM 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 1999 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.