The 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 750,283 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 116 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
STEERING03V5270002003-12-11750,283 affected
Defect
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE RETAINERS COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.
Consequence
IF THIS OCCURS, THE PINION SHAFT CAN BE FORCED UPWARD DURING LEFT TURNS AND BACK DOWN AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVED BACK AND TO THE RIGHT. IF THE PINION SHAFT MOVES FURTHER, THE DRIVER WILL NEED TO EXERT MORE EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, SIMILAR TO A VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER ASSISTED STEERING. IF THE PINION…
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW LOWER PINION BEARING UNLESS INSPECT OF THE EXISTING BEARING INDICATES THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE GEAR ASSEMBLY IS NECESSARY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 5, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537; OR PONTIAC…
Complaints by component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
11
2fires
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
7
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
5
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
4
1fires
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
3
Total complaints116
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1996 pontiac grand prix. While driving 25 mph, the power steering malfunctioned. It was extremely difficult to turn the steering wheel to the left. The contact had to exert force upon the steering wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made…”
“After stopping at a stop sign, lost control of steering while making left turn. Car continued, ran over a mail box and came to rest in a flower bed. When tow truck arrived and picked car up, tow truck driver noticed that engine cradle had fallen down and disabled the steering. Mechanic and…”
“After stopping at a stop sign, lost control of steering while making left turn. Car continued, ran over a mail box and came to rest in a flower bed. When tow truck arrived and picked car up, tow truck driver noticed that engine cradle had fallen down and disabled the steering. Mechanic and…”
“After stopping at a stop sign, lost control of steering while making left turn. Car continued, ran over a mail box and came to rest in a flower bed. When tow truck arrived and picked car up, tow truck driver noticed that engine cradle had fallen down and disabled the steering. Mechanic and…”
“Tl*the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand prix. The vehicle caught fire twice where drops of engine oil fell on the exhaust manifold. The fires occurred three days after purchasing the vehicle. The contact was responsible for the repair cost of $2000. The contact was not aware of recall# 09v116000,…”
“Dt: around september 21, 2005 the consumer started experiencing difficulty turning to the right. It was like the steering wheel was locked. The problem was ongoing when trying to turn right. When the consumer took vehicle to be repaired, the mechanic told her that the rack and pinion needed…”
“While the consumer was working on the vehicle noticed that gas was coming from under the vehicle. Consumer stated that the gas tank had a leak. *ak *mr”
“While driving at 20 mph, the consumer noticed the seat was getting extremely warm. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic and it was discovered that the electric seat motor was becoming red hot, and interior nearly caught on fire. Vehicle was brought in at precisely the right time. By the time the…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA96023 Opened 1996-09-27 · closed 1998-02-13
INAPPROPRIATE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
THE FAILURE RATE (1.25/100K) ON THIS ISSUE IS LOW.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF THE AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITURE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.ODI WILL CONTINUE…
InvestigationEA99026 Opened 1999-08-31 · closed 2001-12-28
INADVERTENT AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT
There is no summary currently available
InvestigationPE02050 Opened 2002-06-13 · closed 2002-10-22
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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