1997 Pontiac Pontiac Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1997 Pontiac Pontiac. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
2
AIR BAGS
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
1
1injuries
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES
1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
1
TIRES
1
Total complaints13

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“I arrived at work, parked the 1997 pontiac grand prix. 10 minutes later the engine compartment was on fire.*ak”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2007-04-13

“1997 pontiac bonneville problem with cracking intake manifold. Manifold leaked coolant into the exhaust system causing engine to lock up. Only offered remedy was to completly replace the engine for $6,000.00.”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE · reported 2005-05-09

“Cruising down the road when uncontrollable excessive idle speed over 4000 rpm occurred. Cruising speed could only be controlled with application of the brakes. Consequences were over heated brake linings. Fortunately event occurred close to home and vehicle was safety parked in driveway with…”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · reported 2005-02-05

“The seals for the plastic "lenses" on the front headlights of my 1997 grand prix failed. When the seals broke, dirt and water entered the reflective areas of my headlights. One of my headlights burned out shortly after the seal was compromised. The original seal on each of the lights had degraded…”

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS · reported 2004-12-20

“For the past couple of months my 1997 pontiac grand prix has been "chugging" while idling in park, and while in drive. I watch the rpms fluctuating while in idle-park, and stopped-drive. What could the problem be? It feels as if the car will kill on me if I am not in a continuous motion. *nm”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE · reported 2004-11-20

“While driving down a busy road at 45 mph and going through an intersection, I heard a pop/back fire and the 1997 pontiac bonneville with an 3800 engine lost all power. We were stuck in the intersection. We were lucky we were not killed. The vehicle was towed to the dealership by aaa. The…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE · reported 2003-08-21

“The mfg. Will not fix the air bag or seat belt dash warning lights at no cost .I paid $40 to have them checked and they want $500+ to instal a new component even though the bags have never been deployed . After several conversations they are willing to go 50%. I don't agree to paying any$ for this…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2002-03-20

“The mfg. Will not fix the air bag or seat belt dash warning lights at no cost .I paid $40 to have them checked and they want $500+ to instal a new component even though the bags have never been deployed . After several conversations they are willing to go 50%. I don't agree to paying any$ for this…”

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES · reported 2002-03-20
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1997 Pontiac Pontiac as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.