The Most Common Grand Prix Problem

We've pulled together a list of the problems Grand Prix owners.

  1. Sudden Low Beam Headlight Failure

    The 7th generation Grand Prix has low beam headlights can suddenly shut off even though the lights themselves are perfectly fine. The issue is a a defective headlamp driver module which is responsible for distributing power to the lights.

    Continue
  2. What Are We Missing?

    We know there's more problems than this. Let us know which one you'd like to see us cover next.

    Continue

What Grand Prix Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Grand Prix Generations

The Grand Prix has 3 generations, each with their own issues. Using the same PainRank™ system we've determined that you're better off avoiding the 7th generation (2004–2008).

  1. 7th Generation Grand Prix

    Years
    2004–2008
    Reliability
    25th of 27
    PainRank
    17.35
    Complaints
    393
    Continue Front 3/4 view of a Grand Prix
  2. 6th Generation Grand Prix

    Years
    1997–2003
    Reliability
    24th of 27
    PainRank
    16.12
    Complaints
    849
    Continue
  3. 5th Generation Grand Prix

    Years
    1988–1996
    Reliability
    7th of 27
    PainRank
    2.15
    Complaints
    77
    Continue

Grand Prix Key Numbers

  1. 1,317 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 1,120 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 47 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Recent Grand Prix News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. combined

    population of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont (Yes, there are people -- not just cows -- in VT) and Wyoming.

  2. The number of calories my Uncle Hank ate over the holiday weekend. Seriously, he's a bottomless pit.
  3. According to GM, this latest round of problems involves mostly ignition switch related issues that are responsible for at least 7 crashes, 8 injuries and 3 deaths. The full list and details can be found here.

    Unintended Key Rotation

    The largest part of the recall involves 7.6 million vehicles that suffer from, what GM is calling, "unintended ignition key rotation." Of course, there's another name for that too -- "unintended holy %$#! my car just shut itself off on the highway." This is dangerous and affects a wide range of cars:

    • 1997-2005 Chevrolet Malibu
    • 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
    • 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero
    • 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am
    • 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala
    • 2000-2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
    • 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix

    What To Do Next

    1. GM has not announced when the recall will begin
      It should be in the next couple months but it's probably hard to gauge when you have 29 million vehicles in your repair queue.
    2. Keep an eye on your mailbox for an official recall notice with more details
      Not literally, though. Putting your eye on the mailbox sounds painful and will probably worry the neighbors.
    3. GM is stressing the importance of removing all items from your key ring, leaving only the vehicle key
      At least until your ignition is fixed. Sorry bowling league keychain -- you have to go.
    keep reading