Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Pontiac Grand AM owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My son's Grand AM driver's side airbag deployed after the car was driven through a puddle hiding a pot hole. He sustained burns on his right arm and had to stop the car and exit in order to stop coughing from the airbag powder. Pontiac customer service was contacted, informed about the incident, digital pictures taken by the repairing Pontiac dealer were inspected and, based on paint flaking from the underside of the bumper cover and a dent in the crossmember, they concluded this damage caused the airbag to deploy. However, the service manager to the repairing dealer was very skeptical of this conclusion since this kind of damage should not deploy the airbag and, based on the design of this car, both front airbags should have deployed. …
97 Grand AM 4cyl pur new 5/97 series of problems.gt version but driven cautiously by 40 year olds.at 2 years and 39,000 miles water pump fails.is under car and is 600.00 dol to replace!nobody should buy the 4 cylinder when an item prone to failure like a water pump cant be accessed without removing the manifolds on the car.at 50,000 key comes out of ignition while car running.ignition switch fails,has to be re keyed and cost is 500.00 by local mechanic serv stat.at 55,000 miles at interlocks up,car stuck towed at this time a alternator check shows that is not charging.replace both cost 800.00 plus battery.dec 2000 front left tire on alum wheel is flat-take to sev stat,they refill drive car after x-mas it deflates causes car to spin hit light pole mostly on tire area at 40 MPH ,no air bag deployment but a high snowbank decelerates car.alum wheel leak again?ever since w.pump replaced a …
This is the worst car (lemon) I have ever had. I bought this car from a used car dealer ship called new car alternative in livonia mi. I AM now on my third engine in the car. The first 2 failed due to the head gaskets blowing and anti-freeze was mixing with oil in the engine causing engine failure. All car window motors have be replaced 4 or 5 times each and still don't work. Back two doors are broke one wont open the other wont close. The sunroof wont close the dealer told me 1500 to replace motor and put back on tracks. Lol I have the brakes replaced 3 times in 5 years. I bought the car dec of 99 and have had all these problems since. I don't recommend anyone to buy a Grand AM or a car from this dealership they were no help at all. The first engine was covered by warranty second one was at my cost of 3500. Then another 1500 for new radiator and heater core. …
1) firewall body seam leaks water into passenger compartment due to rust through. Fills floors beneath carpets with water. Causes air bag control module (sdm) under passenger's seat to fail due to moisture. Activates "air bar" dash light. GM has issued a letter related to "flood" cars. It goes beyond floods!!!! This is a defective design & build problem. 2) water enters every time it rains. The air bag control module (sdm) located under the passenger seat (stupid design) has failed due to moisture under the carpeting. "air bag" light is triggered and GM warns that air bag(s) could deploy without warning!!! 3) I have removed the 10a air bag fuse and disconnected both air bags by unplugging wires to the inflators. GM says the air bag control module (sdm) needs to be replaced at my expense. No thank-you, GM should cover replacement and firewall repairs to prevent recurrence, period. …
Tl contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand AM. In rainy weather conditions, the rear of the vehicle became completely saturated with water. Two years later, the contact received a notice advising consumers that the air bag control module could fail and allow water to enter the vehicle, causing unexpected air bag deployment and flooding. The manufacturer stated that the letter was for informational purposes only and that they would not assume any financial responsibility for the costly repairs. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 110,000.
Weather conditions - snowing, hard packed snow. When driving, the vehicle pulled off to the right. I turned to turn the wheel to the left to gain control, and the vehicle caught some ice, causing the vehicle to spin and lose control. It rolled over on the highway and came back onto its wheels into the ditch. The vehicle then collided with a tree. The steering wheel hit me in the chest with the sudden stop. Neither air bag deployed during the crash and was I believe a manufacturer's defect. No manufacturer representative contacted me at any time since the accident.
Tl contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand AM. While traveling 70 MPH, both driver and passenger front side airbags had deployed without warning. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The current and failure mileages were approximately 189,000. Updated 02/01/118 lj the consumer and her passenger were injured due to the deployment of the airbags. Updated 03/18/11
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 5 MPH under normal road conditions, the passenger air bag deployed. There were no warnings prior to the incident. The vehicle was not taken to the service dealer. There was a recall about the same issue for the same year, make and model vehicle in Canada. The recall number was 03-162. Updated 12/28/2006 -
While driving 25-35 MPH the consumer's son drove through what was thought to be a puddle, but was actually a pot hole. The drivers side air bag deployed causing abrasions on the driver's arms. The manufacturer and dealer were informed. The dealer found no cause for the air bag deployment.
Both front airbags deployed approximately ten minutes apart. There was no accident or any warning of possible car problems before or after airbags deployed. Passenger side deployed around 7:30 while car was in motion and drivers side deployed around 7:40 while pulling out of a business parking lot.
NHTSA investigations
Oversensitive air bag deployments
On June 26, 1998, general motors begain a safety recall, 98v-146, to recalibrate the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (sdm) in the 1996 and some 1997 j body cars, cavalier and sunfire.due to certain calibrations in the air bag sdm, there is an increased risk of inadvertent air bag deployment in a low speed crash or when an object strikes the floor pan.the recall population consists of 675,302 vehicles built…
Airbag complaints in other Grand AM years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 1997 Pontiac Grand AM?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the air bags of the 1997 Pontiac Grand AM, 11% of the model year's 383 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (28 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Pontiac Grand AM airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 1997 Pontiac Grand AM, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1997 Pontiac Grand AM airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 134,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 19 crashes, 0 fires and 23 injuries and 3 deaths to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.