Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Pontiac Grand AM owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have had to have the following repaired: the fan replaced 2 times, the brakes repaired 4 times, the radio replaced once, the water pump replaced once and the battery replaced twice. I AM also having problems with the transmission it has been slipping. The intake gasket needs to replaced because antifreeze is leaking out and one of the lifters is knocking. Most of these problems started at about 30,000 miles and gradually there was just one problem after another. I took it in to the dealership for the tranmission at about 32,000 miles and since the dealership couldn't get it to slip they wouldn't do anything about it. The brakes started having problems at 40,000 miles. I called GM to complain about the car and GM told me there was nothing they could do because it was out of warranty. …
In August of 2001 when I purchased this car I felt a rattle on my brakes which is still there. My power windows are scratched from rolling up and down. Paint around the spoiler and bumper and on the roof is chiped off. I had to replace the generator in 2002. I had to have the intake manifold seals replaced in 2002. (3.4l v6) I had to have the waterpump replaced in spring of 2003. Now the head gaskets are broken the intake manifold seals again are broken. My transmission is no longer working. In other words I can not drive my car anymore; it is sitting my garage. The cost amounts to more than the car is worth in dollars and I still owe $9.500 on this car.
I have owned this car for 3 years after buying it used.it had 32,000 miles on it and ran well. Now for the last year the transmission has continued to give me problems and is getting worse.I have had it serviced, computer diagnosed twice and had it serviced again. All of this has been out of pocket and cost me down time of use of my vehicle.it shifts hard (randomly) , has hard vibration at idle, acts as if it wants to stall and is slow going into reverse. All of these problems seem to come and go.my local dealer states that are no known problems but I have spoken to two different owners that describe similar problems.
1999 Pontiac Grand AM. Consumer states the vehicle was scraped because of the dash catching on fire and all the electric parts in the window stopped working. Also, the transmission was inoperative.
'99 gr AM: grinding noise r front-dealer: drilled out restrictor in pwr steerng hose per bulletin 990232002. Rubbing & squawk noise turning left-dealer: sway bar bushings replcd. Passenger seat stuck-dealer: replaced seat track. Center console door latch assmbly replaced per recall. Radio lcd garbled & blacking out-dealer: replcd radio assembly. Whining in pwr steering- dealer: p/s cooler line leaking, replcd & bled system. Gas gauge back & forth from full to empty-dealer: tank sending unit shorted, replcd tank module assy. Fluid/oil leak from intake gasket-dealer: replcd gaskets & replcd oil pump drive o-ring. Passenger seat squeaks-dealer: seat tracks loose in floor pan hook attchmnt openings. Crunch/squawk in front end on speed bumps-dealer: replcd r&r front struts, replcd upper mounts. Brake pulsation-dealer: front rotors warped, both rotors were machined & pads replaced. …
1999 Pontiac Grand AM 2.4 l auto severe brake failure---replacement of pads 8 times, rotors 3 times and calipers 2 times in 80,000 miles. Brakes occasionally lock up and make loud grinding and squealing noises steering shudders and vehicle pulls to left.. Participating Pontiac dealer failed to fix this problem since purchase at 11,000 miles. Under warranty replacement it has had 6 door panels due to peeling leather on top of panel, 5 gear shifters due to dealers improper installation, 2 factory cd/radio failures, 1 rack and pinion unit, 2 front strut assemblies due to knocking noise from front of car (went bad after 10,000 miles use), problem with hesitation at idle-cold start(unsuccessfully diagnosed by dealer) carpet loose in trunk around latch assembly(too short for trunk and was hot glued to back wall of car by dealer instead of replacement). …
We have had continuous problems with this vehicle. The door panels peeled off the two rear doors and were replaced, the tire pressure light continually comes on, the hinges on the driver door keep getting stuck and sometimes the door won't even shut, it will not shift into first gear, and now the rotors/brakes are out. It is currently in the shop again. We take it monthly if not more often. This is certainly a burden. The service department is not informative. They don't explain why these things happen nor do they tell us if they have ordered parts for the vehicle. We get cards in the mail when the parts are in and we must schedule yet another trip to the dealership. The vehicle is completely unreliable. The brake issue is extremely scary when we only have 16,000 miles on the vehicle. Never before have I owned such a lemon. …
Transmission has been slipping since I bought car. A service dept. Worker taking me back to work pointed it out. When you put it in reverse it takes a few seconds for it to go into gear. In the winter it is very hard to get out of park. The dealership told me this was normal, but I had never had this happen in any other car I owned. When driving it sometimes does not always shift when it is suppose to and then when it does it slams into the next gear. When backing out of my drive and then putting it into drive to go down the drive it won't go into to gear (drive) for quite awhile. I have reported this to dealership they told me it was a computer problem and they reprogramed it. When I called Pontiac the dealership told them that they could not duplicate the problem. But told me it was the computer. …
On serveral occasions I AM having major front end problems, from the intermediate shaft poping, to the whole front end poping, the dealer replaced the rack the cv boots 3 times, they kept busting, lower ball joints, "a" arms, this corrected the problem for a bit, then the cv boot fractured again they wouldnt replace, now the front in pops horriably when you make a turn to the right and add a little torque, took to dealer, no diagonsis, took to an independent agent, everything seems fine, only thing he can think of is a break in a spot weld on the front end, ie the tubing that supports the engine and front suspension, I have event contacted Pontiac customer care center and they say the problem is no longer theres, I would be happy to let you test the car and hear the noise, and see if it wouldnt make you a tad bit uneasy about driving it
I own a 1999 Pontiac Grand AM gt, began with a slow transmission leak that progressed to a larger one. Car was taken to transmission shop and found to have a cracked transmission. The transmission was cracked completely around and fell out in two pieces when taken out. The crack was at the differential, that caused a part to grind the inside wall of the transmission to the point where it cracked completely around. Every mechanic I spoke to never heard of this without hitting anything. I have seen this happen to mine and read a site where another Grand AM had this happen and his pictures are identical to mine. So going from never hearing of this from professional mechanics to happening to two seperate 1999 Pontiac Grand AM appears to have a pattern. I required to have the transmission to be replaced at a cost of 1116.50
Transmission complaints in other Grand AM years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1999 Pontiac Grand AM?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1999 Pontiac Grand AM, 4% of the model year's 849 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Pontiac Grand AM transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 1999 Pontiac Grand AM, though it has 3 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 1999 Pontiac Grand AM transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.