Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Pontiac Grand AM owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When I bought the car in April of 2013 it look nice and was impress, because of the mileage. About 4 months into driving I heard a thumping in the back. Every time I turned the steering wheel. Notice it was getting louder. Had it look at and they told me everything look okay. Coming home from work that next evening. I could not steer my car and almost hit a telephone pole. Was so thankful, I could stop before that happpen. Took it in to a mechanic and the undecarriage was almost falling out. It cost me almost $800.00 dollars to get it fixed. The mechanic showed me after I just had it look at, at another place. I was very lucky but I still AM having problems. Smells of gas and I thought I was getting a safe and paid off car. That has only given me problems!
We purchased a new 2000 Pontiac Grand AM gt from a dealer in florida, the car had 7 miles on it when we bought it. From the first day we had problems with the steering, it pulled to the right always. The dealer attemted to fix the car on several occasions, finally they told us the steering rack was defective. The car had less than 10,000 miles on it, the car would make noise turning the wheel to the left or right, and a bump could be felt coming from the front of the car by turning the wheel while at low speeds. The steering rack went bad again just before 50,000 miles and was once again replaced under warranty, the steering rack that was replaced then has went bad again, around 85,000 miles. It does the exact same thing the first two did, the car is no longer under warranty and Pontiac wants over 1,100.00 dollars to fix the problem. …
I bought a car from budget auto sales and I had numerous issues including brakes, air bag, electrical, gas leaking,brake lines, steering problems, muffler and exhaust problems along with bad tires and getting motor mounts replaced, changing all fuses and both driver and passenger and driver side mirrors, tire rods and axle shaft also. The car was in the shop constantly while I made consistent on time payments. The car was supposed to have had an airbag replaced when I paid for a rental car. My car was in the shop for 4 days . Later on I got into a bumper to bumper accident because my brake lines were incapable after sending them into the shop.after going to the Pontiac dealership and paying 200 dollars to hook my airbag up it was coded that my car had been in an accident on one of the days the car was at the dealership getting serviced. …
Last month my car started revving up randomly while in park. Once I put the car in drive it would pull forward on it's own speeding up to 40 MPH in the worst case. It ran so rough pulling and stopping the only thing I could do was put it in park until the rpms came back down to a normal rate. From that point on, every time I started the car when it wasn't warmed up this would happen. It used to only take about a minute for the rpms to settle and the car to run fine. Now it takes about 5 minutes of warming up, settling and then drives very poorly in first and second gear. One month later the car hesitates when given gas, begins to "rumble" slowing down, and feels like it will stall out as the cars rpms approach 0. I took the car to a mechanic and they found no problem. They said the rpms were lower than normal on idle. …
Tl contact owns a 2000 Pontiac Grand AM. The contact stated the motor mount had fractured and fell into the engine. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the motor mount was replaced. In addition, the vehicle also had failures with the rack and pinion and when taken to the dealer, it was found that the screws were loose and needed to be tightened to correct the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,932 and the current mileage was 150,000. Updated 11/03/10. Updated 11/29/10 the consumer stated the motor mount failed which LED intake gasket needing to be replaced. The windows would stick on occasions and a times would fall down inside the door. The oil from the engine became mixed with the anti-freeze. Updated 11/30/10
This question should be "tell us what happens". My directional levers and lighting to signal right or left does not work most of the time. The light goes on but it doesn't blink at all. I would say this is a problem 97% of the time. This May also happen with my hazard lights. I understand under NHTSA campaign number that she was a recall in 2003, but my car was never recalled under my VIN number. This happens either when the car is in motion or when it is still. It happens on city streets, and highways and even in my driveway. This is definitely a safety issue. I have also had the flashers cleaned and the flasher relay replaced by my mechanic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Pontiac Grand AM. The contact stated that while driving at a low speeds during inclement weather, the steering wheel seized and the brakes failed causing the contact to crash. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. It was unknown if there was a police report filed. The contact mentioned that the vehicle experience the failure directly related to recall NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
2000 Pontiac Grand AM bought wigder livingston, nj. On, 12/3/03, power sterring hose all of a sudden let go and total lose of sterring control happened. Car had to be towed to dealer where make shift repair was made for $243.00 do not believe repair has been made to specifications and that it will fail again. According to your website this seems to be a common problem and should have been covered under warranty. I have paid for repair and AM now requesting that it be checked and correct repair be fully made under warranty and that I get original cost credited back to me. Any help with this will be appreciated.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Pontiac Grand AM. While driving 70 MPH, the steering became difficult to maneuver and excessive force was needed to control the steering wheel. The failure occurred on several occasions. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). The dealer stated that the power steering needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 46,000.
I was hearing a ratcheting noise coming from gear box/rack and pinion area whenever I made a turn. Sunday night, I was making a left hand turn, I heard the ratcheting sound, turned the wheel a little more to left, heard a pop, then lost control of the car. The car slide sideways into the curb where it rested, shattered spindle, axle, bent rim until a tow truck towed the car to the dealer. The dealer says damage was caused from curb, and call my insurance company, but the system failed before the car slid into the curb. My wife, daughter and I heard this noise before.
Steering complaints in other Grand AM years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2000 Pontiac Grand AM?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the steering of the 2000 Pontiac Grand AM, 5% of the model year's 675 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Pontiac Grand AM steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2000 Pontiac Grand AM, though it has 5 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 2000 Pontiac Grand AM steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering 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.