Steering complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
* this has happened on 2 occasions * I have a 2005 Pontiac Grand AM I had the rack changed as the bolt that holds the steering rack & pinion to the frame had broke at the weld as well as the front part of where steering rack & pinion attach to the frame so I took car to mechanic he put a brand new rack in the car as well as a new frame now about 4 1/2 months later (last week) noticed vehicle was not steering properly, my wife had than went and picked the 2 girls up from school and on the way home she made a turn to pull in the driveway and wouldn't steer at all I did get the vehicle in the driveway and had jacked it up and noticed that yet again the frame ( which is only 4 1/2 months old )was broke in the front where the rack attaches to the frame was snapped right off and the back on both left and right sides are completely broke off as well as the the stabilizer bar bolt and bushing …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Grand AM. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the entire instrument panel illuminated intermittently. In addition, the steering wheel failed to respond and the vehicle crashed into a concrete wall. The contact and her child sustained injuries to the arms, wrists, chest, ribs, and the legs which both required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
Driving my 2004 Pontiac Grand AM home form grocery shopping and tried to get into left hand turn only lane, but car wouldn`t slow down and I didn`t want to rear end the person ahead as there was a lot of traffic that day so I veered to the right to get into a parking lot to pull my emergency brakes, but was broad sided. I have over $2,300.00 worth of damage to my car and my mechanic said it is the ignition switch on the 2004 Pontiac Grand AM, and there should have been a full replacement of that when the recall was done regarding the ignition. All that was done for me was a plastic insert was adhered to my ignition key. GM needs to recall these cars and replace the ignition switches. They also owe me a lot in repairs done to my car.
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Pontiac Grand AM. While the contact's daughter was driving and attempting to turn, the power steering failed without warning. The vehicle became difficult to steer and caused the driver to crash into a snowplow. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy and the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged. The driver did not receive any injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system) after the failure occured. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Pontiac Grand AM. The contact stated that there was a sudden loss of power and the steering wheel became extremely tight and difficult to turn. The contact applied force to the brake pedal which did not stop the vehicle, causing the contact to veer to the right and crash into a curb and then a stop sign. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained head injuries and whiplash, which required medical attention. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system), but experienced the failure before the recall repair was performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000. Updated 5/29/15 the consumer hit a curb then a fire hydrant. Updated 04/05/16.
I was driving and my rack and pinion broke loose from the sub frame causing me to lose all steering and I almost hit another car head on this is a week after I replaced it for the same reason I noticed the subframe welds are broke lose causing the problems this is very hazardous and needs fixed immediately ive since read online numerous reports of the same problem whats it going to take for GM to fix this problem because someone is going to end up losing there life if they haven't already I will make sure to post pictures and my statement online for all to see because this is ridiculous you spend money thanking you have a safe car for yourself and your family then find out that its not and all that matters to these car companies is the money there making and not the quality of there product I will never buy another vehicle from GM until this is resolved which I know it never will …
The vehicle is a 2002 Pontiac Grand AM se1 sedan with the Ecotec 2.2l engine. I was driving on the highway there was some snow and maybe a slight amount of ice in areas. And the car infront of me lost control. In order to avoid hitting it I had to make a sharp left hand turn. While making this left hand turn I had my power steering dissengage. My dashboard lights all then lit up and the engine and all the vehicles power went dead. I ended up going off the road and was airborne and came flying down into the metal highway divider. Causing severe damage to the front end of my car and minor damagein the rear. The airbags did not deploy and there were no serious injuries. This however has occured now 4 times in this vehicle since purchase. The dealership stated twice before the accident "can not duplicate owners concern" and sent me away with no work performed. …
My Pontiac's ignition key has fallen out of the ignition on at least three separate occasions while I'm driving/turning. In addition to the key falling out of the ignition, the steering wheel becomes hard to steer and I have to use the emergency brake to stop. The most recent incident took place one day after my car was serviced at a local GM dealer in relation to the 14350 unintended ignition key rotation post card I received in the mail. I did call the GM dealer to report that the car was producing the same high risk issues and that I could come up there and show them this same problem while their staff is also in the car. I was told " we fixed the recall problem you must have another issue that is not covered under this recall." I AM willing to record and upload video footage to youtube or a GM site that accepts videos so GM corporation can assess my issues remotely. Thanks in advance
Related recalls (2)
Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel can come loose from the steering shaft because the steering wheel retaining nut could have been improperly tightened.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering wheel retaining nut for correct tightness and tighten if necessary.
Steering › Steering wheel/handle bar
The steering column lower pinch bolt was not properly tightened during assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering column pinch bolt for correct torque and, if necessary, tighten the bolt to the specified torque.
NHTSA investigations
Steering column fire
Odi has expanded the scope of its investigation of steering column fires to include all models built on the n-platform.GM has indicated in its response that the subject vehicles are equipped with a rotary ignition switch that has been in use in a number of vehicle models since 1991 on both the n and j-platforms.however, the 1994-1995 n-platform is over represented accounting for 83 (81%) of the combinded total of…
Power rack and pinion steering failure
GM conducted a safety recall (NHTSA # 02V286) to address a steering defect pertaining to a lower pinion bearing (lpb) within the rack and pinion steering gear (r&p). The recall covered 1,159,156 model year 1997-1998 Pontiac grand prix vehicles built between March 1, 1996 and October 31, 1997, 1996-1998 Pontiac trans sport, Chevrolet lumina apv, Chevrolet venture, Oldsmobile silhouette minivans, and Chevrolet…
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac Grand AM years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1999 (70), 2000 (34), 2001 (24), 2002 (22) and 1997 (21) model years. Steering complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 1999.
Is there a recall for Pontiac Grand AM steering problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 98V-320 (steering wheel/handle bar, Dec 15, 1998); 96V-249 (steering wheel/handle bar, Dec 17, 1996). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Pontiac Grand AM steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles; 32% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the steering wheel/handle bar (33 mentions), followed by the rack and pinion (32).
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.