Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Purchased a used 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix for my son in 2003 when he turned 16. During a short trip home from a livestock judging contest in the spring of 2005, he had pulled away from a stop sign and immediately noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. He pulled over and opened the hood to see his entire engine engulfed in flames. The car was in a rural area and by the time fire personnel got to the scene, the entire car had been burnt up in flames. Approximately a year or two after the incident we received a recall notice from GM identifying the exact problem we had encountered. After numerous contacts with GM wanting some sort of restitution they denied our claim because we no longer had the car for them to investigate or any pictures. We did have the testimony of the tow truck and the west brooklyn il fire personnel but would not accept that. …
The first week in December I received a recall letter about my vehicle recall #15757 engine fire could happen as a result of oil deposited on the exhaust manifold>on 11/3/2015 driving home from fort lauderdale my engine light went on then my oil light stopped let the car cool down about an hour and read my manual that helped so I continued driving for about 20 minutes. I needed to get gas so I exited at the nearest exit. I stopped in clearwater,fl. Pulled up to the pump turn off the car and got out, when I noticed a smell of burning rubber it was windy took a minute omg it was coming from my engine I opened the hood only to see that the engine was on fire!!! Ran into the gas station for help > called my insurance company was towed but was 2hrs from home(fernandina beach,fl)> car is totaled . …
Note: I have filed a safely complaint before with the NHTSA about this safety issue on nov 9, 2020 reference number: 11373799. And now due to safety negligence from the investigation department of the NHTSA ..excessive heat coming from the extremely hot oil that's dripping off the extremely hot exhaust manifold that's leaking from the valve cover started a fire under the hood and also leaked into the cylinder causing the piston to slit into numerous pieces then violently being shot back and forth striking the cylinder walls violently then breaking through the engine block and oil pan, then spilling hot oil on the I-105 highway at high way speed coming up on a fork, lost oil compression and stalling out with heavy thick can't see in more then 5 feet in front of you grey/black smoke coming from both ends of the vehicle. Almost costed me my life
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving 30 MPH, the contact observed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The engine caught fire. The contact extinguished the fire. No fire report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the plug wires, velocity belt, dip stick, and valve cover gasket failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure was persistent. The fire occurred twice. The contact stated that he felt that the vehicle was a safety hazard. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 09V116000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000. Updated 02/12/16
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving at an unknown speed into a driveway, smoke was observed from the front end of the vehicle. The contact and her daughter quickly exited the vehicle before it erupted in flames. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries. The remnants of the vehicle were towed to a junk yard. Two years later, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that nothing could be done right away. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed smoke coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and the vehicle engulfed into flames. The fire department extinguished the fire. The fire department informed that the battery had exploded. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 08V118000 (engine and engine cooling), 09V116000 (engine and engine cooling) and 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to charge the battery. When the technician started the vehicle, he heard a noise under the hood. The technician opened the hood and a big explosion occurred and smoke appeared out of the exhaust manifold. There were no injuries. The technician informed the contact that the front valve cover exploded without warning. Meanwhile, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,088.
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. While the vehicle was parked in a parking lot, the contact noticed melted plastic underneath the front of the vehicle. The contact opened the hood and found that the engine was on fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 167,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. Minutes after parking the vehicle in a residential driveway, smoke started to emit from the engine compartment. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that flames engulfed the entire engine compartment. The fire department was contacted and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact recently received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that the vehicle engine oil was leaking on top of the exhaust manifold and caused smoke to emit from under the vehicle hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to have a diagnostic performed that located the failure code at the valve cover and informed that the vehicle could catch on fire as a result of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 200,000. Invalid VIN.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and gasket.
Engine and engine cooling
General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 Buick regal, my 1998-2003 Chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 Oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 Pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine's plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge.
Engine and engine cooling
GM is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 Buick regal and Pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. These vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine's plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark…
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fires
Engine complaints in other Grand Prix years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix?
NHTSA has 180 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix, 22% of the model year's 810 complaints. The component named most often is engine (31 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-701 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe, Oct 26, 2015); NHTSA recall 09V-116 (engine and engine cooling, Apr 8, 2009); NHTSA recall 08V-118 (engine and engine cooling, Mar 12, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 150,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 82 fires and 5 injuries to engine & cooling 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.