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 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
For several weeks, the steering in my 99 Pontiac Grand Prix has been failling while turning left at low speeds. Suprise, suprise!! Today, 7/13/03 I hit another vehicle while pulling into a car wash when I lost left turn power steering and could not avoid his car. I was turning off of a busy street and was almost rear ended as well. I am very angry, as this is the 5th time I was almost killed in my 1999 Grand Prix. The first 4 times were on the highway, when my car lost total engine power with no warning. After 6 weeks of having it in and out of a certified GM repair shop, and having a complete fuel system overhaul, the GM mechanic tore down everything under the hood to find that the fuel system sensor had never been attatched. Please advise on any legal action against GM that May me of benefit to me, as well as how to demand a recall on the 99 Pontiac Grand Prix.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and required excessive force when attempting to make a left turn. The contact noticed that the alignment of the front passenger tire was off. The contact then discovered that the rack and pinion housing was detached from of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 197,000.
According to witnesses car went straight when highway curved. Air bags never went off, had two fobs and multiple keys. There was dip in road just before curve. Ignition switch? The consumer's son was killed in an accident. The accident was classified as an unknown cause. Updated 10/27/14...updated 11/03/14 updated 4/28/2015
Vehicle began to run rough. Then immediately lost power steering and stalled. The engine died followed by flames from under both sides of the hood. No smoke was seen before the fire began. No lights came on to indicate a problem. In no time, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. The car was a total loss.
Steering: rack and pinion, currently own a 1999 Grand Prix, and had to have the steering rack assembly replaced, the problem that occured is the same problem that was recalled in the 1997, and 1998 model Grand prixs NHTSA campaign id number 02V286000. Summary: certain passenger vehicles and Mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between January 1, 1996 and October 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape. Consequence: if this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. …
My vehicle, a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix gt, loses power steering when turning left (only left turns - not right turns). It is extremely difficult to make a left hand turn. I need to pull hard with both hands to get my steering wheel to turn. Sometimes when the steering does not respond, I am forced to discontinue my left turn, put my car in reverse, back up the vehicle, and try again because the steering does not work when turning left. On more than one occasion I have almost hit another vehicle because the steering wheel has not responded while I was driving. I have called the GM owner hotline several times to no avail. Of interest. The 1998 Grand Prix is being recalled for this exact same problem. After several phone calls to GM, they have still not even agreed to look at my vehicle. …
Steering in my 1999 Grand Prix gt failed in that it is extremely difficult to turn to the left (such as with no power steering) and appears to turn normally or power assisted to the right. This problem appeared suddenely and has not changed since it first appeared. A talk with a local Pontiac service manager says the problem symptoms are exactly the same as in the 1998 Grand Prix which were recalled for bearing failure in the rack and pinion. Pontiac customer service states that no recall is in effect at this time for my vehicle and seemed more concerned that we had unofficially talked to a service advisor about the problem rather than having an official service visit to repair/diagnois the problem. They advised to take the care to a dealer as soon as possible to have the problem documented but stated that there would be a charge for the diagnosis. …
1999 Pontiac Grand Prix. Power steering failure left turn only and is intermittent. Incidents started December of last year. Several times it has put me in the point of danger making left turns and not knowing when it will be extremely hard to turn and when it will be normal. Several times during a hard turn the normal steering will return in the middle of the turn jerking my car violently further to the left. No accidents to date. I researched the failure to find out that there is a current recall for rack and pinion bearing failure (recall # 02V286000) for 1997 and 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix's only. I have called several dealerships in my area and they all say it is the same parts but cannot fix it under the recall as my car is a 1999 model. If it is the same parts and the same failure, why will general motors honor the claim?
Dt: the contact owns a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix. He found recall 02v2860000 concerning rack and pinion steering on the 1998 Grand Prix. The contact's vehicle was experiencing exactly the same problem as described in the recall but this vehicle was not included in the recall due to VIN. When he turning the steering wheel to the left it felt as if the steering was going to lock. At low speeds it took a lot of effort to turn the wheel. When turning the wheel to the left it felt as if it wanted to pull back very fast to the right. The dealer said they cannot do anything about it since it was not included in the recall. Also, the contact talked to the manufacturer, and they told him the same thing. The contact noticed this problem when he bought the car last month.
Was unable to turn left at low speeds almost causing accident with oncoming traffic as I turned into my street. Thought it was temporary, but found I had to muscle the car just to turn left except over 35 or so MPH. I became scared to drive the car and brought it to the deal. They said it was the result of 'salt damage' to my car from road salt that deteriorated the rack and pinion. I told them they were wrong. (I am in the military and live in mississippi, but have illinois plates. They assumed I lived up there, but the truth is, I have never lived in illinois since purchasing the car!!! Its been on a salted road maybe twice!) I am very disappointed.
Steering complaints in other Grand Prix years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix?
NHTSA has 58 complaints about the steering of the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, 14% of the model year's 412 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (27 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, though it has 4 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 Prix steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries and 1 death 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.