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 Prix owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The car was parked in a parking lot. It caught fire 30 min after it was parked and burned the entire engine compartment. The fore department stopped the fire before it spread to the rest of the car. It was a good car previous to this instance. We maintained the car well and had it looked over by a mechanic monthly. We will never own a Pontiac again.
Driving to work as normal and took off from a full stop when all of a sudden the car was going nuts trying to catch a gear. Service engine light blinked than stayed on and now when driving between 1st and 3rd gear car sputters, shakes, slams into gear hard and I need to keep giving it gas to get it to catch so I move and don't get stuck in the middle of making a turn. It is a 99 Grand Prix se 3800 engine sedan and I brought it to my good friend who owns a shop and the computer said it was a c1 misfire solenoid or something like that. On my engine, the left side has 3 things that 2 spark plug wires goes into each and are labeled 1/3, 2/5 and 4/6 (might be wrong on numbers). The code was saying the first one that says 1/3 was bad causing the misfire. We changed the part and the service engine line went off and car drove fine. …
When my Pontiac Grand Prix gtp shifts into 3rd or 4th gear under light acceleration, I experience surging. Many people who I speak with say that it could be the tcc solenoid. I belong to clubgp.com. There are plenty of us on clubgp who are complaining of this same issue. Going wide open throttle, it runs fine. When lightly depressing the gas pedal at around 25-30 MPH, the RPM's drop to about 1500 and it seems to require an awful lot of effort to accelerate. The car simply bogs. This has happened off and on for the past 6 months. Friends of mine are currently experiencing the same problem. I would like a recall done on this as this is a common problem.
A faulty crankshaft position sensor caused the loss of steering and braking on numerous occasions until the problem was diagnosed. The same conditions as a faulty ignition switch. Yet the crankshaft sensor is common on all autos. Thus all autos that use a crankshaft sensor are unsafe.[redacted]
Transmission failure at 65,000 miles. Trannmission cooler apparently blew a line puttin anti freeze through the the transmission. According to my service man a recurring problem wth Pontiac Grand prixs of the 1999 body style.
My grandson, age 5 was run over by my vehicle while it was parked in my driveway. Although the vehicle was parked, with the gearshift placed in park, and the keys in my pocket, he was able to take the car out of gear. I was in the garage, a few feet away when I heard him crying. I turned around and saw him attempting to get out of the car - the car was rolling backwards - he fell out, and the left front wheel ran completely over his abdomen and hips. He sustained some damage to his liver and abrasions to his back. I drove him immediately to the nearest hospital in delaware, oh where he was examined in the emergency room, then mediflighted to childrens hospital in columbus, oh. He was in intensive care for 1 1/2 days, and in the hospital for 5 days total. He is also seeing a child psychologist who has diagnosed him with post traumatic disorder, and is seeing him on a regular basis. …
We had to have a new transmission put into the vehicle towards the end of our warranty period. After the new transmission was put in, we started having the same problems again. The problem that we have is that the car is shuttering during acceleration. You can watch the tachometer and see it bounce up and down during the shuttering. We filed under lemon law to have the car bought back from us. During the arbitration, the car would not shutter. This has always been an intermittent problem. Many times while the car was in to get serviced on this complaint, the technicians were not able to duplicate the shuttering. Unfortunately, the arbitrator did not settle in our favor since we were not able to duplicate the problem. Now, two years later, the problem is becoming severe again. Is there anything we can do? …
Dt: the car is dying without warning. There are no lights on the dashboard that light up when this happens. After the vehicle dies, the battery light is coming on. This has been happening for over a year. The car has been in the shop over 15 times for this same problem. The car has not been fixed at this point. Also, tried a different dealership, and they could find the problem either. The consumer says her car is a death trap, and this is happening anywhere/anytime. This past weekend the car died 4 times on the freeway. Consumer has to wait 15-20 minutes before the vehicle will start back up. The consumer has been in contact with GM and have registered two complaints on this car. Speed is not a factor and also dies while in park.
Engine is surging between 50-60 plus miles per hour range, Pontiac dealer recommends transmission change even though car only has 60,000 miles on it. Typically nothing should be done on car till over 100,000 miles. Bought as used car and dealer states I should have bought extended warranty even though I didn't have money to do so, but I bought car with 40,000 miles on it. Shouldn't have to replace when used for only 20,000 miles. Sounds like a rip-off to me. What can we do with it and can we find out previous owners and if had problems with it before I bought it? Thanks alot.
Engine suddenly misses and sometimes dies while moving and at the same time, the tachometer quits and the 'traction control off' switch-light comes on. The engine sometimes restarts immediately and/or the engine smooths out, but the tachometer remains inoperative and the traction control off light stays lit. Stopping and restarting the engine resets the tach and indicator light. Sometimes when the engine does die, it will not restart for several minutes and there have been instances of being stranded on the expressway.
Transmission complaints in other Grand Prix years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, 6% of the model year's 412 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury 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.