Most common 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix problems
Share of the 330 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac Grand Prix complaints by model year
Best Grand Prix years: 2003, 1996, 2005. Years to avoid: 1997, 1998, 2000, 1999, 2004. Compare all years →
2002 Pontiac Grand Prix recalls (3)
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 defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix:
Engine compartment fire
On January 29, 2007, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged non-crash fires originating in the engine compartment in certain model year (my) 1999-2002 Pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the ?l67? Supercharged version of the general motors (GM) 3800 series ii v6 engine.to date, odi is aware of 121 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles…
Loss of brake lamp illumination
The agency's analysis of GM's complaint and warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to other vehicle brake lamp investigations, indicated a low failure history for the subject vehicles.this investigation included a review and analysis of data for relevant brake lamp malfunctions that require replacement of the multifunction switch (mfs)…
Engine compartment fire
By letter dated March 12, 2008, general motors corp. (GM) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by NHTSA recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 Buick regal gs and Pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of GM's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from August 1996…
Engine compartment fires
Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with GM?s actions in 03v-473 and 04v-090 recalling approximately 529,000 my 1998-99 c- and h-body vehicles equipped with defective fuel pressure regulators.these vehicles were equipped with plastic intake manifolds that are unable to contain pressures that occur in some backfire events and defective fuel pressure regulators with leaking diaphragms that can provide a…
What 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix owners say
Engine & cooling all 147 →
The contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V701000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced because it was an older vehicle, and the dealer informed the contact that the recall part had been discontinued. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was then taken to Christian Brothers Automotive, where it was serviced, and the contact was informed that engine oil was leaking onto the exhaust manifold. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,500.
I had just drove about 30 miles home and when I arrived my engine was was smoking a little more than was usual because of oil burn off. So I popped the hood and a fire started in the back of the engine where I was having problems previously with the power steering pump. Obviously when I opened the hood it helped the fire and it grew. Took 30 minutes to put out. Car is now out of commission and I don't know what to do.
Electrical system all 56 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, she noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact pulled over and discovered that the coolant and engine oil was low. The contact refilled the fluids and the vehicle was restarted. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was started, smoke emitted from the vehicle intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was leaking coolant and engine oil and the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also mentioned that the ignition locked and the ignition key failed to be removed from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving through an intersection at an unknown speed, another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle on the front driver side. The air bags failed to deploy. Prior to the crash, the ignition switch failed. The contact sustained shoulder and head injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 145,000. The VIN was not provided. Updated 09/09/15 updated 12/11/2015
Brakes all 26 →
On the afternoon of August 24th. When parking in my driveway I suddenly noticed my brake pedal become mushy and drop all the way to the floor. When I exited the car, I noticed puddles of brake fluid on the pavement. I immediately brought the car to an auto shop for repair. He said I had a corroded brake line that burst and caused the leak of brake fluid and the brakes to fail. I was charged $140.00 for this repair. I drove the car for 1 day and then proceeded to vacation for a week. Upon my return I used the car again for another day without any issues. On the morning of September 3rd I proceeded to go shopping with the car. After completing my shopping on the way home I noticed the brake pedal becoming mushy again. As the drive home progressed I noticed the brake pedal going all the way down like it did the previous week. I proceeded to bring the car to the mechanic again. …
After installing a aftermarket indiglo reverse gauge overlay ABS light appeared on instrument cluster and never went off. Car was stationary. Checked fuses, tried to reset by turning ignition to the on position and pumping the brakes three times worked once then came back on. Then try disconnecting the battery for 20 minutes but it did not work. O'reilly's auto did he scan coach with pointing towards the asb sensor brakes feel good and normally. I included two images one with the old overlay on the instrument cluster the other picture is when I took the old one off to put the new one on which is when the light came on
2002 Pontiac Grand Prix engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 27 / 20 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl supercharged | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 25 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix a good car?
Based on 330 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Grand Prix rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Grand Prix at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix?
The engine & cooling — 147 complaints, 45% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the electrical system (56) and brakes (26).
How many recalls does the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix, the most recent from October 26, 2015 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac Grand Prix?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 1996 and 2005. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1997, 1998, 2000, 1999 and 2004. See the full Pontiac Grand Prix years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 92,000 miles; 17% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.