2004 Pontiac Grand Prix Brake Problems

Which parts fail

• Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
  6
• Foundation components › Disc › Rotor
  3
• Conventional › Mechanical › Linkage and cable
  1
• Disc › Rotor
  1
• Antilock
  1
• Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
  1

Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  513%
• 25k–50k
  513%
• 50k–75k
  513%
• 75k–100k
  820%
• 100k–150k
  718%
• 150k+
  1025%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

My mother was killed in a head on collision in a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. She was traveling south bound on a street called hewitt when her left the lane for no known reason and hit a car traveling north bound head on dying with in seconds of the accident. The police did not know why this happened . There were no skid marks from braking nor gouges nor anything that showed she tried to brake or avoid hitting this car. I had just talked to her 20min before her death. Her left leg was broke as if she had applied great pressure to the brakes and her steering wheel was in a locked position causing her right arm to break. There is no known reason why her seat belt gave away because she was known to wear her seatbelt at all times I received a recall letter a year later about this vehicle but it was to late. My mother had an excellent driving record. This has been a tremendous loss!

On February 8, 2019, my mother was pulling into a maintenance garage to get an oil change. Upon pulling into the garage, she was unable to stop and her vehicle lunged forward. As a result, he vehicle hit an employee, went through the maintenance garage door, through the parking lot, across a four lane street, and eventually stopped in a field across the street from the oil change venue. This is an approximate distance of 300 feet. Upon further review by my mechanic, it was discovered the ABS system was malfunctioning causing the brake pedal to drop in the car, and the car not to stop. The wiring harness also was cracked resulting in a cut to the ABS wire, causing the ABS malfunction resulting in the car to not stop, and the electrical malfunction which caused the car to speed forward. General motors was notified, but denied responsibility of this claim.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving at approximately 20 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle did not stop. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized, the traction warning indicator illuminated, and all of the gauges on the instrument panel failed. The contact crashed the vehicle into a pole and the engine stalled. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V400000 (electrical system). The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

I had barely hit a curb pulling into the bank parking when my brake pad wouldn't stop. At less than 7mph. My air bags had deployed leaving me jarred, and in a shock I could not move. I sat locked in to my safetybelt until the construction worker down roadpulled me out to safety. Such a mils hit. Blew my airbags.. In return, damaged my windshield, dash, and, steering column. I was turning into a bank parking lot. Considered a private lot.

Driving down my familiar road of dutch hills off of dr. 50. I turned my wheel at 27mph. Slid off toward the edge of the road. Fishtailed, maintained composure. Then , began a fishtail to a 180-360 into a concreted steel beamed mailbox. Knocking out my drivers light assembly, front fender, bumper, disabling thehoodof my car, tilting my radiator. Nothing ofthenight should of skinny tires,nor mademefail to maintain my vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving 5 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, but the brakes failed to respond. As a result, the contact struck the rear of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 157,600.

Problem: the ABS gets activated without cause. Description: I first noticed problem around March, 2015 and, at approximately 158,000 miles. It was barely noticeable at first, with faint metal scrapping-like noises being emitted, that coincided with slight pulsating vibrations being felt on the brake pedal as I applied the brakes. The ABS warning light also came on, but a few days later, it went away. I took it to a mechanic, and their computer did not show anything. As I continued to drive it, the problem became more obvious, as it became more frequent, the noises more audible, and the pulsations more pronounced, with the ABS light also coming on. It's at the point, where, quite often, if I have to apply the brakes harder, there tends to be a slip, and I'm not able to brake and stop, where I otherwise would/should have. …

I purchased my vehicle, shortly after I brought it in to midas to have it looked at, after I was told extremely bad news that my vehicle had some major problems and it was going to cost a lot of money to fix it but luckily it's under a safety recall for my model make and year, although when I took it in to merit Chevrolet I discussed my concerns with them about my vehicle and how a lot of the things discovered wrong with it, had to do with multiple of the recalls. The conversation got nowhere and they told me that since my VIN number wasn't on the recall that it was impossible for the problems discovered to be related to the recalls I was told were related and that there was nothing I can do, unless I wanted to call GM customer service. …

Brake line failure, brake line corroded and were leaking brake fluid resulting in brake failure in the vehicle. Vehicle towed to freehold Buick GMC (freehold, nj) where they informed me that there are no recalls on the issue and provided me an estimate to replace 2 brake lines at a cost of over $2,000.00. NHTSA campaign number: 15V201000 was performed on vehicle at this dealership on or about 9/2017. Even after the recall was done, smoke and oil still appear on the front exhaust manifold. It doesn't appear that this recall repaired the issue as described. In addition, the dealership failed to follow the recall instructions and never discarded the oil filler neck and plastic engine cover as described in the recall. Vehicle only has 80,000 miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormal noise and the steering wheel seized. In addition, the brake pedal was depressed but was stiff and failed to respond. As a result, the vehicle flipped twice and landed into a ditch. When the contact exited the vehicle, it was discovered that the engine was off. The vehicle failed to restart. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the driver sustained a hand injury that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The vine was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14v4000000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Related recalls

Brake complaints in other Grand Prix years