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 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My car has been acting up for a while. It started with gauges and info center flickering while going down the road like it was losing power intermittently. Than started doing this thing when you start it and let off on the key it continues to turn engine over. I received the letter for the recall and took it in. I told dealer what it was doing and they snapped back and said that wasn't part of the recall. I said oh I thought the ignition switch was the problem they said no. They took my keys put their stupid inserts in and sent me on my way. I have been nervous about it and than today it happened going down highway at 65mph and everything shut off!!! No air bags no power steering no power brakes luckily I was not in traffic and cost to shoulder shut key off restarted car everything fine again. Key never turned to off position. The switch itself is the problem. …
When driving 30 MPH up to 70 MPH all of a sudden the reduced rngine light vomes on and the car starts decelerating to 5 MPH and sometimes cuts off causing power steering to not work. This started after the worked on yhe ignition recall. I asked about it and was charged $75 fir them to put it on the computer. Then was told it would be over $700 for them to find out what's wrong. I don't have that type of money so l let it sit up for awhile only to be yold it could possibly be the gas pedal and wouldn't cost that much to replace... I've almost had two accidents before l could pull over. If it cuts off completely it cranks right back up - sometimes ot will take on off but other times l have to sit and wait because it won't accelerate no faster than 2 to 5 MPH, like something has to catch up. I haven't gotten it fixed yet because l can't afford it.
2005 Pontiac Grand Prix gt 3.8 l v6 engine: the rack and pinion steering system failed to work properly. When attempting to make a left turn, the power steering function unexpectedly failed, causing loss of control. I was able to stop the vehicle in time to avoid running off of the road. Also, I was almost rear-ended by the vehicle turning behind me. I was not able to continue with the turn at the location of the failure. It was necessary to back up into traffic in order to adjust the steering wheel so that I was able to pull off of the roadway. The steering wheel was not able to turn to the left (no power assist). The steering wheel was able to turn freely to the right (power assisted). Due to the immediate nature of the failure, this issue could result in a severe accident which could cause significant damage or injury. The vehicle was repaired at a local repair shop. …
On 9/26/14 I took the vehicle in for a recall for unintentional ignition key rotation. The vehicle was supposedly repaired. But when I attempted to pull out of the driveway at bill rapp Pontiac service the vehicle shut down again. It said in the information data that "start up failure due to electrical throttle malfunction. Reduced engine power." I waited approximately 30 seconds and attempted to restart the vehicle which did start up. On approximately 9/29/14 while entering interstate 81n in syracuse, ny, the vehicle once again shut down on the highway. I contacted bill rapp Pontiac service department and was told that I needed to bring in the vehicle again but that I would have to pay for any further services since there is currently no other recall for the 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix except for the one with the key rotation issue. What can I do? …
I took my car in to an certified automotive center to receive a diagnostic check because the car had completely stopped on the bay bridge and I could not accelerate. Thank god I was completely over into the left hand lane because the steering wheel had completely locked. The automotive center could not find anything wrong but detected that the model and year had a recall on intergrated circuit chip damage that controlled the car. So they told me to go back to the dealership for that recall so when I went back to the dealer they stated that there was no recall. So I had to pay an additional fee to get my car checked by the dealer. Since I purchased this vehicle in July 2005 I have had several problems with transmission, sensors, fuel filter and had to put on rotors twice since I purchase my mileage is 69,000. …
My horn has failed on 5 occassions. Pontiac has issued a service bulletin to fix this intermission horn failure, but the fix does not work. I have had several close calls where other motorists have pulled out in front of me and I have not been able to warn them, as the horn failed. I hope this issue can be corrected properly before and accident occurs. Also, Pontiac has a problem with a known defect in their steering gears that they only replace when it fails and only cover if it is in the warranty period. This problem is caused by an internal leaking of the power steering fluid that is not detected because there are no external signs of the leak. This too is a safety concern.
Vehicle started disengaging cruise control and traction control , vehicle then started jerking/shifting hard and overheating, followed by vehicle shifting from one set position of drive to neutral, took into shop to look at transmission was told just a dirty sensor , had sensor cleaned , about a month later same thing, had it cleaned again and then dec 2013 the traction control auto disengaged again and then one day it turned itself on again, no there's a coolant leak issue and oil leak and check engine light on for the catalytic converter...[redacted]
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized. The contact mentioned that when attempting to start the vehicle, the key was difficult to turn and difficult to shift into another gear. In addition, the contact stated that when driving, the key would release from the ignition and the vehicle would decelerate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 119,300.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact stated that the steering wheel makes a clicking noise when it is turned. The dealer stated that the steering column metal was failing and the steering column rod will need to be replaced. The manufacturer acknowledged the steering failure with the GMC pick up trucks; however, they would not acknowledge that the failure also existed in the passenger vehicles. The vehicle exceeds the 36,000 mile warranty; therefore, the manufacturer would not assist. The part for the repair costs $107. The failure mileage was 30,000. Updated 05/19/08.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix gtp. While driving approximately 5-10 MPH the steering wheel became very difficult to turn to the left. The contact stated the failure had been on going since Friday January 14, 2011. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. He called the manufacturer and was advised that they would contact him on January 18, 2011. The warranty was not valid. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 58,200 and the current mileage was 58,224.
NHTSA investigations
Power steering fluid leaks - fires
General motors (GM) initiated a customer satisfaction campaign in October of 2006 to address a failure of the power steering hose and/or clamps that could occur when the engine is started in vehicles primarily operated in the following states that experience extremely cold temperatures:alaska, maine, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, north dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin and wyoming.at the time this…
Steering complaints in other Grand Prix years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix, 16% of the model year's 148 complaints. The component named most often is column (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix, though it has 1 recall 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 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 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.