Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 22 | 15% | 85,000 miles |
| 2007 | 16 | 7% | 74,000 miles |
| 2006 | 19 | 8% | 90,000 miles |
| 2005 | 10 | 7% | 110,000 miles |
| 2004 | 28 | 6% | 100,000 miles |
| 2003 | 2 | 2% | 139,000 miles |
| 2002 | 11 | 3% | 110,000 miles |
| 2001 | 11 | 4% | 104,000 miles |
| 2000 | 11 | 2% | 98,000 miles |
| 1999 | 14 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 1998 | 24 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 1997 | 56 | 7% | 90,000 miles |
| 1996 | 3 | 4% | 0 miles |
| 1995 | 18 | 11% | 150,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
On August 7, 2010 afternoon my mother let me borrow her car to run some errands when a young man ran a red light and t- boned the car and it almost flip the car over I hit my head on the windshield the airbag didn't deploy until after I hit my head , due to the accident I have been off work for almost five years .due to my injuries I've had one back surgery and will need another one, I have to have neck surgery in July. I am in constant pain all everyday for the past almost five years. I filed a lawsuit and only received five hundred dollars. I would like to know what can be done about the pain suffering I'm going through, who do I need to talk to.
On September 1st, 2014 around 6:45 pm I was in a car accident. A truck cut me almost crashing into another car from behind. I moved over I couldn't see the car stopped in the other lane. From the big truck infront of me. I hit the brakes didn't work made clicking sound. I rearended a vehicle, they slightly hit a car infront of them. My airbag, shot my hand through the windshield. I had extreme arm pain. I had seen a gray piece of metal in my arm, I went to the er. I still feel movement in it. I'm following up with my dr. Since the accident. Next will be a surgeon or specialty dr.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving 35 MPH, the contact's vehicle accelerated independently without warning and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact then veered off the road, crashed into a pine tree, and flipped over. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt snapped as the vehicle flipped. The contact and other driver were both evaluated at the scene. The contact later sought medical attention for a broken arm. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to a tow yard and then to the contact's home. The vehicle was not destroyed; however, the vehicle was deemed inoperable. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the crash or the air bag failure. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 256,000.
The ignition switch failed on 12/24/2015 while I was driving on the east bound I-80 in california. I was not able to use the brakes or steering and rear ended the truck in front of me at about 40 miles per hour. The air bags did not deploy and I was bale to start the car and drive off the highway. Surprisingly I had the ignition switch recall for my keys mailed to me in August of 2015 and had the Cadillac dealer in reno nv modify my key and key ring on 10/31/2015. But I don't think the modification was ever performed since the ignition switch failed two months later....updated 02/02/16.....updated 05-10-16..updated 07/13/16 updated 09/19/2017
got cutoff on a busy highway going 70mph and they slammed their brakes. i had 6 car lengths between us and immediately started braking but we were just skidding. I had the choice of hitting the vehicle or swerving left towards the median. I chose the latter. The steering locked up, the abs did NOT kick in and the airbags did NOT deploy. we hit a median at 70mph and no airbags?! I was point of impact. It hit the front drivers side, destroying the light and entire front. the car spun around and it hit again but this time it was the back passenger side/light. Again, NO airbags deployed. So my abs, steering, and airbags all had issues. We are so lucky no one is hurt in severeity but I am beyond fuming, scared, and confused why all of those locked up/failed to serve their purpose! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to engage. As a result, the contact's vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle, which then crashed into another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained minor injuries to the head. Medical attention was not required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 158,000.
I was broadsided by driver who ran a red light and my air bags did not work don't know why they didn't I was traveling w/b lancaster blvd and was coming south bound on a red light there is a traffic collision report is there anything I can do.
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. …
Related recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal
On certain passenger, sport utility vehicles and Mini vans, some of these vehicles have a passenger air bag that was manufactured without a check valve pin. An air bag without the check valve pin could produce increased pressure at the onset of the air bag deployment and reduced pressure afterward.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag. Owner notification began December 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
Air bags › Frontal
On certain passenger vehicles and Mini vans, the driver's air bag inflator modules could produce excessive internal pressure. In the event of a crash that would trigger a driver's air bag deployment, the increased internal pressure can cause the inflator module to explode.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver air bag module. Owner notification began February 1, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…
Air bags › Frontal
Vehicle description: passenger, sport utility vehicles and minivans. The passenger air bag inflator modules were built without the correct amount of generant, which produces the gas that fills the air bag. Some were built with a double load of generant and some were built without generant.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module. Telephone calls were made to owners on January 29, 2001. Follow up owner mailing began on April 17, 2001.
Air bags › Frontal
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The passenger side air bag modules have an undersized inflator orifice.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger side air bag modules.
NHTSA investigations
Inadvertent air bag deployment
There is no summary currently available
Inappropriate air bag deployment
The failure rate (1.25/100K) on this issue is low.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of the agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constiture a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.odi will continue to closely monitor this issue.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the…
Oversensitive air bag deployments
On June 26, 1998, general motors begain a safety recall, 98v-146, to recalibrate the air bag sensing and diagnostic module (sdm) in the 1996 and some 1997 j body cars, cavalier and sunfire.due to certain calibrations in the air bag sdm, there is an increased risk of inadvertent air bag deployment in a low speed crash or when an object strikes the floor pan.the recall population consists of 675,302 vehicles built…
Air bag inflator
Driver air bag malfunction
Odi is aware of one reported incident of a driver-side air bag inflator separation in a model year 1999 Pontiac grand prix.an investigation of the incident revealed that a two-inch, disk-shaped fragment of the aluminum inflator assembly ruptured the air bag, broke off portions of the air gab cover flaps, and struck the driver.also, evidence showed hot combustion gases/particulate escaped into the passenger…
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac Grand Prix years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (56), 2004 (28), 1998 (24), 2008 (22) and 2006 (19) model years. Airbag complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Pontiac Grand Prix airbag problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 02V-329 (frontal, Dec 9, 2002); 02V-027 (frontal, Jan 25, 2002); 01V-026 (frontal, Feb 1, 2001). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Pontiac Grand Prix airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 92,000 miles; 25% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (80 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (7).
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.