Brake complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 12 | 8% | 46,000 miles |
| 2007 | 10 | 5% | 64,000 miles |
| 2006 | 23 | 10% | 100,000 miles |
| 2005 | 16 | 11% | 87,000 miles |
| 2004 | 51 | 11% | 90,000 miles |
| 2003 | 9 | 8% | 90,000 miles |
| 2002 | 26 | 8% | 68,000 miles |
| 2001 | 13 | 4% | 127,000 miles |
| 2000 | 28 | 6% | 106,000 miles |
| 1999 | 19 | 5% | 104,000 miles |
| 1998 | 36 | 7% | 78,000 miles |
| 1997 | 52 | 6% | 80,000 miles |
| 1996 | 17 | 22% | — |
| 1995 | 43 | 25% | 85,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The door locks on the 2008 model do not lock with remote and the drivers door key entry lock doesn't work.won't turn left or right.only one key entry on the entire car so you must use the drivers side key entry.have to keep replacing car remotes at $125.00 a piece almost yearly. Have had car since 2009.keep having to get struts replaced on the right side and replace brakes on the front wheels.the lights on the gear panel keep going out and also the lights where the radio station shows is dimmed or burning out.my left headlight keeps going out.electric in the car basically an overall ongoing issue.when car is placed in reverse it doesn't reverse sometimes.I have to turn it off and restart the car then place it in reverse before it will reverse.the car shakes after going over 65mph.suspension is off.have to repair tires constantly because inner tires wear out quickly.
Engine power reduced warning light came on and car has minimal acceleration not allowing to go over 40 MPH. Antilock break and traction control lights both on. Breaking issue when this happens causing breaks to hesitate. All issues listed happen while in motion on city street & highway, while going straight & turning and when breaking.
The ignition switch was hard to crank had to wiggle it a few times but they fix the recall and my brakes system is not right every time I switch brake pads out it still doesnt do any good and do to the brakes I had a fender bender but I fix it out of pocket brakes still go to floor and my lights went out like it a shortage so I got them rig so that they will work
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed and caused the driver to lose control and crash into a wall. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belts did not function properly. The driver injured the left ankle and both wrists. The front seat passenger suffered an injured leg. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that the rack and pinion steering failed. The contact also stated that the brakes failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake hub assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the headlight switch and the airbag warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,397.
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 had originally entered this complaint under 2005 Pontiac Grand am but the car is actually a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix. See original complaint and please relist it correctly under steering complaints. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter component: vehicle speed control 10051575 details: dt: the consumer experienced sudden acceleration. As a result, she crashed into her apartment. The gas meters were destroyed and electrical wires were cut. The speed was no more than 5-10 MPH. When she hit the brake the car went out of control. The vehicle was a rental car. Since this incident the car was checked out by the rental car company's repair shop and no defect was found. I contacted Pontiac and general motors corporation and they claimed ignorance of the fact that this is happening to other similar vehicles. …
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 (2)
Service brakes, hydraulic
Certain passenger vehicles were produced with lower than specified torque on both front brake caliper to steering knuckle attachment bolts. With improper torque, the clamp load at the joint May not be adequate to prevent movement between the caliper bracket and knuckle.
Remedy: Dealers are to tighten both bolts to the specified torque. Owner notification began on June 28, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet 1-800-630-2438 or Pontiac 1-800-620-7668.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 135, "passenger car braking systems." on some of these vehicles, the right rear brake hose fitting May not be tightened properly, and a brake fluid leak could occur.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the right rear brake hose fitting to the proper torque specification, and add brake fluid if necessary. Owner notification began August 28, 2003. Owners should contact Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac Grand Prix years have brake problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (52), 2004 (51), 1995 (43), 1998 (36) and 2000 (28) model years. Brake complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Pontiac Grand Prix brake problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 04V-287 (service brakes, hydraulic, Jun 23, 2004); 03V-331 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Sep 12, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Pontiac Grand Prix brake problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (119 mentions), followed by the foundation components › disc › rotor (26).
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.