Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Pontiac GTO owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
History: the 2004-2005 Pontiac GTO is an imported version of the australia holden monaro. The holden manaro comes from the factory with 235/45r17 tires, tires that are generally 235mm (9.25") wide. However, when Pontiac specs the GTO for the us, they finally decided on a 10mm wider tire, a 245/45r17 bf goodrich g-force kdws tire. No changes were made to the suspension of the vehicle for us import though. Current problem: the larger tire causes rubbing on the front strut, namely and more commonly the passenger side strut. This is evidenced by a rubbing mark on the strut body and many times wear marks on the tires themselves. In some cases, front suspension binding has occurred. In other cases, tire replacement was necessary. This is due, in fact, to the increase in size of the tire that Pontiac has chosen to put on the imported version. …
I purchused my 2004 Pontiac GTO in November of 2004 I was one of the first to owen this car in 2004. However about 9,000 miles of me driving my car I had rear tire problems the camber and toe was not straigh. I took my car back to the dealer ship and they told me not there problem. I took my car to a number of diffrent alinment places and they all checked alinment and said it was off a little but not enough to were only on the inside of the rear tiers. I replace the tires my self. About 1,000 miles later my steering was shaking and front end, the first thing I thought it was my rotoers I went to replace and relize it was my front tires. Again I took to dealer and again they turn me away. I contacted Pontiac and GM they said the will sent an inspector to look at car that never happen> the dealer ship did not want to set up with me. …
1. My wife was complaining of a squeaking sound whenever she put on the brakes. When researching brake pads and rotors online I noticed numerous complaints for 2004 and 2005 GTO's regarding tires rubbing on the front struts. Since I was going to remove the tires to get a better look at the brake pads I also checked for the tire rub problem. Sure enough the right side tire and strut both showed signs of wear. The tires inside tread was worn and there were areas on the tires where small cracks had started and one 3 inch long crack through the sidewall. Left side tire tread was not worn yet there was evidence of tire rub on the strut. 2. Since I was fortunate enough to run across the information online, I will be able to avoid a failure. The failure if I were to let it go would most certainly be eather a gradual loss of air pressure or if running freeway speeds a sudden blowout. …
2004 Pontiac GTO tire blow out we purchased our 2004 Pontiac GTO new, and have had issues with rubbing sounds and vibrations since it was new. The car currently has 45,000 miles and we had a blow out. Apparently the tires on 2004 GTO's rub the spring pocket of the strut causing the inner side wall of the tires to fail prematurely. It is impossible to see the wear unless the tire is removed from the vehicle. Pontiac has replaced the tires once under warranty due to this issue, but when I returned to GM to announce that the previous "fix" did not work - they dismissed me stating the vehicle was out of warranty. This is our third set of tires within 45,000 miles and my wife feels that the car is unsafe to drive because of her blowout experience. I need GM to come up with a solution to this problem. …
Problem with steering control and slow air leak out of front right tire, LED me to bring my car to just tires in December 2005. The technicians removed the front right tire and found that the inner wall of the tire was shredded. I then took my car to the Pontiac dealer and paid over $700 for a faulty tire rod arm. On October 7, 2007 while driving 65 MPH down a busy interstate, the steering became unsteady as a loud rumbling noise commenced. About 15 seconds later the rear passenger side tire exploded and I was driving on the rim with limited control of the car, trying to pull off to the side of the road. As I put a spare tire on the car, there was shredded rubber wrapped around the axle and brake linkage that was difficult to remove. …
After I had put 20,000 miles on my car I could hear a rubbing noise from the front wheel. Upon closer inspection I noticed the inside of the tire was rubbing against the struts on both front wheels. Since I had the tires rotated on a regular basis all four wheels had the wear on the inside. Since the tires were bubbling out on the inside wall of the front tires I purchased new tires. The new tires were still rubbing the struts. I took it to the first dealership and they suggested grinding down the struts. The next dealership I took it to changed the camber in my alignment. It now has 1/8 inch clearance and when I hit bumps or when I turn the wheel sharply it still rubs. I have taken it back to the dealership and they claim it is within specifications for the car. The dealership will not address the problem as if it doesn't exist.
I purchased a 2004 Pontiac GTO from a local GM dealership in pella, ia. My car was showing noticeable wear on the inside 1.5-2" on both front tires. After getting my car back from an oil change, the dealership brought it to my attention that the front tires were worn through to the cords on the insides only. Since then, I've been in contact with GM several times explaining to them that there is a severe safety issue and it needs to get resolved. The answer was to replace the front tires with new at my expense and warranty would not cover the situation. This obviously does not fix the problem, nor does it pay for the tires that I had barely used in the entire 9,000 miles of the car. The car was purchased new at jensens auto center in pella and I am the only owner/driver in the cars history.
GM service tech advised would need tires soon 1,500 miles ago. Car has 28,000 miles. Took in to have slow leak fixed only to be told steel belts showing through on inside of tires. Took to have 4 new tires put on, replaced with same tires that came from manufacturer and they rub the struts going down the road. How can Pontiac put tires that are too big on these cars and get away with it? Ended up paying $532.00 for smaller tires 235's vs. 245's that the manufacturer put on. GM says need to do alignment and change camber adjustment. Not happy with that answer, its a bandaide and will cause new tires to wear on the outside prematurely. I still have the tires that came off the car. Also original australian car had 235's GM decided to put the bigger 245's on the GTO for the us.
Tl* - the contact owns a 2004 Pontiac GTO. The front 17 inch passenger and driver tires rubbed against the struts and caused the tires to wear out prematurely. The steering wheel vibrated while driving but it no longer occurred after the alignment. The failure mileage was 16,808. The contact read on the internet related complaints, and was aware of the NHTSA investigation. Also, he was aware that the tire failure could cause a blowout. The dealer replaced the tires and aligned them at no cost to him. The contact owns b.f. Goodrich tires, tire line name gforce t/a kdws, tire size p245/45/17w. The current mileage was 20,000. The driver side power seat jerked. Updated 03/30/07. 8jb
Noticed steering wheel shaking at 50 MPH and above. Took to dealer to have looked at because the steering column assembly had been replaced. Once dealer was done I was told the tires had some wear and needed an alignment. At this time I only had 13,334 miles was then parked the car for winter. Over winter I have seen on the news about tire rub on the GTO and cars having blow outs. So now at 15,000 miles my tires on the front are completely waste and the steel belt is showing through the tire. The tires have not been replaced at this time and car is going back to dealer again. I have had this GTO into the dealer for multiple reasons over the past 2 years.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other GTO years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2004 Pontiac GTO?
NHTSA has 68 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2004 Pontiac GTO, 28% of the model year's 245 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Pontiac GTO wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2004 Pontiac GTO. 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 2004 Pontiac GTO wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 17,000 miles, and 76% 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.