1989 Pontiac Grand Prix Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster around the front cradle/rear cradle hardware that mounts the engine and steering gear, with owners describing bolts pulling through corroded retainers and, in some cases, loss of steering. Brake complaints are also common, mainly premature pad and rotor wear and leaking or binding rear calipers. Remaining reports cover aging electrical faults such as a dash cluster that cuts out and a brake light switch that stays on.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Front cradle bolts break or pull through, engine drops

   • 28 complaints (20%)
   • typically at 11.3 yrs old
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2015

   Owners describe a snap or loud noise followed by loss of steering, or the engine dropping away from the car, when a front cradle bolt breaks or pulls through its retainer. Several complaints say the loss of steering happened during a turn or while pulling out of a driveway. Others say the dealer declined to perform recall repairs because the cradle was too rusted, or did not have the parts. Reports span a wide range of mileage and appear on cars old enough for corrosion at the mounting points, particularly in states with road salt.

   Recall 00V189000Recall 97V058000

   What to check: Have the cradle bolts and mounting retainers inspected from underneath for corrosion, and ask whether recall 00V189000 or 97V058000 was completed and documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Dt: the consumer took the vehicle to a local service dealer and inquired about recalls. The dealer informed the consumer there was a recall, NHTSA campaign 00v189000. The vehicle was at dealer for an alignment. When they tried to fix the recall they found that the cradle frame was rusted, and they refused to do the recall repairs. Consumer then spoke with the service manager and he was rude. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10127673, filed 2005-07

   “Car under safety recall previously and I was never notified. Your recall # 97v058000. Accident not involved. Car towed to local dealer for repair, and now after 12 days have been told the car will cost $1300.00 to be fixed. Cradle bolts are supposedly covered, corrosion at mounting point not. If this is the case, then you need to issue a safety bulletin on every w body car on the road, before engine drops out like mine did.”

   NHTSA complaint #708818, filed 1999-07
2. 2
   Brakes

   Premature brake wear and rear caliper binding

   • 48 complaints (35%)
   • typically at 6.5 yrs old
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2000

   Owners report pads and rotors needing replacement repeatedly, sometimes more than once in a year, and rear rotors rusting and seizing to the calipers. Some describe the rear caliper sleeves corroding so the pads never fully contact the rotor, and others report a soft or absent pedal when braking in wet or dry weather. Several mention the ABS unit leaking fluid from a cracked housing. Complaints come from cars with accumulated mileage and age; several mention annual or near-annual brake service.

   What to check: Ask for brake service records, and have the rear calipers and rotors checked for binding, rust and uneven pad contact during a pre-purchase inspection.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Abs speed sensors have failed twice, master cylinder has failed and replaced twice, enitre brake system has locked up, 8 fuel injectors replaced due to electrical shorts, brake power assist now failed.”

   NHTSA complaint #737517, filed 2000-12

   “Powermaster iii ABS unit leaking brake fluid from cracked housing, dealer cost for the part alone is $2600.00 an unreasonable amount, most everyone that also owns one has the same problem!”

   NHTSA complaint #710774, filed 1999-09
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering rack or column faults

   • 7 complaints (5%)
   • typically at 8.0 yrs old
   • filed 1995–2000

   Owners report the steering becoming very heavy or failing altogether, in one case after the rack and pinion gave out while braking and accelerating. Others describe smoke coming from the steering column after starting the car, traced to an electrical short or a turn signal part. The hard-to-find turn signal component was reported as on back order, leaving cars unable to pass inspection. Reports come from older, higher-mileage cars across several model years of ownership.

   What to check: Turn the wheel through its full range at low speed and listen for noise or binding, and check that all turn signals work both inside and outside the car.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The turn signal is on backorder from general motors to the tune of 2,500 customers. Cars will not pass vehicle inspection without the turn signals working. Turn signals are very important when changing lanes and turning. I have received a ticket for not having my vehicle inspected due to the turn signal component not being available to repair my car. General motors should step-up production on these turn signal components as it poses an immediate danger to cause accidents.”

   NHTSA complaint #724562, filed 2000-06

   “Driving at normal speed a defect in steering wheel, caused it to break, causing the consumer to lose control of steering ,and disabling steering wheel button controls.”

   NHTSA complaint #820276, filed 1998-02
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Dash cluster, gauges and odometer cut out

   • 6 complaints (4%)
   • median 135,000 mi at 21.3 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 1995–2010

   Owners describe the instrument cluster going dark intermittently, sometimes only with the headlights on or only with them off, leaving speed, fuel and odometer unreadable. Others report the odometer or fuel gauge reading incorrectly after wiring harness or computer problems. In several cases the dealer could not identify the cause or replaced the computer more than once. Reported on higher-mileage cars, with one example around 135,000 miles.

   What to check: Start the car and switch the headlights on and off while watching the cluster, and confirm the odometer reading is plausible against service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Instrument cluster goes out intermittently. Sometimes it is off all the time, other times only when headlights on, other times only when headlights are off. Speed, fuel odometer... Nothing can be seen.”

   NHTSA complaint #10319667, filed 2010-03, 135,000 miles

   “The main computer was replaced, consumer noticed the odometer not reading the mileage correctly, the dealer stated that the computer needed to be replaced again.”

   NHTSA complaint #556800, filed 2000-10

Buying note. On a car this old, the cradle mounting points and brake hardware are the things most worth inspecting before buying, and paperwork showing whether the structural campaigns were completed is useful. Because parts for some repairs have been reported as unavailable, confirm availability before committing to a project car.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 49 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.