1999 Pontiac Grand Prix Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe engine-compartment fires, usually noticed after the car had been parked for a short time, and coolant leaks from a plastic intake manifold that in some cases led to engine damage. A separate, frequently reported pattern is steering that becomes very hard to turn to the left when the rack and pinion assembly fails. Fires and intake leaks appear across a wide mileage range, while steering complaints mostly come in below about 90,000 miles.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine-compartment fire after parking or while driving

   • 130 complaints (32%)
   • median 130,000 mi at 9.8 yrs old (108 state mileage)
   • 123 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,729 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2021

   Complaints describe smoke or flames from under the hood, often within about 10 to 30 minutes of the car being parked, and sometimes while driving. Several owners report the car was totaled and that fire departments responded; others put the fire out themselves. Some say they later learned of recalls for oil seeping onto the exhaust manifold, and a few report fires occurring after recall repairs had been done. Several vehicles are described as supercharged GTP models. Reported from roughly 43,000 to 185,000 miles, most often past 90,000 miles and frequently shortly after the car was parked.

   Recall 08V118000Recall 09V116000Recall 15V7010001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the oil-leak recalls (08V118000, 09V116000, 15V701000) were completed and keep the receipt; have a mechanic check the valve cover gaskets and look for oil residue on the exhaust manifold.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Our 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix gtp has run fine since our purchase in june of 2006. It was in extremely good condition, 1 owner car. My son drove it to work on 2/25/08 and 15 minutes later it was engulfed with flames in the engine compartmentalize no red light indication or no smell or order. Just parked it at work then 15 minutes later it was on fire.”

   NHTSA complaint #10219831, filed 2008-03, 97,988 miles

   “There was a loud boom and flames came to the windshield from under the hood. I pulled the car over and jumped out to safety. The engine burned and the front of the car was destroyed. Everything under the hood was destroyed. The brakes were also destroyed. The ignition didn't work but I was able to get the key out. There was no power the car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10597155, filed 2014-06, 102,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Intake manifold coolant leak and engine damage

   • 54 complaints (13%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (41 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,100 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2001–2017

   Owners describe losing coolant with no visible external leak, low or cold heater output, a temperature gauge that moves between driving and stopping, and rough idling. The plastic intake manifold or its gasket is reported as cracking or deteriorating, allowing coolant into the engine; in some complaints the engine then locked up and needed major repair. Several owners say dealers replaced the plenum and gasket, and some report the problem returning. Mostly reported between about 35,000 and 100,000 miles, with a few cases higher.

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for orange or rusty residue in the radiator, ask whether the intake manifold and gasket were ever replaced, and watch the temperature gauge on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Car suddenly started running very poor. Skipping, no power. Took to dealer and they replaced the plastic intake manifold. Cost me $1200. Approximately 75,000 miles. In searching the web for others having this problem, I conclude that there is a design problem and GM should stand behind it. I really like this car but I won't buy another GM.”

   NHTSA complaint #10162308, filed 2006-07, 75,000 miles

   “My car started out running hot on a regular basis. My repairman asked me to check with the dealership for recalls on the intake manifold and there werent any. Now the dealership is planning on charging me over 700.00 for the repair in question. And I dont belive this part is warranted. I'm going to check this out with a lawyer, I read to many complaints on this site.”

   NHTSA complaint #10072860, filed 2004-05, 100,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering hard or locked turning left (rack and pinion)

   • 42 complaints (10%)
   • median 62,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (24 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2015

   Complaints describe the steering becoming very heavy or nearly impossible when turning left while right turns feel normal, sometimes appearing suddenly. Owners report the rack and pinion assembly coming apart or its housing detaching, and one mentions an alignment problem at the front wheel. Several say dealers told them no recall applied to this model year, and some reference earlier recalls on similar GM cars. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 90,000 miles, with a few at higher mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Turn the wheel fully in both directions at low speed and listen for noise or uneven effort, and have the rack and pinion, tie rods and front-end alignment inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle, a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix gt, loses power steering when turning left (only left turns - not right turns). It is extremely difficult to make a left hand turn. I need to pull hard with both hands to get my steering wheel to turn. Sometimes when the steering does not respond, I am forced to discontinue my left turn, put my car in reverse, back up the vehicle, and try again because the steering does not work when turning left. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10020565, filed 2003-05, 64,000 miles

   “My 1999 Pontiac gran prix gt looses the power steering when turning left, right is ok. At a standstill, it is nearly impossible to turn left so the car has to be in motion to turn. It is not smooth, but jerky and the force varies thru the turn. It is definetly a handful on a windy day, when more effort is required in one direction than the other. I haven't been to a dealer yet, because they can't squeeze me in on a day I'm not traveling.”

   NHTSA complaint #10054659, filed 2004-01, 60,000 miles

Buying note. On a car this old, the priorities are the fire-related recalls and the condition of the valve cover gaskets, the intake manifold and the brake lines; a pre-purchase inspection covering those items and the steering rack is worth the cost. Service records showing which recalls were completed matter more than mileage alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.