What breaks most · 1991 to 2003 model years
Pontiac Pontiac problems by year
Owners have filed 87 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Pontiac Pontiac across model years 1991 to 2003. Three years stand out: 2000 for engine and cooling complaints, 2003 for engine and cooling complaints and 1997 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1994 and 1992.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 2003, 1997
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1994, 1992
- Complaints on file
- 871991 to 2003, all trims
- Worst year
- 200016 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 58 fires · 13 injuries · 2 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 77kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Seat belts (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (2) | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 16 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (5) | |
| 11 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | Exterior lighting (3) | |
| 13 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (4) |
What fails on the 2000 Pontiac Pontiac
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 31% |
5 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Seat belts | 6% |
1 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The supercharger in my 2000 pontiac grand prix gtp caught fire caused an engine fire while i was driving in slow, heavy traffic.
-
Creaking noise in the steering wheel. Intermediate shaft was replaced. Also, burning smell coming from under the hood. Gaskets replaced on the intake manifold and also the throttle gasket replaced.*ak
-
1997 pontiac bonneville problem with cracking intake manifold. Manifold leaked coolant into the exhaust system causing engine to lock up. Only offered remedy was to completly replace the engine for $6,000.00.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Pontiac Pontiac years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 2003, 1997 carry the most filings on the Pontiac Pontiac. The 2000 alone has 16 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Pontiac Pontiac problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 5 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Pontiac Pontiac problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Pontiac Pontiac complaints that include mileage is about 77,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.