2005 Pontiac Grand AM problems
NHTSA has received 143 complaints about the 2005 Pontiac Grand AM, and 29% of them involve electrical system. After that come fuel system (10%) and lighting (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 143 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 29% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 21 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 9 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 86,000 miles 117 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 4 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 15 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 18 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 15 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 19 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 20 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 10 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 9 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Among the 117 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 86,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 88,000 miles (28 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 21 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 9 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2005 ranks 14th most-complained-about out of 16 model years of the Pontiac Grand AM with enough data (64 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 pontiac grand am. While driving 35 MPH, the driver swerved to avoid an object in the road. As a result, the vehicle rolled over three times and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver was killed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 pontiac grand am. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the entire instrument panel illuminated intermittently. In addition, the steering wheel failed to respond and the vehicle crashed into a concrete wall. The contact and her child sustained injuries to the arms, wrists, chest, ribs, and the legs which both required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The vehicle was destroyed.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 pontiac grand am. While driving 15 MPH, the air bags deployed without cause, which caused a crash into an unknown object. In addition, the crash bent the front passenger rim. The air bag warning light illuminated after the deployment. The road conditions were dry. As of january 3, 2008, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 97130. Updated 01-29-08. The consumer suffered injuries from the air bag deployment. Updated
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 pontiac grand am. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start and the instrument panel failed to function. The contact mentioned that the failure was recurring. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
During starting or regular driving, the security light will come on. Soon after, the car may shut down or will not start at the next ignition cycle. This is due to a widely-known failed passlock or vats system. It is not due to user error, and is potentially dangerous if not fatal at the wrong time.