Traveling approximately 30 MPH down a dual lane (each way) heavily traveled road when I attempted to stop the car & the brake pedal went to the floor. After I was able to stop, I discovered brake fluid was dripping from the underside of the automobile where the brake line had apparently ruptured. Rear brake lines were replaced at a cost of $700 by a professional mechanic at a local garage............ I own 2 pontiac grand prixs ( a 1997 & 1998) and only 1 month earlier ( 08/14/12), the 1998 pontiac also had a similar brake line rupture........unbelievably, 2 years later on sept 27, 2014 the 1997 pontiac again had a brake line failure, where at this time I was traveling approximately 40 MPH down a dual lane highway approaching an intersection where I had a stop sign & was unable to stop, traveling thru the intersection, avoiding a collision and was able to finally stop off the side of the road after pulling into a vacant parking lot............based on my experience & 50 years experience driving, I consider these pontiac brake lines to be made of inferior material that due to their parallel placement in bracketing running along the underside of the vehicle are extremely subjected to corrosion & failure..........auto brake lines should be required by the government to be made of high quality stainless steel since they are a critical safety item in every vehicle. The brake lines on these pontiacs make them potential time-bombs on the roadway!
1997 Pontiac Grand Prix: brake failure
6 of the 810 complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix describe brake failure.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- recalls
- 0
Brake failure by model year
What owners say
About 1 out of 50 times applying brakes, the ABS system activates the ABS motors on the master brake cylinder, causing a brief (1/2 to 1 second) loss of brakes. Additional brake pedalis not effective during this time. Clicking noise from ABS motors and brake master cylinder. Able to reproduce the ABS motors activating for 1/2 to 1 second by: with key off, apply brake, start engine, release brake. When brake lights turn off, ABS motors run for 1/2 to 1 second. Unable to depress brake pedal during this time.removing ABS fuse prevents problem from occurring, but the ABS light is on.
While driving on route 5, exiting off into a parking lot brakes failed and went straight to the floor, vehicle ran into a pole, and neither airbag deployed. Contacted manufacturer.
Parked car had no problems/next morning started car and ABS light came on and remained. Took car to dealer and they informed me the computer reported anti-lock brake failure cost $1400.00 dealer said this is the first one they have had to replace.
Experiences complete loss of brake power when driving in dry/moderate rain for a short distance,
Complete loss of braking power when driving in even moderate rain for short distances.
Service bulletins that may apply
- ABS pump running when not needed
- This bulletin is being issued to revise the fastener requirements for the front and rear brake caliper...
- Subject regarding revised fastener requirements for front and rear brake caliper bracket
- Comment that the ABS light is on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) 46 and 86 set as current or history
- Concerns with squealing and grinding noises coming from front brakes
- ABS dtcs set intermittently depending on humidity/moisture (replace front bearing and hub assembly)
- Squealing and/or grinding (scraping) noise from front brakes (bend ABS speed sensor bracket away from rotor)
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix brake failure
Is brake failure a common problem on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix?
6 of 810 owner complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix (1%) mention brake failure. The model year with the most reports is 1990.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix?
There are 0 recalls and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
Headlights 141Fire or smoke 77Wipers 51Power steering loss 34Airbag light 28ABS 25Steering lock-up 22Stalling 17Loss of power 16Engine failure 11Overheating 11Adaptive cruise 9Knocking 8No deployment 7Tire blowout 7Fuel gauge 6Steering noise 6Transmission failure 6Grinding brakes 5Check engine light 5Pulling 5
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