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2002 Pontiac Grand Prix problems

The most common problem on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix is engine and cooling, typically around 121,000 miles. It has 1.4 times the complaints of a typical Grand Prix model year.

Typical year1.4x the typical complaints
Year score
61/100
Owner complaints
331
Recalls
3
Service bulletins
368
Worst area
Engine
Fuel economy
19-21mpg

The worst 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix

Fire or smoke 83Headlights 11Stalling 8ABS 6No deployment 6Check engine light 6Power windows 6Brake failure 5Wipers 5Won't start 5

Recalls 3

Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipeReported October 26, 2015 · 1,003,556 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Risk
Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy
The remedy applied under recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, and 15V‑201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V‑118, 09V‑116, or 15V‑201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1‑800‑442‑6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.

Recall number 15V701000 · Recall details

Engine and engine coolingReported April 8, 2009 · 1,497,516 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.
Risk
If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537, and pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.

Recall number 09V116000 · Recall details

Engine and engine coolingReported March 12, 2008 · 207,542 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Gm is recalling 207,542 my 1997-2003 buick regal and pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine. These vehicles have higher front rocker cover gasket temperatures, creating the potential for earlier degradation of the front rocker cover gasket and eventual oil seepage.
Risk
Certain underhood fires may be caused by drops of engine oil, from seepage or spillage, being deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking. If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and, in some instances, the fire may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine’s plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, along with the 1-3-5 spark plug wire retainers, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. , free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Until the remedy is completed, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions (1) that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, car port, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle. The dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual. Owners may contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080 or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668, or through their website at http://www.gmownercenter.com .

Recall number 08V118000 · Recall details

See all 3 recalls for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix

Defect investigations

Engine compartment fireOpened June 12, 2007, closed May 1, 2008

By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by the federal safety agency recall number 08v‑118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.

EA07008

Engine compartment fireOpened January 29, 2007, closed June 12, 2007

On january 29, 2007, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged non-crash fires originating in the engine compartment in certain model year (my) 1999-2002 pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the ?l67? Supercharged version of the general motors (gm) 3800 series ii v6 engine.to date, odi is aware of 121 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles that allege non-crash related fires originating in the engine compartment while driving or after the vehicle is parked and the ignition switched off. While no subject component has yet been identified, odi analysis of available information indicates that the alleged fire incident rate among the subject vehicles is significantly higher than gm peer vehicles that use the non-supercharged ?l36? Version of the gm 3800 series ii v6 engine.in some cases, the fire incident rate is twice as high in the subject vehicles and up to as much as an order of magnitude greater than in non-supercharged peer vehicles.for instance, the subject fire incident rate for the supercharged my 2000 pontiac grand prix gtp is approximately 236 per 100,000 vehicles produced (58 fires / 24,509 subject vehicles or 0.236%) while the fire incident rate for my 2000 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with the naturally aspirated ?l36? Engine is approximately 18 per 100,000 vehicles produced (17 fires / 90,338 vehicles or 0.018%). The manufacturer?s investigation into alleged engine compartment fires on the subject vehicles is ongoing.accordingly, this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea07-008) to further study the frequency and scope of the alleged defect. Based on the information reviewed in pe07-006, the range of subject vehicles under investigation will be expanded to include all my 1999-2002 buick park avenue, regal, and riviera, oldsmobile lss, and pontiac bonneville and grand prix vehicles that use the same or substantially similar transverse mounted ?l67? Engine.

PE07006

Loss of brake lamp illuminationOpened January 17, 2007, closed April 30, 2007

The agency's analysis of gm's complaint and warranty data for the subject vehicles, including a comparison with other agency and manufacturer data pertaining to other vehicle brake lamp investigations, indicated a low failure history for the subject vehicles.this investigation included a review and analysis of data for relevant brake lamp malfunctions that require replacement of the multifunction switch (mfs) module.the hazard warning switch is an integral part of the mfs module.other components that affect brake lamp illumination such as wiring, bulb sockets, and the plunger-type brake lamp switch, were not a part of this investigation.a safety-related defect trend has not been identified and this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety defect does not exist.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.

PE07001

Engine compartment firesOpened October 22, 2002, closed March 9, 2004

Ea02-030 is closed with gmea02-030 is closed with gm?s actions in 03v‑473 and 04v‑090 recalling approximately 529,000 my 1998-99 c- and h-body vehicles equipped with defective fuel pressure regulators.these vehicles were equipped with plastic intake manifolds that are unable to contain pressures that occur in some backfire events and defective fuel pressure regulators with leaking diaphragms that can provide a source of fuel to produce a combustible air-fuel mixture in the manifold.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by odi that no safety defect exists in the vehicles that are not included in gm?s recalls.odi will continue to monitor the incidence of manifold ruptures and related fires in other my 1995-2002 gm passenger cars equipped with the subject intake manifold.for additional information, see the attached closing report.

EA02030

Technical service bulletins for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix 368

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 368 bulletins for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix

2002 Pontiac Grand Prix fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
3.1L 6‑cylFWD182621
3.8L 6‑cylFWD16-1725-2719-20

What 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Nov 5, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CA

I took my 2002 Pontiac to Thompson Chevrolet, located in Patterson, CA., for a recall that was not needed since the engine was rebuilt. My car had no issues and was operating just as it was when first bought. It was running excellent. On March 20, 2025, after I got my car back I noticed my gas gauge going up rapidly and not reading accurately. My car was also not accelerating as it was before but hesitates and jumps as it changes gears. It also has a small oil leak since I got it back. I complained to them and have reported this to the Better Business Bureau and have gotten no positive results. My car can pass a smog test, but, it has an oil leak, the gas gauge is not working since they worked on it and it hesitates upon acceleration. All since March 20th, 2025. Can you help me with this problem regarding the authorized dealership.

Filed Oct 9, 2025 · Engine · 38,500 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V701000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced because it was an older vehicle, and the dealer informed the contact that the recall part had been discontinued. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was then taken to Christian Brothers Automotive, where it was serviced, and the contact was informed that engine oil was leaking onto the exhaust manifold. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,500.

Filed May 29, 2023 · Fuel system · OR · fire

On May 27th 2023 just three days ago I went to start my car but it would not start, I tried two times then I smelled gas so I let it sit over night then the next day my friend went out to start it for me and it made a loud bang and the intake manifold exploded causing a fire and debris went everywhere, my is lucky he got away from the when he did or he would have been injured maybe even killed from the flames. I did not take any photos or report to anyone, a neighbor heard the load bang and came out to see if anyone was ok. There were no warning signals that appeared to my knowledge. There were 200,000 miles on the vehicle at time of the incident.

Filed Oct 2, 2022 · Engine · UT · fire

I had just drove about 30 miles home and when I arrived my engine was was smoking a little more than was usual because of oil burn off. So I popped the hood and a fire started in the back of the engine where I was having problems previously with the power steering pump. Obviously when I opened the hood it helped the fire and it grew. Took 30 minutes to put out. Car is now out of commission and I don't know what to do.

Filed Jan 10, 2022 · Airbags · WI · crash · 2 injuries

I was driving a red 2002 Pontiac. While sitting at a stop sign and the driver of a 2012 Ford Fiesta was going 55-60 MPH and ran in the back of my vehicle.

Filed Nov 25, 2021 · Electrical, Engine · OH · fire · 1 injury

The night of the incident I was driving to my brother's house when I pulled over lifted the hood it burst into flames

Filed Feb 26, 2020 · Engine · 150,000 miles · MT · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 pontiac grad prix. The contact stated that after the vehicle was serviced by an independent mechanic for a tune-up, oil change and no failure codes found. The contact stated after retrieving the vehicle from the mechanic, she was driving approximately 45 MPH when smoke was seen coming through the gear shift assembly and a burning odor was detected in the cabin of the vehicle. She pulled over and upon exiting the vehicle, looked underneath the vehicle and saw flames. The contact stated she extinguished the fire by using water and gatorade. The contact stated that the fire was in the exhaust area of the vehicle. The fire department was not contacted. The contact stated that the independent mechanic was contacted and informed her that the vehicle was safe to drive home however, the vehicle has been stalling after the fire. The vehicle stalls after the fire. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted about the failure. The contact stated that she was unaware that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling). The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Filed Jan 18, 2020 · Engine · 97,000 miles · IA

Large amounts of oil is accumulating on top of the engine. During hard braking/turning, this oil can spill off the engine onto the hot exhaust.

Filed Dec 8, 2019 · Steering · 200,000 miles · NV

Bought the car in april of 2017. Had to replace rack and pinion. A few months down the road was driving car and steering wheel became loose and it turned halfway to the left to keep car straight. Rack and pinion busted. Replaced rack and pinion again plus struts and the car will make popping sounds when turning steeering wheel. The front end of my car has been pretty much replaced twice. Scary to drive.

Filed Oct 7, 2019 · Electrical, Engine · 40,000 miles · FL

Ii had a no engine crank-no dashboard lights, intermintent start. Cwas parked nad not moving. The problem I caused by the the ignition switch and pass key system. Gm had this problem in 2004 on the colbolt. 6deaths due to loss of enginepower, steering and power brakes. I will not drive this car,till iget it repaired. I am the origional owner with 40000 miles use.

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Compare the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix

Other model years

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Questions about the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix

Is the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix reliable?

Owners have filed 331 complaints about the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix, 1.4 times a typical Grand Prix model year.

What is the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix year score?

The 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix scores 61 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Pontiac Grand Prix: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix?

Engine and cooling, with 148 complaints, typically around 121,000 miles. Next is electrical (57).

How many recalls does the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix have?

3 recalls, covering engine and engine cooling.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix engine?

Yes, 3 recalls: 15V701000, 09V116000, 08V118000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Pontiac Grand Prix have bad engine?

The Pontiac Grand Prix model years with the most engine complaints are 2000 (223 complaints), 1999 (201 complaints) and 1997 (180 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix get?

Official estimates for the 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix range from 19 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.1L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 26 highway.

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