got cutoff on a busy highway going 70mph and they slammed their brakes. i had 6 car lengths between us and immediately started braking but we were just skidding. I had the choice of hitting the vehicle or swerving left towards the median. I chose the latter. The steering locked up, the abs did NOT kick in and the airbags did NOT deploy. we hit a median at 70mph and no airbags?! I was point of impact. It hit the front drivers side, destroying the light and entire front. the car spun around and it hit again but this time it was the back passenger side/light. Again, NO airbags deployed. So my abs, steering, and airbags all had issues. We are so lucky no one is hurt in severeity but I am beyond fuming, scared, and confused why all of those locked up/failed to serve their purpose! Most severe injuries were me with contusions, strains, and a herniated disc in my neck (likely to cause chronic pain, per doctor.) cop already found me not at fault so no ticket/points, to give an idea. person kept driving. one person stopped and happened to be 4 cars behind us and verified what happened to us. The vehicle is totaled. We are sol on a car now as insurance said it wasn't worth having collision considering how old it was... never had an accident or ticket in 10+ years of driving. the car failed me.
Pontiac Grand Prix steering lock-up problems
62 of the 5,184 owner complaints about the Pontiac Grand Prix describe steering wheel locks up, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 62
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical repair cost reported
- $971
- typical mileage
- 110,000
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 15Stalling 9Check engine light 4Power steering loss 3ABS 3Loss of power 2No deployment 2Pulling 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated while driving 24 MPH, a clicking sound was heard in the steering wheel. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove to a business parking lot and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the serpentine belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that the ignition would shut down while driving. The failure occurred at any speed without warning. While the contact's son was entering a freeway ramp, the vehicle decelerated and lost power. The vehicle had to be placed in neutral before the power steering seized. When the vehicle was turned off and restarted, it was able to be driven home safely. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 206,000.
1st problem is steering wheel locks up every know and then 2nd hit a bump or drive over rxr tracks the traction light and ABS light come on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact crashed into a cement barrier and a parked vehicle. There was no police report filed. The contact had not sustained any injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 04/22/16*lj car was in driving mode then stop at light after passing gas to move off car just went out of control would not stop after passing on brakes so consumer had to bank it on side of road which clip another car. Updated 05/31/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 pontiac grand prix. While driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormal noise and the steering wheel seized. In addition, the brake pedal was depressed but was stiff and failed to respond. As a result, the vehicle flipped twice and landed into a ditch. When the contact exited the vehicle, it was discovered that the engine was off. The vehicle failed to restart. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that the driver sustained a hand injury that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The vine was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v4000000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 pontiac grand prix. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle stalled without warning. As a result, the vehicle rolled into the curb. After attempting to restart the vehicle, the front of the vehicle caught fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized and required excessive force when attempting to make a left turn. The contact noticed that the alignment of the front passenger tire was off. The contact then discovered that the rack and pinion housing was detached from of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 197,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 pontiac grand prix. While traveling less than 15 MPH to enter a drive thru, the steering wheel locked to the right and the vehicle crashed into a wall. The contact had extreme difficulty unlocking the steering wheel and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was unable to be driven. The contact was able to get the vehicle to restart the next day and it was driven to a repair shop. The insurance company repaired the body work. The ignition switch failure and power steering failure were not inspected or diagnosed. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system), but the contact had not received the recall repair appointment. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 09e005000 (steering). A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 pontiac grand prix. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle stalled as the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician informed that the vehicle was operating as designed. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Related recalls
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080; chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438; oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537; or pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668.
Recall number 03V527000 · Recall details
Steering: rack and pinion
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
- Risk
- If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 02V286000 · Recall details
Questions about the Pontiac Grand Prix steering lock-up
Which Pontiac Grand Prix years have steering wheel locks up problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (22 complaints), 1998 (9 complaints) and 2004 (8 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix steering wheel locks up on the Pontiac Grand Prix?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $971 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Pontiac Grand Prix?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history