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1990 Pontiac Grand Prix Recalls, Complaints & Specs

8 safety recalls list the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix, and owners have filed 176 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

8
safety recalls
176
owner complaints to NHTSA
12 / 1
complaints citing a crash / fire
18–22
MPG combined (EPA)

8 safety recalls for the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Structure

    NHTSA 00V189000 Reported 713,435 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the front and rear frame/cradle bolts and retainers.

  2. Structure

    NHTSA 97V058000 Reported 676,535 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Vehicle description: passenger vehicles and MINI vans originally sold or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, illinois, indiana, maine, massachusetts, michigan, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont and wisconsin. The rear cradle bolts pull through the retainers due to…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear cradle bolts and retainers.

  3. Wheels

    NHTSA 95V115000 Reported 22,361 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Cracks develop in the wheel mounting surface. If these cracks become severe enough, the wheel will completely separate from the vehicle.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the manufacturing date codes stamped on each wheel of the vehicle and if a wheel falls within the specified date code range, the dealer will replace that wheel assembly.

  4. Wheels

    NHTSA 94V041000 Reported 198,163 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Cracks develop in the wheel mounting surface. If these cracks become severe enough, the wheel will completely separate from the vehicle.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the manufacturing codes stamped on each wheel of the vehicle and if a wheel falls within the specified date code range, the dealer will replace that wheel assembly.

  5. Seat belts

    NHTSA 91V005000 Reported 412,792 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Front shoulder safety belt webbing may separate at front belt upper guide loops on either side of the front seat.

    Remedy: Install a controlled rotation bracket on driver and passenger side front seat belt guide loops.

  6. Switch (exterior lighting)

    NHTSA 90V185000 Reported 476,422 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Brake stoplamps may not illuminate or, in some cases, stoplamps will not stay illuminated all the time when brakes are applied due to a faulty stoplamp switch. Also in vehicles equipped with cruise control, a faulty stoplamp switch can result in resumption of the cruise control function upon release of the brake pedal.

    Remedy: Install an improved design stoplamp switch.

  7. Seat belts

    NHTSA 90V054000 Reported 673,000 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Front shoulder belt guide loop attachment fastener may pull through door mounted anchor plate.

    Remedy: Replace front shoulder belt guide loop attachment nuts and install new guide cover.

  8. Tank assembly (fuel system)

    NHTSA 90V036000 Reported 1,121 vehicles potentially affected GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    During a rear end collision, the rear exhaust system heat shield, which is welded to the tail pipe assembly, may puncture the fuel tank.

    Remedy: Remove rear exhaust system heat shield from the pipe assembly.

176 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix have filed 176 complaints with NHTSA; 12 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 11 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 104,506 miles. Complaints peaked in 1995 with 61 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“Rear subframe retainers rusted out causing engine/transaxle to drop and steering shaft to separate causing loss of control where the vehicle ended up in the on coming lane of traffic. The retainers ha”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 19, 2007 · Structure

“Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40mph the left rear wheel steered 45 degrees to the side and the vehicle went out of control. The vehicle collided head on with a tree. The driver was wearing a s”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 28, 2006 · Suspension

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix (Grand Prix Ste Turbo, Grand Prix Turbo). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined18–22 mpg
City / Highway15–19 / 23–27
FuelPremium, Regular
EPA classMidsize Cars
Engine4/6 cyl, 2.3/3.1 L
TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd; Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd

Compare Pontiac Grand Prix model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Pontiac Grand Prix model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1965 Pontiac Grand Prix10
1966 Pontiac Grand Prix20
1970 Pontiac Grand Prix10
1972 Pontiac Grand Prix10
1973 Pontiac Grand Prix30
1974 Pontiac Grand Prix11
1976 Pontiac Grand Prix10
1977 Pontiac Grand Prix32
1978 Pontiac Grand Prix50
1979 Pontiac Grand Prix40
1980 Pontiac Grand Prix30
1981 Pontiac Grand Prix10
1982 Pontiac Grand Prix10
1983 Pontiac Grand Prix12
1984 Pontiac Grand Prix23
1985 Pontiac Grand Prix13
1986 Pontiac Grand Prix42
1987 Pontiac Grand Prix02
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix1188
1989 Pontiac Grand Prix9139
1990 Pontiac Grand Prix8176
1991 Pontiac Grand Prix4172
1992 Pontiac Grand Prix1114
1993 Pontiac Grand Prix1131
1994 Pontiac Grand Prix1213
1995 Pontiac Grand Prix3169
1996 Pontiac Grand Prix179
1997 Pontiac Grand Prix5810
1998 Pontiac Grand Prix4499
1999 Pontiac Grand Prix4412
2000 Pontiac Grand Prix5461
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix6308
2002 Pontiac Grand Prix3330
2003 Pontiac Grand Prix3106
2004 Pontiac Grand Prix7454
2005 Pontiac Grand Prix1148
2006 Pontiac Grand Prix1239
2007 Pontiac Grand Prix3220
2008 Pontiac Grand Prix1143

Checking a specific 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix

How do I know if my 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 8 campaigns currently list the 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Pontiac dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 00V189000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Pontiac models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.