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1992 Pontiac Grand Am

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 Grand Am.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1992 Pontiac Grand Am is a passenger car that generated 253 owner complaints and three recalls, with its most prominent reported issues centering directly on the engine and engine cooling systems. Contextualized within the model's broader complaint history from 1990 to 2005, this year registers as a moderately troubled point, sitting well above the 56 complaints of the 1990 baseline but far below the 909-complaint peak reached in 1999. This positions the 1992 model as a middle-ground entry in the Grand Am's reliability timeline, indicating that while it exhibits notable mechanical vulnerabilities, it avoids the severe deterioration seen in later years of the generation.

Model year2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1992

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 12737092
Engine air filter	24577608
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	19362247 alt 19354417
Front wiper blades	22155381
Thermostat	24506986 alt 22545290

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	186.6 in
Overall width	68.5 in
Overall height	53.1 in
Wheelbase	103.5 in
Curb weight	2513 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Grand Am of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.60 sec — 1996 SE Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1996	SE Sedan 2.4L I-4	8.60 sec	16.50 sec	150 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	EGR System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · PCV System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Thermostatically Controlled Air Cleaner Assembly (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1992 Pontiac Grand Am represents a critical inflection point in this generation's reliability arc, with federal complaints more than doubling from 100 in 1991 to 253 in the target year. This sharp increase marks the beginning of a steady upward trend in complaints and technical service bulletins that escalates through the mid-1990s and peaks at 909 complaints in 1999. For the 1992 model specifically, the primary trouble spots are the Engine & Engine Cooling system (65 complaints) and the Service Brakes, Hydraulic system (32 complaints), alongside 12 crash and 4 fire incidents reported to federal regulators. While the data does not specify the root causes of these failures, the initiation of the generation's first federal investigation in 1992—alongside 3 recalls and 24 TSBs—indicates emerging systemic issues. Consequently, the 1992 model year is a poor choice for a used purchase, as it sits at the onset of the generation's steepest reliability decline and carries significant documented safety and mechanical risks.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

253

Owner complaints

12 involved a crash · 4 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91’92’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 253 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling65

Service Brakes, Hydraulic32

Electrical System26

Power Train16

Visibility15

Structure14

Steering12

Equipment8

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

92V106000Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And CapReported 17/07/1992

THE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH AN INCORRECT SUSPENSION UPPER SPRING SEAT AT THE RIGHT-REAR POSITION. IF THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A REAR IMPACT ACCIDENT, THE RIGHT-HAND REAR WHEEL HOUSE FLANGE COULD SEVER THE FUEL… Remedy: INSPECT AND REPLACE INCORRECT UPPER SPRING SEAT WITH THE CORRECT PART.

91V182000Seats:Front Assembly:ReclinerReported 21/10/1991

THE PASSENGER'S SIDE EASY-ENTRY SEAT ADJUSTER MAY FAIL FULLY LOCK INTO POSITION AFTER THE SEAT BACK HAS BEEN TILTED FORWARD AND THE SEAT SLID FORWARD, THEN RETURNED TO ITS ORIGINAL POSTITION. Remedy: REPLACE THE ADJUSTER ASSEMBLY ON THE SEAT.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 24 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
130089009	2013-09-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
04152004	2004-04-15	Service Brakes, Air	VEHICLES MAY SET ANYONE OR A COMBINATION OF FRONT-WHEEL SPEED SENSOR ANTI-LOCK BRAKE…
00966B	2004-01-01	Service Brakes, Air	ABS FRONT WHEEL SPEED CODES - JUMPER HARNESS. *TT
00966	2004-01-01	Service Brakes, Air	ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) FRONT WHEEL SPEED CODES - JUMPER HARNESS. *TT
990730030A	2001-04-01	Power Train	OWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Grand Am. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 24577608 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 19362247

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Maintenance schedules

Frequently asked

Does the 1992 Grand Am have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.