PontiacGrand Prix1996Electric/pontiac/grand-prix/1996/electric/

1996 Pontiac Grand Prix

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Grand Prix.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine Electric

The 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix Electric is a passenger car powered by an electric motor, representing Pontiac’s foray into electric propulsion during the mid‑1990s. With only 102 owner‑reported complaints—primarily in the engine and engine‑cooling area—and two recalls on record, it stands out as the quietest year in the Grand Prix’s complaint history from 1990 to 2008, a span that saw a peak of 859 complaints in 1997. Consequently, the 1996 model year occupies the lowest point in that reliability timeline, suggesting comparatively fewer issues for owners of this electric variant.

Model year200820072006200520042003200220011996

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 19425079. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP205-70R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim8-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter19425079 alt 25325403
Engine air filter19166106
Fuel filter25121293 discontinued
Spark plug19301813 alt 12562911
Front wiper blades10093142
Serpentine belt19244954 alt 88986821
Thermostat24504169 alt 24507563

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length194.9 in
Overall width72 in
Overall height52.8 in
Wheelbase107.5 in
Curb weight3426 lb
Track (front / rear)59.4 / 57.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)65/35

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs.

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub151 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil TypeGM part number 12345923 or equivalent.
Oil Capacity8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number78

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs / 148 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle81 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.004 in / 0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.039 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.039 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining0.987 in / 0.385 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 100,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 100,000 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 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
Every 15,000 miTiming Belt (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Fuel System (inspect)
At 60,000 miTiming Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (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.

In 1996 the Grand Prix generated 102 complaints and 2 recalls, which is markedly lower than the 213 complaints and 4 recalls recorded in 1995 and the 859 complaints and 9 recalls seen in 1997. The federal complaint trend from 1990 through 1996 shows a decline after the 1994 peak of 258 complaints, reaching its lowest level in the decade at 102 in 1996. The 1996 complaint distribution lists Engine & Engine Cooling (19), Service Brakes, Hydraulic (13), Electrical System (9) and Steering (7) as the top areas, with only 7 crash‑related and 3 fire‑related complaints. Compared with the surrounding years, 1996 sits at the trough of a complaint curve that climbs sharply in 1997, indicating that the model year itself does not exhibit the later‑year surge in volume. Consequently, from a federal record perspective the 1996 Grand Prix appears to be a comparatively safe purchase, though a thorough mechanical inspection is still advisable.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
57
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
102
Owner complaints
7 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 102 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling19
Service Brakes, Hydraulic13
Electrical System9
Steering7
Fuel System, Gasoline6
Vehicle Speed Control5
Structure5
Visibility4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

07E021000Fuel System, Other:Storage:Tank Assembly:Pressure Relief DevicesReported 12/03/2007

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE… Remedy: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.

03V527000Steering:Rack And PinionReported 11/12/2003

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. 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 57 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP4723F2022-01-14Service Brakes, HydraulicThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIP4723D2020-01-31Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
19NA2732019-12-02Electrical SystemThis informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to…
PIC4696E2019-11-22EquipmentThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA0732019-09-18EquipmentThis warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…

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 Prix. 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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

Does the 1996 Grand Prix have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.