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2003 Pontiac Grand Prix

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2003 Grand Prix.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine Electric

The 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix Electric is a passenger‑car variant powered solely by an electric drivetrain. Owner feedback for this model year logged 119 total complaints, with the engine system cited as the most frequent trouble spot and seven recalls issued. When viewed against the broader Grand Prix complaint record spanning 1990‑2008—where complaints peaked at 859 in 1997 and bottomed out at 102 in 1996—the 2003 figure sits well below the worst year but above the best, indicating a modest reliability standing in the model’s long‑term history.

Model year2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

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 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 Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP205-70R15OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 25322835
Engine air filter	15221217
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	12681664
Front wiper blades	19120758
Serpentine belt	19244951 alt 12588411
Thermostat	24505924 alt 24507563

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	197.6 in
Overall width	72.8 in
Overall height	54.7 in
Wheelbase	110.6 in
Curb weight	3419 lb
Track (front / rear)	61.8 / 61 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 Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	118 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.20 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Optional BCI Group Number	78
Optional BCI Cranking Performance	770 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	78

Service checks

Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	133 ft-lbs / 32 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	100 ft-lbs / 85 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.27 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.27 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.224 in / 0.39 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 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.

Every 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Supercharger Assembly (inspect fluid level)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

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 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix recorded 119 complaints, 7 recalls, 0 investigations and a total service bulletin count of 400, placing its complaint volume below the 2002 (339 complaints, 7 recalls, 4 investigations, 379 TSBs) and 2004 (454 complaints, 9 recalls, 1 investigation, 510 TSBs) years. Across the generation, complaints rose sharply in 1997 (859) and then generally declined, with 2003 marking one of the lower‑complaint years after the early‑2000s peak. The 2003 model’s top complaint categories were Engine (28), Engine & Engine Cooling (17), Electrical System (11) and Structure (7), and it generated 6 crash complaints and 38 fire complaints, the latter exceeding the crash count. Compared with neighboring model years, the 2003 figures show a modest recall level but a relatively low overall complaint count, indicating fewer reported defects than the immediate preceding and following years. Consequently, the 2003 Grand Prix can be considered a viable used‑car option provided a thorough inspection addresses the fire‑related concerns, making it a reasonable purchase.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

400

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

119

Owner complaints

6 involved a crash · 38 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

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 ’06 ’07 ’08

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 119 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine28

Engine & Engine Cooling17

Electrical System11

Structure7

Seats5

Service Brakes, Hydraulic5

Tires3

Electrical System,Exterior Lighting3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 7 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

15V701000Engine And Engine Cooling:EngineReported 26/10/2015

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… 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 engines front valve…

09V116000Engine And Engine CoolingReported 08/04/2009

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… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINES FRONT VALVE COVER AND FRONT-VALVE-COVER GASKET WITH NEW PARTS OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN AND REMOVE THE ENGINES PLASTIC COVER AND PLASTIC…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 400 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D	2025-02-19	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

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.

Group 78 battery Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 15221217 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 12681664

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

Does the 2003 Grand Prix have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.