Used Pontiac Grand Prix Buying Guide: 2004-2008 GT, GXP and the Key Ring Recall

The used Pontiac Grand Prix I'd shop first is a 2005-2007 GT or a base car with the plain 3.8-liter V6, bought only after GM's records show the key ring recall (14V400) done for that VIN, because every 2004-2008 Grand Prix is in it. The GXP's 5.3 V8 is the fun one, and the supercharged GTP and GT are quick, but they're also the cars most likely to have been driven hard and fed cheap gas. Pontiac is gone, so GM dealers handle the recall work.

This guide covers the 2004-2008 sedan only. I pulled all five model years from NHTSA's recall API on Sunday morning, October 18, 2026, and got 11 campaigns back, two of them for aftermarket parts. The driving and trouble-spot notes come from Consumer Guide's 2004-08 Grand Prix review, which likes the ride and the power and is rough on the cabin plastics and the hard rear seat.

Which Grand Prix, year by year

The trim names moved around more than the hardware did. For 2004 you got GT1, GT2 and GTP, with a 200-hp 3.8 V6 in the GTs and a 260-hp supercharged version in the GTP. For 2005 the lineup became base and GT, and the GXP arrived with a 303-hp 5.3-liter V8, which Consumer Guide says made it the most powerful front-drive vehicle in North America at the time. For 2006 the GTP went away and the GT picked up the supercharged engine. For 2008 the GT and the supercharger were dropped, leaving base and GXP.

Every one has a four-speed automatic. Pontiac recommends premium fuel for the supercharged and V8 cars, and the base 200-hp engine runs on regular. Consumer Guide's testers averaged 17.1 to 19.0 mpg in supercharged GTs and 15.3 in a GXP. The wide front track that helps it corner also gives it a big turning circle, so try a U-turn on the test drive. If you just want a cheap, comfortable commuter, the regular-fuel base car is the honest choice, and I'd put the GXP money toward a pre-purchase inspection instead.

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Recalls to clear by VIN

14V400, 2004-2008: weight on the key ring or a jolt can move the ignition switch out of Run, turning off the engine, and the air bags may not deploy. Dealers install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head. Until then, carry the ignition key alone.
15V201 and 15V701, 2004: the front valve cover gasket can leak oil onto the hot exhaust manifold, a fire risk. The 2015 follow-up says earlier fixes "did not adequately remove the safety risk," and the improved remedy replaces the front valve cover and gasket.
04V299, 2004: the front frame's rear body mount bracket can fracture, and if ignored the intermediate steering shaft could separate.
Other 2004 campaigns: 03V331 (right rear brake hose fitting not tightened), 04V287 (front caliper bolts under-torqued), and 05V046 (accelerator pedal return spring, an issue in deep cold).
2007 only: 06V419 (fuel tank built without the adhesive layer that bonds its barrier layer, so vapors can seep out) and 15V519 (headlamp driver module can overheat, killing headlamps and running lights).

The sneaky one is 09E005, a Dorman recall of aftermarket steering knuckles sold under Dorman and NAPA part numbers for 2004-2007 cars. GM's paperwork won't tell you about it, so if a seller mentions front-end work, ask whose parts went on. Run the VIN on GM's recall lookup and on the NHTSA recalls API, and our Pontiac recall check by VIN walkthrough shows how to read the results.

Why the key ring recall matters, and who fixes it

14V400 isn't the famous Cobalt and Ion switch recall, though GM filed it the same year, in July 2014. GM's filing covers 5,877,718 cars, including 2000-2005 Impalas and 2004-2008 Grand Prix. Our GM ignition switch recall check post covers the bigger campaign. GM said in 2009 that it would phase Pontiac out by the end of 2010, as CBC reported at the time, so there are no Pontiac stores left to take it to. GM dealers do the recall work, free.

Trouble spots Consumer Guide lists

A fuel gauge that reads wrong or a car that stalls with "fuel" left can be sulfur corrosion on the fuel level sender (2004-06). A clunk you feel during slow turns points to the steering intermediate shaft (2004-07). 2006-07 cars can leak oil at the oil pressure sensor, so look under the car and check the dipstick cold. 2004-05 cars can let water in at the A-pillar seam or the cowl, and a wet passenger carpet on a cheap sedan gets blamed on a flood that never happened, or a real flood gets blamed on the seam. Lift the mat and smell it.

Shopping the newer, smaller Pontiac instead? Our used Pontiac G6 guide covers it, and the Pontiac Vibe guide is the Toyota-built option. Before you pay, decode the car with our Pontiac VIN decoder guide, since a GXP badge costs a few dollars online and the V8 doesn't.

History and paperwork

Check NMVTIS for salvage, junk and flood brands, then pull a full report. These cars are cheap, which means a lot of them changed hands for cash with a printed "history" the seller made at home. Match the VIN on the dash, the door label and the title before you trust any of it.

CarVins resells CARFAX and AutoCheck reports under license and isn't affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, Experian or GM. In mid October 2026 a guest report is about $5.50, a member report about $4.50, and both brands bundled about $6.75, where retail runs roughly $39.99 to $44.99. We do adjust those, so the number on the checkout page is the one that counts.