Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Grand Am.
Body PASSENGER CAR
The 1996 Pontiac Grand Am is a passenger car that utilizes 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. This model year recorded 488 total owner complaints and six recalls, with air bags identified as the top complaint area. Within the model's 1990-2005 history, the 1996 version sits between the 1990 low of 56 complaints and the 1999 peak of 909 complaints.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
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 75 · 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 Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 75 · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeGT. GTE:P205-55R16OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified
OE service part numbers OEM · verified
Engine oil filter
12731175 alt 12731172
Engine air filter
25099735
Fuel filter
25121293 discontinued
Spark plug
19301813 alt 19301805
Front wiper blades
22155381
Serpentine belt
88984195 alt 88986809
Thermostat
24507563 alt 24577288
Full specifications
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC
Overall length
187 in
Overall width
68.5 in
Overall height
53.5 in
Wheelbase
103.5 in
Curb weight
2736 lb
Track (front / rear)
55.9 / 55.5 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)
65/35
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 holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.
Lubricants & capacities
Engine Oil
5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity
4.5 qt
Engine Oil
5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity
4.5 qt
Engine torques
Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)
7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)
7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)
7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)
52 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)
103 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts
129 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts
75 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)
18.5 ft-lbs
Chassis torques
Lug Nuts
100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub
185 ft-lbs
Ignition
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance
5,000-8,000 ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance
5000-7000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer
AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap
0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque
13.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Manufacturer
AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap
0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque
11.0 ft-lbs
Battery & A/C
Refrigerant
R134a
Refrigerant Capacity
2.25 lbs
Oil Group
PAG
Oil Type
GM part number 12345923 or equivalent.
Oil Capacity
9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number
75
Standard BCI Cranking Performance
600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number
75
Service checks
Pressure Test
15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief
15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature
185-205 °F
Pressure Test
15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief
15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature
185-205 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum
47.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)
40-47.0
Brakes
Torque Caliper to Bracket
38 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle
100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness
Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation
0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit
0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From
0.796 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To
0.796 in
Rotor Minimum Machining
0.751 in
Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
1
Bolts 1-8
40 ft. lbs
2
Bolts 9-10
30 ft. lbs
3
90 degrees.
90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
1
33 ft. lbs.
33 ft. lbs
2
90 degrees.
90 degrees
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.
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
Federal filings for the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am sit at the top of the pre-1999 curve: complaints climb from 56 in 1990 to 470 in 1995 and peak at 488 in 1996, while TSBs reach 73 and recalls jump to six—up from just one the prior year and the highest level in the 1990–1998 arc. The following year, 1997, already shows a decline to 428 complaints, and 1998 falls to 184, confirming that 1996 represents the generation’s reported-problem high point before the redesigned 1999 model line. The leading complaint categories are Air Bags (97), Electrical System (79), Service Brakes, Hydraulic (44), and Engine & Engine Cooling (43), with 33 crash-related and 14 fire-related complaints also on file; the federal data does not specify root causes. Because 1996 carries the highest complaint, recall, and TSB volume of its immediate generation and shows elevated air-bag and electrical reports, it is not the strongest used-car choice in this era. A buyer would likely face lower federal-record risk with a 1997–1998 example or an earlier, lower-volume year.
6
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
73
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
488
Owner complaints
33 involved a crash · 14 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 27, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR…
CERTAIN DELPHI AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMP MODULES / MODULE RESERVOIR ASSEMBLIES (MRA) THAT WERE SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE MRAS VENT AND FUEL RETURN TUBES WERE REVERSED. THIS CONDITION… Remedy: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE MRAS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 20, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 1-877-335-7443.
Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified
Showing 5 of 73 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
Bulletin
Date
Component
Summary
PIP4723F
2022-01-14
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIP4723D
2020-01-31
Electrical System
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
19NA273
2019-12-02
Electrical System
This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to…
PIC4696E
2019-11-22
Equipment
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073
2019-09-18
Equipment
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
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.