We found the following complaints for PONTIAC BONNEVILLE (1997)
Read complaints for PONTIAC BONNEVILLE (1997)
I was driving and my air bag light came on. The light stayed on for awhile then out of no where my air bag deployed and filled my whole car with smoke and powder. I did not hit anything prior to the air bag exploding nor after. I suffer from cuts and burns on my right arm and stomach. I have not done anything to fix the problem because i am not sure what caused it. I have not drove the car since then because i cannot disconnect the passenger air bag and the car will not start without the fuse.
No deployment of airbag in accident.
While driving driver's and passenger's air bags deploued for no reason.dealer ha been contacted. Windshield replaced.
Both air bags failed to deploy during collision due to defective sensor.yh
Driving an suddenly vehicle shuts down, speed makes no difference.starts back with no problem. This is a regular problem, also happens when idling...makes for a very hazardous situation. Has happened on the freeway surface streets, turning, accelerating, even when braking.there have been times when it wouldn't start and no documentation or invoices available at this time.we have to tug on ignition wires. Possible reason-ignition switch under the steering wheel sectionis bad. This vehicle has a console, plan on getting new ignition switch.
Vehicle parked in driveway with fluid dripping in front of passenger side front tire. Found positive battery post (side) separated from battery case with battery acid leaking out. Battery terminal was very difficult to remove from cables and there was slight corrosion damage to battery tray area.
This appears to be a common problem with this make/model or similarly configured battery cable system.the post breaks off inside the battery as a result of vibrations and the weight of the cable.the consumer must buy a new battery as a result.furthermore, the battery bolt freezes inside the cable requiring it to be cut out due to the excessive heat generated aththe connection.this is a common problem with this vehicle according to the technician i spoke with at bentley pontiac at the time i took it in.i had to have the vehicle towed to get it repaired.when i picked my vehicle up, i noticed another bonneville getting it's battery replaced for the exact same problem - the positive terminal post had broken off and the bolt was frozen to the positive cable connection.i believe there should be a fix to this problem and that gm should reimburse owner's for any cost associated with this design flaw.it presents a danger to vehicles driving down the highway because it could potentially result in sudden power loss and could be catastrophic.i was lucky my incident occurred in my garage.i shoulod have reported this earlier.however, while cleaning up my computer files, i recalled that i had not reported this incident.i have owned a number of vehicles for many years and have never heard of this type problem with the battery/battey cable on any of them.have other such incidents been reported or does gm have knowledge of this problem from maintenance actions at their dealers?
Batteries leak acid.et.
While my wife was driving home with our children the vehicle suddenly shut off. My wife was able to safely pull off the highway and contacted me. When i arrived i found the positive battery terminal fell off the delco battery, causing acid to leak into the battery tray and front frame section. I replaced battery and had to repair the cable end because the end was seized.
My car wouldn't start and there were no electricalcomponents functioning.i called the car dealership where i purchased the warranty and was told to make sure i didn't have a dead battery because that was not covered under the warranty.i called the towing company and they attempted to charge the battery.batterywould not charge;the car went "puff" and caught on fire.when the wrecker driver attempte to start the car, he heard a loud "pop" and smoke was rolling out from under the hood.he opened the hood, battery was intact, however the engine was on fire.after fire was extinquished, he found the plenum(?sp) blown off the top f the engine and the oil filtler tube was blown out of he top of te manifold.warranty company would not cover due to the fact the car caught on fire.they said my car ins should cover it.however, i believethe fire was the result of a previously existing defect.i was told the foam used to extinguish the fire could possibly have caused more problems in the engine.was i supposed to let the car completey burn up?i don't think so!
Vehicle failed to start. Upon opening hood consumer noticed that the battery terminal post cameoff, and acid was leaking out.
Consumer stated while driving vehicle at 25 mph suddenly all electrical components died.no brakes/ no power steering. Took vehicle to dealer, dealer popped hood, and noticed battery acid all over the engine compartment, and battery cables were loose. Dealer replaced cables, and put jelly around them.five days later, cables were loose again. Cause unknown. The cable has loosen again and vehicle stalled and lost all power.consumer was left stranded.
Nar 1/29/2003.the vehicle was delivered to the consumer with a bent water pump and a bent wheel. The alternator, power steering pump, transmission and egr valve were replaced.
When driving or idling vehicle will suddenly die ,and will not restart until after 10-15 minutes later . Dealer has replaced alternator, but defect has reocurred, dealer claimed they could not determine cause without duplicating defect. After multiple attempt to repair the vehicle, the dealer idenfified the problemto be a failed fuel pump and was replaced.the consumer wants reimbersment for the cost of replacing the alternator that was not the cause.
Difficulty depressing horn button.
Horn button on steering wheel takes excessive effort and many attempts to sound. Sometimes you can't get horn to work at all. Difficult to impossible to use in an emergency situation.
Horn design resulting in excessive physical effort to activate.
Design/location of the horn button causes difficulty engaging (extreme pressure) in emergency situations, almost resulted in a collision.
Vehicle horn requires excessive effort to be used in order for it to sound.
Upon depressing the horn pad there is no sound, making it impossible to warn motorists in anemergency. Consumer has contacted dealer.
Extreme pressure needed to operate the horn contacts on the steering wheel, results in a unsafe situation.
Horn button requires excessive force to operate.
Horn very hard to use.requires excessive pressure.
The horn is very hard to activate.
The horn button is difficult to push, must hit spot precisely to activate. *et
Vehicle hesitating between 35 and 55 mph.engine check light would not go off. Turned out to be 1 failed ignition coil and ignition wires bad.
Starter term loose causing vehicle to stall.nlm
My car wouldn't start and there were no electricalcomponents functioning.i called the car dealership where i purchased the warranty and was told to make sure i didn't have a dead battery because that was not covered under the warranty.i called the towing company and they attempted to charge the battery.batterywould not charge;the car went "puff" and caught on fire.when the wrecker driver attempte to start the car, he heard a loud "pop" and smoke was rolling out from under the hood.he opened the hood, battery was intact, however the engine was on fire.after fire was extinquished, he found the plenum(?sp) blown off the top f the engine and the oil filtler tube was blown out of he top of te manifold.warranty company would not cover due to the fact the car caught on fire.they said my car ins should cover it.however, i believethe fire was the result of a previously existing defect.i was told the foam used to extinguish the fire could possibly have caused more problems in the engine.was i supposed to let the car completey burn up?i don't think so!
I was driving home from when work when my car caught on fire.my brakes stopped working and i was unable to stop the car.the car was engulfed in flames in the matter of a few minutes.
On date mentioned the cars firewall and engine compartment caught fire which cause the lose of the use of the brakes and power steering. I was decending a steep hill at the time . I was lucky to keep control of the vehicle and managed to get the fire out before the fire department got there. This could have been a fatal accident if i had not keep my head. We also had to replace the alternator in this vehicle which should have not worn out as the car only had 3500 mile on it at that time. The police report stated that it was a manufacturer defect that caused the fire. I have called the place of purchase to inform them of this and they gave me a phone number of the pontiac co. To call and the number will not go threw. I have searched the web to see if there was a place in their web site to send them an email about the fire and no luck there either. If this had not happened when it did it would have been my wife driving with our grandson in the car, as i had gone to get gas for the car for her first. I feel it should be checked out as to wether there has been any other problems of this type . I know for a fact that my wife would not have been able to have handled the car and would have had an accident with our grandson in the car. This has me very upset.
Headlights are working intermittently, and the fuse keeps blowing out. Consumer had the vehicle into the shop 6 times, and dealer can't determine the cause of the problem.dealer keeps replacing different parts, and the vehicle is about to go back into the shop for the 7th time.
The fuse for the brake lights has blown out, leaving consumer with no brake lights. Dealer has been contacted.
Under dash electrical fire that destroyed the cars interior-car junked.
While drivng vehicle filled up with smoke and a fire started in the dash behind the radio. Mechanic stated that there was a loose wire in the dash.car was towed to a body shop. Still not fixed.
The car lost all power while driving on several occasions.it would just quit and i would have no brakes or steering and all gauges would shut down.sometimes it would lose power and then it would come back on while i was still driving cutting in and out repeatedly.it happened a lot when i was idling at a corner and then would start through the intersection. It would quit going through the intersection.sometimes it wouldn't start after driving it a short distance.after it sat for a few minutes, a few hours or sometimes overnight it would just start like there wasn't any problem with it.it didn't sputter or act like it wasn't getting gas or anything, it just wouldn't do anything and had a total loss of all power.we took it in for repair several times and they could never replicate the problem and diagnostics didn't show any problems that would cause this issue.i asked a couple of times if there were any recalls and the service garage said no.i finally quit driving the car because i was tired of being stranded and with taking my chances with it loosing power driving down the highway or through intersections in heavy traffic.it sounds like the same issue that they are currently recalling some gm models for because of an ignition switch spring but bonneville aren't on the recall list.
I had a 1997 pontiac bonneville. While i was driving down a highway in michigan, the engine compartment suddenly caught on fire. I was not speeding, and my car was perfectly serviced and maintained. By the time the fire service got there, the whole car burnt down. It took less than 20 minutes for the whole car to get burnt beyond recognition.
The contact owns a 1997 pontiac bonneville. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. The mechanic replaced the battery and check oil sensors. The failure continued after the repair. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
I paid the stated amount to replace a component referred to me as a "plennum". The symptom my car was having was, it was overheating. It is made of plastic and is mounted on the top of the 3800 engine. Little did i know, that the damage had already been done. The failed part had leaked coolant into the engine. A week and a half after having the plennum replaced, my car broke down. I have been advised that the leaking coolant into the engine from the plennum had caused premature failure of a "rod bearing" in the engine. The coolant i'm told ate away the bearing lubricant. I am told my only option at this point is an engine replacement. I am not a car mechanic by any means and suspected nothing, and was told nothing. I understand and accept the fact that man made products wear out and need replacing. This to me seems to be a poor engineering flaw that costs a lot of money to fix. I did not include the $2000.00 engine replacement in my total repair cost above. The plastic plennum part, by the way, was replaced with another plastic part. I told the driver that was returning me home while the plennum was being replaced, that i was intending to trade my bonneville in on a montana minivan this summer. His reply to me was that they are experiencing the same problem with the montana, as well as other vehicles with the 3800 engine. It sems clear to me that there is obviously a problem here that needs to be recalled.
Car completely shuts down while decelerating at anywhere from 30-55 mph.sometimes can restart, sometimes not for a half hour or so.the car's engine coolant has leaked out onto engine.car shut down, no power, no steering, no brakes, then the coolant spilled out everywhere, engine started smoking and now the engine has stopped working even after replacing head gasket.car had been into dealers numerous times to no avail.no one could identify the problem.now have a car that had to be towed and is no longer functioning.numerous fuel injectors were replaced in hopes of stopping the stalling out and shutdowns, but nothing has worked.waiting for a couple of quotes on what it will take to try and fix the engine or most likely need replaced.this has been happening since the car was fairly new.
The contact owns a 1997 pontiac bonneville.the contact stated that the vehicle has plastic intake parts, which include the upper and lower intake manifold.while the vehicle was undergoing a routine tune-up, she noticed antifreeze on the intake manifold.the vehicle made a loud booming noise similar to a backfire when the engine was started.the contact could smell fuel in the passenger compartment after placing fuel into the vehicle.there were no recalls for the failures described on this year, make, and model vehicle.the vin and failure mileage were unknown.the current mileage was 134,000.
Nar 1/29/2003.the vehicle was delivered to the consumer with a bent water pump and a bent wheel. The alternator, power steering pump, transmission and egr valve were replaced.
Loss of coolant.plastic air intake mounted on top of intake manifold failed leaking coolant under pressure into combustion chamber. Talked to several licensed technicians in the area and they state that this is a common problem. Requires replacement of air intake. $275 & labor. *nlm
1997 pontiac bonneville with dextrol coolant is causing constant trouble.the latest is having to replace the plastic intake manifold to the tune of $598.18.why is this piece plastic, but the pipe going into it is metal?the dex cool is deteriorating all rubber seals.*la
Was traveling 55mph when vehicle started to overheat. Pulled to side of road, checked under hood, and noticed steam & anti-freeze was spilling over everything. Turned vehicle off & anti-freeze just dripped. Noticed it was coming out of bottom of water pump. Let vehicle cool down & refilled it with water & drove home.dealer replaced water pump, engine coolant system failed.
Consumer stated that while driving and without warning coolant fluid was leaking from the engine which caused a distraction to the consumer. Dealer notified. Tsfumes noticed since vehicle was new, however somewhat better but can still be detected.
Excessive loss of engine coolant while driving. Dealer was not notified at this time. Feel free to provide any further information.
The contact owns a 1997 pontiac bonneville. The vehicle was leaking radiator fluid. The dealer repaired the leak. A year after the repair, the fan connected to the heater and air conditioner stopped working. There was a popping noise intermittently under the hood near the defrost and suddenly, the front window cracked. The dealer has not diagnosed the failure; however, a manufacturers defect does exist. The heater fan also failed to operate intermittently. The failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 93,000.updated 11/10/09 updated 11/13/09.
While driving at normal speed driver began to see smoke coming from the vehicle.driver proceeded to drive home, and parked vehicle. A mechanic stated that there was a whole in the plenum that allowed water to leak and warp the heads.
The intake manifold gasket on my 1997 pontiac bonneville 3800 series engine failed causing coolant to gain access to internal engine parts. This caused the engine to seize andbecome totally inoperable requiring the engine to be replaced at a cost of $2200.00.this failure also happend in a pontiac grand prix, that i also owned, with the same series of engine. The cost of the repair to the grand prix was approx. $650.00. The engine in the grand prix did not have to be replaced.looking at and readingthe various gm message boards on the internet, this problem seems to be fairly prevalent with the 3800 series of engine. Gm continues to ignore this with no regard to the consumer.
Intake manifold failure on 1997 pontiac bonneville. Coolant entered into cylinder #4 causing engine to seize. Total cost of repair approximately $900. Reoccuring problem has been reported with this particular engine, and calls to pontiac resulted in no satisfaction.
Vehicle will intermittently stall out while consumer is driving. Contacted dealer, and the dealer replaced crank sensor signal which dealer stated could be the problem.
Perpetual oil leak around engine oil pan.
Consumer states that while driving at any speed the engine light comes on and will stay on the remainder of the time the vehicle is being operated. Dealer notified.ts
The vehicle stalled on several occasions, the vehicle was taken to three different dealers and they all stated the computer showed no errors.*scc
While driving a 100 miles from home the car overheated & had to be towed.we found that the problem was due to a hole in the air plenum in the upper intake manifold.we have found that there are over 20 such cases in our small community alone. All on 3800 motors in pontiac's.this is a four hundred dollar repair bill that occurred only because pontiac decided to use plastic in their part which in turn melted & caused our motor to overheat.i hope that pontiac will recall these plenums & reimburse us for the cost of repairing & towing our car.if pontiac would call their dealers they would find out just how many of these parts have malfunctioned.
G.m. 3800 seriesii v-6 engine plastic upper intake manifold plenum & gaskets.failure of inferior parts in conjuction with dex cool (g.m. Anti-freeze/coolant). Causing deterioration and failure of plenum forcing coolant into engine. Engine immediately seizes,trying to restart will cause damage to starter,flywheel,batt.,and engine. Remedy? tow to g.m. Service center replace upper intake manifold plenum,manifold gskts,spark plugs & wires,starter,pwr-flush eng.& cooling sys.,replace all fluids. G.m. Is aware of problem they should be held accountable. Service mngr. Told me damages to veh.was not due lack of maintenance but use of plastic parts and coolant by g.m. This a major defect & problem. Cost of repairs? $1,300.00.
My car wouldn't start and there were no electricalcomponents functioning.i called the car dealership where i purchased the warranty and was told to make sure i didn't have a dead battery because that was not covered under the warranty.i called the towing company and they attempted to charge the battery.batterywould not charge;the car went "puff" and caught on fire.when the wrecker driver attempte to start the car, he heard a loud "pop" and smoke was rolling out from under the hood.he opened the hood, battery was intact, however the engine was on fire.after fire was extinquished, he found the plenum(?sp) blown off the top f the engine and the oil filtler tube was blown out of he top of te manifold.warranty company would not cover due to the fact the car caught on fire.they said my car ins should cover it.however, i believethe fire was the result of a previously existing defect.i was told the foam used to extinguish the fire could possibly have caused more problems in the engine.was i supposed to let the car completey burn up?i don't think so!
Adue to a defective design the rear engine gasket cracked, causing anoil leak, which may result in a fire if there is a source ofignition.pontiac has a new design of the oil pan. .et
The plastic engine cover creates wear spots on the spark plug wire insulation.this has caused wires to short, resulting in hesitation and vehicle stalling.*et *mjs
Vehicle stalled unexpectedly on three occassions while driving. This happened while the vehicle was decelerating at speeds ranging from 35-50mph. Vehicle was able to restart after a period time. Once immediately and the other two times after 15-30 min.vehicle was taken to dealer service and the problem was not able to be detected or repeated. Please provide information on problem and corrective actions taken.
While driving the vehicle began to smoke and caught on fire in the engine compartment. Claim number 17-9174-792.
When the consumer started the vehicle the engine area caught on fire, this fire started back by the fire wall and melted the center of the dash. Claim number 23-1435-647.
While driving vehicle stalls unexpectedly, causing the steering to lock up and power to go out.able to restart the vehicle and drive home. Currently at dlr's.please provide further information.
While driving, vehicle began to smoke and caught on fire in the engine compartment, claim 17-9174-792.
Vehicle will stall whilein motion unexpectedly and without warning, causing loss of power steering. Consumerhad taken vehicle to dealer between 4-6 times, but defect keeps occurring. Finally dealr replacedfuel pressure regulatorand defect did stop, but only for 2 years. Currently,defect has reappeared.fuel pressure regulator was replaced twice in three years.
Upon deceleration, the vehicle engine shuts down, causing the vehicle to stall.please provide details.
When traveling at any speed and upon idling, the vehicle will stall out and cut off. Consumer has contacted the dealer , dealer has replaced number of parts, problem still not corrected.
Consumer started vehicle, it went puff and the engine area caught fire, fire started back by the firewall and melted the center of the dash, claim 23-1435-647.
The insured stated there was smoke coming from the vehicle when it broke down. Claim#13-7503-708
Takes 2 to 3 cranks to start warm engine
While vehicle was going 65mph, the acclerator pedal dropped to the floor.engine was running hot, and the oil was sizzling. Dealer informed.consumer says that 6 out of 6 bearings were worn out , and 4 out 6 rods needed replacement.also, oil pressure sensor malfunctioned.consumer states that the vehicle was well maintained, and that the engine & oil pressure indicator should be recalled to prevent injury or fatality.*scc
Vehicle broke down, consumer saw smoke, fire in the engine compartment, claim 13-7503-708.
While driving, vehicle began to smoke and caught on fire in the engine compartment, claim 17-9174-792.
Twice while driving at approximately 50mph car lost all power for a second or so and then came right back on. During this second or so, i have no power brakes, steering, nothing.this is definitely a safety hazard, if it happens at the wrong time, it could cause a serious accident.one time before i remember at least a month ago, the radio just cut out for a couple of seconds for no reason, and the day after the first time my car lost power, the abs light came on for a couple of seconds and then went out.i don't know if these are related, but something is wrong, i don't know if it's the engine, electrical or computer.
When the consumer started the vehicle the engine area caught on fire, this fire started back by the fire wall and melted the center of the dash. Claim number 23-1435-647.
The insured stated there was smoke coming from the vehicle when it broke down. Claim#13-7503-708
When driving or idling vehicle will suddenly die ,and will not restart until after 10-15 minutes later . Dealer has replaced alternator, but defect has reocurred, dealer claimed they could not determine cause without duplicating defect. After multiple attempt to repair the vehicle, the dealer idenfified the problemto be a failed fuel pump and was replaced.the consumer wants reimbersment for the cost of replacing the alternator that was not the cause.
Twice while driving at approximately 50mph car lost all power for a second or so and then came right back on. During this second or so, i have no power brakes, steering, nothing.this is definitely a safety hazard, if it happens at the wrong time, it could cause a serious accident.one time before i remember at least a month ago, the radio just cut out for a couple of seconds for no reason, and the day after the first time my car lost power, the abs light came on for a couple of seconds and then went out.i don't know if these are related, but something is wrong, i don't know if it's the engine, electrical or computer.
Intermittent stalling.
While driving the vehicle began to smoke and caught on fire in the engine compartment. Claim number 17-9174-792.
Vehicle broke down, consumer saw smoke, fire in the engine compartment, claim 13-7503-708.
Consumer started vehicle, it went puff and the engine area caught fire, fire started back by the firewall and melted the center of the dash, claim 23-1435-647. Referenced in ea02-030
While driving 30 mph the engine completely shut down without warning, cause unknown.dealer cannot identify the problem.please give any further details.
Consumer states that the exhaust gas recirculation (egr) failed causing a hole in the manifold. Ts
Engine failed due to hole in egr/ inlet in intake manifold which caused engine coolant to enter fuel intake system
Nar 1/29/2003.the vehicle was delivered to the consumer with a bent water pump and a bent wheel. The alternator, power steering pump, transmission and egr valve were replaced.
The plastic intake manifold on my 1997 bonneville warped causing coolant to leak into the engine which then seized the engine. Replaced intake manifold and rebuilt both engine heads. Total cost was $1,525. My mechanic told me this is a common problem on the gm 3800 series engines because the upper intake manifold is plastic. About 2 weeks later, a rod bearing failed. I was told it failed prematurely because coolant had entered the engine. I do not have a repair estimate yet. I believe all of these problems are related to the defective upper intake manifold.
Vehicle back fired while driving,then stalled without warning. Driver tried to restart vehicle, but was unable to do so. Driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer, andmechanic determined that the intake manifold needed to be replaced.
While driving at highway speeds vehicle stalled due to a cracked intake manifold gasket.the intake manifold gasket was replaced.the cracked gasket allowed water to leak into the cylinder's.
The intake manifold or the plemium whatever you want to call the thing wore out and all of my engine coolant went into the fuelcylinders and locked my motor down i was headed to macon ga from douglas,gagoing to the hospital were they had transfered my brother and here i am in perry,ga broke down because pontiac puts a plastic intake manifold on a motor i feel like pontiac should have to pay for this part being replaced. I also have trouble with my car surging between 35 and 55 miles per hour this is the sorriest car i have ever owed and i have owned 2 grand prixs before this car but liked the body style of the bonneville and i rhought that it would be a good car but boy was i wrong i bought the car in august,2002 and have spent enough money on repairs on it that i could probably done paid for another grand prix.after reading all the complaints on this sight i feel they should have a recall on them for the transmissions and the intake manifolds because they all seem to be related to me .people pay a lot of money for there cars and still have to put money in repairs its just not fair .
A block from home our engine shut down.the upper manifold had a hole in it due to the manifold being plastic, and crystalizing over a period of time.it cost us $729.00 to get it fixed.luckily our engine wasn't hot or we would have had more serious problems.
Dt:caller said the plastic intake manifold broke . This happened without warning. Caller's wife had to get help to push the car off the road, and car was towed to a dealer. Caller said therewas arecall # 04v090000. Manufacturer saidthis vehicle was not covered under the recall and would not offer any assistance.
Climate control malfunctioned.
Consumer states luggage compartment lid opens while driving, consumer states dealership admitted that other vehicles experience this problem but they could not recommend any type of solution, consumer believes the lid was never built solid enough to support the latch, when the lid is open it can be twisted easily by hand.
While vehicle was going 65mph, the acclerator pedal dropped to the floor.engine was running hot, and the oil was sizzling. Dealer informed.consumer says that 6 out of 6 bearings were worn out , and 4 out 6 rods needed replacement.also, oil pressure sensor malfunctioned.consumer states that the vehicle was well maintained, and that the engine & oil pressure indicator should be recalled to prevent injury or fatality.*scc
1.fuel gauge behaves erratically and reads full when almost empty.2.when repacing non-working backup lights found lights had corroded & rusted into sockets-took lots of patience and 2 1/2 hours to get them out!! 3.vehicle stalls at random times for about 3-5 seconds at speeds of 55-67.
Turn signals do not work properly, consumer states that sometimes right signal blinks when left signal is turned on and left signal blinks when right signal is turned on, also sometimes the signals will blink together regardless of the position of the turn signal lever, dealer has attempted to fix the problem several times, however has not remedied the problem.
My car surges all the time and the cruise control gets stuck on it i took it to the chevrolet place they said it was the transmission gone in it. But i still drive it i believe it has something to do with the fuel system myself. I bought the car in sept of 2002 and it was doing it when i got it. But it was a buy as is deal so they said there was nothing i could do about it. But when i took it to the chevrolet place they already had the car on file but would not tell me what the file said about the car.
In early november my car (97 bonneville sse) began experiencing trouble starting.it rarely started right up but required several tries to start.occasionally i could smell gas after it was started multiple times.the iac valve was replaced but that changed nothing.after several more weeks of the issue getting worse i scheduled it for service on dec 22.the serpentine belt fell off dec 18; the car was towed to the garage dec 21.on dec 22 the car was "fixed".within 24 hrs i knew the starting issue was not fixed.i had to start it multiple times every time & could often smell gas.i don't believe that the garage paid attention to the reason the car was originally scheduled for service & instead fixed the immediate issue.i brought it back to the garage dec 26 but had to leave a message with the gas attendant as the service dept was closed.on mon dec 28 i went out to start my car for work.the engine cranked 1-2 times then i heard a very loud "bang" under the hood near the steering wheel.smoke poured from under the hood almost instantly.the smoke rapidly intensified and changed color.fire could then be seen beneath the engine & engulfed a major part of it within 2-3 minutes.although the fire dept arrived less than 4 min after the fire started, the entire engine was destroyed.
Engine failed due to hole in egr/ inlet in intake manifold which caused engine coolant to enter fuel intake system
Was driving and smelled strong gasoline odor the longer driven.luckily not on highway, was able to stop and investigate, saw dripping line onto engine block. Proceeded to local dealer a few blocks away. (sullivan pontiac) they replaced the line. Said this is why bonneville's mostly have fires. I was lucky wasn't on highway, and pulled over when i did,,could have caused fire/explosion destroying my auto, others and caused injury or death to myself and / or others. Leak was in location protected by shroud. How did leak occur? defective fuel line? dealer did not save the defective line for later examination. Paid $299.85 for labor, $40 for shipping new fuel line, and $87.57 for the new fuel line= $427.42.worried about is this safe for others!? nlm
When driving or idling vehicle will suddenly die ,and will not restart until after 10-15 minutes later . Dealer has replaced alternator, but defect has reocurred, dealer claimed they could not determine cause without duplicating defect. After multiple attempt to repair the vehicle, the dealer idenfified the problemto be a failed fuel pump and was replaced.the consumer wants reimbersment for the cost of replacing the alternator that was not the cause.
Fuel sending unit indicates that tank is always fuel.consumer has been toseveral dealers & they see this as a common problem of repairs.
While driving at 50mph the vehicle cut off system shuts down, causing the engine to shut off,resulting inthe consumernot having control of steering or brakes. Dealer was contacted.
1.fuel gauge behaves erratically and reads full when almost empty.2.when repacing non-working backup lights found lights had corroded & rusted into sockets-took lots of patience and 2 1/2 hours to get them out!! 3.vehicle stalls at random times for about 3-5 seconds at speeds of 55-67.
The fuel tank leaks . Manufacturer is changing the tank.
Fuel gauge cluster failed causing gauge to read full at all times.nlm
Fuel gauge cluster failed causing gauge to read full at all times
Vehicle will stall whilein motion unexpectedly and without warning, causing loss of power steering. Consumerhad taken vehicle to dealer between 4-6 times, but defect keeps occurring. Finally dealr replacedfuel pressure regulatorand defect did stop, but only for 2 years. Currently,defect has reappeared.fuel pressure regulator was replaced twice in three years.
Courtesy lights come on intermittently. Go off upon shutting driver's door.
Courtesy light assembly blew out.
Emergency brake lever under dash had broken causing emergency break to be inoperative. Nlm
Speedometer cluster failed causing check gauge light to come on. Nlm
While traveling 40mph vehicle would not go to 2nd gear.dealer has been contacted. Pleaseprovide futher informat. Please provide further information.
I purchased this car used from a retailer who offered me 60 bumper to bumper warranty.during the first road trip, the car began surging at various speeds from 35-65 mph.the surging appeared to occur more often at a rpm of 2000 - 2500.i brought the car in to gary pontiac with an explanation of the problem.when i picked up the vehicle at the end of the day, the diagnosis was to replace the wires, filters, perform a transmission tune-up for a total of around $300.00.i decided to save money and to have the work done elsewhere.after having this work performed, the car continued to exhibit the same surging.i attempted to return the vehicle to gary pontiac before the warranty expired, but due to health reasons with the service manager/transmission expert, my return to gary was postponed until after the expiration of my 60 day warranty.during this whole process, i had made repeated reports to gmcares to document this process.i believe that i had made around 6 calls to gmcares during this time.most recently (9/25/2000), i brought the car in to gary with the prior understanding that this problem was most likely due to a faulty transmission valve body.this problem appears to be prevalent in these types of cars/transmissions, since i personnelly know three people experiencing this problem.the dealer confirmed that indead the valve body would have to be replaced .the deal that was offered to me was for me to pay the part cost with gm to absorb the cost of service.i believe this is a noble attempt at customer satisfaction, but since this problem is inherent in these vehicles, i think gm should pickup the total cost of this repair.the fact that i had a warranty on the car that would have covered this defect had gary pontiac diagnosed it the first time properly, is enough reason for this repair to be paid by gmc.
Transmission bumps and jerks at speeds over 30 mph. Usually when climbing a hill. Solution...let off the gas for a second and re apply to stop the bucking temporarily. Also happened to my 92 bonneville which had the original transmission that never failed with over 180,000 miles on it, besides the bucking. *nlm
Problem appears to be prevalent with this yr., make, model, dealer will not warranty part. No safety defect indicated within summary.
The intake manifold or the plemium whatever you want to call the thing wore out and all of my engine coolant went into the fuelcylinders and locked my motor down i was headed to macon ga from douglas,gagoing to the hospital were they had transfered my brother and here i am in perry,ga broke down because pontiac puts a plastic intake manifold on a motor i feel like pontiac should have to pay for this part being replaced. I also have trouble with my car surging between 35 and 55 miles per hour this is the sorriest car i have ever owed and i have owned 2 grand prixs before this car but liked the body style of the bonneville and i rhought that it would be a good car but boy was i wrong i bought the car in august,2002 and have spent enough money on repairs on it that i could probably done paid for another grand prix.after reading all the complaints on this sight i feel they should have a recall on them for the transmissions and the intake manifolds because they all seem to be related to me .people pay a lot of money for there cars and still have to put money in repairs its just not fair .
At freeway speed (2200 rpm) vehicle would surge repeatedly as if driver was quickly pressing and releasing gas pedal. Occasionally transmission would go into neutral and engine would rev to 4000 rpm. Letting the car coast for 10-15 seconds seemed to get the transmission back into operation. Dealer reported "found fluid black (burned very bad) recommend to replace with srta. Replaced trans with srta." so far no more problems after dealer replaced transmission.
Orginial transmission rebuilt at 20,000 miles. Partial rebuild at 27,000.owner reported continued transmission problems at 31,000 miles, 35,000 miles and 37,000 miles.dealer reported
I would like nitsa to conduct an investigation into bulletin #87-71-75.in accordance with pursuant to 49usc' 30162 and 49cfr part 522.my dealer and pontiac motor division of genernal mortors would not change the control valve body assembly that is failing in my bonneville, because their excuse is that i did not purchase this car new even though this car is only nine months out of warranty and only had 34,150 miles on it.even though they know they manufactured a defective part and do not want to repair it.i do not feel that i should have to pay for a defective part that they installed at the factory.thank you for your time.john g. Hammel.
The contact owns a 1997 pontiac bonneville.while driving at55 mph the accelerator pedal became stuck and the vehicle sped into full throttle.the contact depressed the brake pedal, but was unable to stop the vehicle.the contact had to shift the gear into reverse in order to stop the vehicle.the failure contained no warning indicators.the vehicle was towed to a repair shop and when the mechanic started the vehicle, it was still at full throttle.the mechanicreplaced the transmission.the passenger sustained minor injuries.the current and failure mileage was 110,000.
Since purchase of vehicle transmission would buck at 30-40 mph.dealer could not find a problem. On july 22, 2002 dealer stated that valve body had to be replaced to remedy the problem.
Nar 1/29/2003.the vehicle was delivered to the consumer with a bent water pump and a bent wheel. The alternator, power steering pump, transmission and egr valve were replaced.
Control valve body assembly failing for second time.
I purchased this car used from a retailer who offered me 60 bumper to bumper warranty.during the first road trip, the car began surging at various speeds from 35-65 mph.the surging appeared to occur more often at a rpm of 2000 - 2500.i brought the car in to gary pontiac with an explanation of the problem.when i picked up the vehicle at the end of the day, the diagnosis was to replace the wires, filters, perform a transmission tune-up for a total of around $300.00.i decided to save money and to have the work done elsewhere.after having this work performed, the car continued to exhibit the same surging.i attempted to return the vehicle to gary pontiac before the warranty expired, but due to health reasons with the service manager/transmission expert, my return to gary was postponed until after the expiration of my 60 day warranty.during this whole process, i had made repeated reports to gmcares to document this process.i believe that i had made around 6 calls to gmcares during this time.most recently (9/25/2000), i brought the car in to gary with the prior understanding that this problem was most likely due to a faulty transmission valve body.this problem appears to be prevalent in these types of cars/transmissions, since i personnelly know three people experiencing this problem.the dealer confirmed that indead the valve body would have to be replaced .the deal that was offered to me was for me to pay the part cost with gm to absorb the cost of service.i believe this is a noble attempt at customer satisfaction, but since this problem is inherent in these vehicles, i think gm should pickup the total cost of this repair.the fact that i had a warranty on the car that would have covered this defect had gary pontiac diagnosed it the first time properly, is enough reason for this repair to be paid by gmc.
Gears on lever stripped causing emergncy brake to not hold when depressed.nlm
While driving vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The trans axle locked up.vehiclehas been at the dealership for 5 weeks.
Consumer stating that the transmission would not go in to gear, dealer removed transmission assembly and disassembled it and found internal damage exceeded a rebuilt replacement, also transaxle does not go into reverse smoothly and will bang, dealer flushed transmissionfluid and changed filter, consumer still not satisfied with the situation.*yd
Consumer stating that the transmission would not go in to gear, dealer removed transmission assembly and disassembled it and found internal damage exceeded a rebuilt replacement, also transaxle does not go into reverse smoothly and will bang, dealer flushed transmissionfluid and changed filter, consumer still not satisfied with the situation.*yd
The lap belts in the front middle and the rear middle will not stay tightened.
Seat belts fail to hold properly.
The rear seat belts do not work.the latches are mixed, they do not go together. They have gm on the belts.
I have a 1997 pontiac bonneville with power seats on the drivers side only. I recently had the seat runaway bygoing fwd and back and was unable to stop it. I finally had to force the switch to the back position until it all stopped. The motor got hot and quit. Now it no longer drives fwd or back.i could have had a very serious accident if i had been in heavy traffic and was unable to control the vehicle to the shoulder of the road.
Consumer's vehicle was rearended by another vehicle that was traveling about 45 mph . At impact,driver's and passenger's seatbacks fell back, causing injuires. Vehiclewas a total loss.
While leaning back in the front driver's seat, the reclining part of the seat fails to hold me.
Consumer stated while driving vehicle at 25 mph suddenly all electrical components died.no brakes/ no power steering. Took vehicle to dealer, dealer popped hood, and noticed battery acid all over the engine compartment, and battery cables were loose. Dealer replaced cables, and put jelly around them.five days later, cables were loose again. Cause unknown. The cable has loosen again and vehicle stalled and lost all power.consumer was left stranded.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
I was driving home from when work when my car caught on fire.my brakes stopped working and i was unable to stop the car.the car was engulfed in flames in the matter of a few minutes.
After inspecting the brakes, noticedunusual wear on the side of the brake rotors, they could deteriorate.
Abs: brake pedal very hard. Not stopping vehicle. Pedal at times goes to floor. Took to dealer. Not able to find brake problem, or unable to duplicate.
Brakesmake noise when applying them. Also, there is extendedstopping distance. Please provide more information.
Consumer heard a metal to metal grinding noise. Went to dealer where they replaced rotors/pads to front wheels.dealer stated the brake rotors on the outside surface were blackened from heat and the brake pads were glazed.
The problem started with a thumping sound coming from the front/brake area of the vehicle.after attempting to pull out of the shopping center i realized my brakes weregone.my husband was able to get it to rapid motors the next day and we were told that the master cylinder would have to be replaced.just over 1 year later the same problems started again and again the brakes went out and we were told again a new master cylinder would need replacing.each replacement has cost us a little over $300.00.i understand it may be time to replace brake pads but i don't that is the only problem with the master cylinder not being able to last more than 1 year.the invoice for repair of the last master cylinder states:"found brake pedal goes to floor, checked for leaks, non found, checked vacuum - ok.master cylinder leaking internal.removed master cylinder and installed new one.bled brakes sytem, test drove, working to factory specs."to summarize, the original master cylinder and a second master cylinder have been replace within the 2 1/2 years that i have owned this vehicle.please let me know if you need additional information.
When applying brakes at highway speedsvehicle and steering wheel vibrate, causingdriver to have minimal control over vehicle.dealer has seen 4 or 5 times vehicle, but problem still exists.
After inspecting the brakes, noticedunusual wear on the side of the brake rotors, they could deteriorate.
Dt*: the contact stated the hydraulic brake lines were corroded at every connection.the vehicle was taken to the dealership who determined the brake fluid was leaking due to the corrosion.the dealership informed the contact there were 10-15 other vehicles with the same problem. Updated 9/5/2006 -
The problem started with a thumping sound coming from the front/brake area of the vehicle.after attempting to pull out of the shopping center i realized my brakes weregone.my husband was able to get it to rapid motors the next day and we were told that the master cylinder would have to be replaced.just over 1 year later the same problems started again and again the brakes went out and we were told again a new master cylinder would need replacing.each replacement has cost us a little over $300.00.i understand it may be time to replace brake pads but i don't that is the only problem with the master cylinder not being able to last more than 1 year.the invoice for repair of the last master cylinder states:"found brake pedal goes to floor, checked for leaks, non found, checked vacuum - ok.master cylinder leaking internal.removed master cylinder and installed new one.bled brakes sytem, test drove, working to factory specs."to summarize, the original master cylinder and a second master cylinder have been replace within the 2 1/2 years that i have owned this vehicle.please let me know if you need additional information.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
The car lost all power while driving on several occasions.it would just quit and i would have no brakes or steering and all gauges would shut down.sometimes it would lose power and then it would come back on while i was still driving cutting in and out repeatedly.it happened a lot when i was idling at a corner and then would start through the intersection. It would quit going through the intersection.sometimes it wouldn't start after driving it a short distance.after it sat for a few minutes, a few hours or sometimes overnight it would just start like there wasn't any problem with it.it didn't sputter or act like it wasn't getting gas or anything, it just wouldn't do anything and had a total loss of all power.we took it in for repair several times and they could never replicate the problem and diagnostics didn't show any problems that would cause this issue.i asked a couple of times if there were any recalls and the service garage said no.i finally quit driving the car because i was tired of being stranded and with taking my chances with it loosing power driving down the highway or through intersections in heavy traffic.it sounds like the same issue that they are currently recalling some gm models for because of an ignition switch spring but bonneville aren't on the recall list.
When turning the steering wheel towards the left, the steering wheel would lock-up, causing the consumer to lose control of the vehicle. The owner took the vehicle to the dealership to be inspected.please provide any further details.*la
Bolts that hold power steering gear boxbroke, causing gear box to fall into the compartment. When this happened, vehicle lostbrakes, steering, and other power units. Dealer has been contacted, and repaired vehicle under waranty.
Consumer stated while driving vehicle at 25 mph suddenly all electrical components died.no brakes/ no power steering. Took vehicle to dealer, dealer popped hood, and noticed battery acid all over the engine compartment, and battery cables were loose. Dealer replaced cables, and put jelly around them.five days later, cables were loose again. Cause unknown. The cable has loosen again and vehicle stalled and lost all power.consumer was left stranded.
When making a left turn power steering went out. Also, thisoccurred when vehicle was driven at low speeds. This vehicleexperienced the same defects as the pontiac, grand prix which was recalled for the same problem.
Nar 1/29/2003.the vehicle was delivered to the consumer with a bent water pump and a bent wheel. The alternator, power steering pump, transmission and egr valve were replaced.
Power steering pump mounting bolts broke while pulling into garage.
Carhas had hesitation when in a slight strain at 45 to 55 mph for about 2 mo. It would do it sometimes and not others. Finally it stared doing it and the engine locked up. I called customer service and got a local factory person to look at it and call me today. He said the motor was locked up and they o o o.
1997 pontiac bonneville rack& pinion steeringthepower steering suddenly failed when turning to the left only. Turning right was still functioning with power assist.the problem increased over a short period of time to where the car wouldn't turn left at all (even manually).complaint was made to dealership as well as manufacturerwith absolutlely no resolution.
Rack and pinion steering failed while driving, would not allow a left turn.right turning can be accomplished with one finger, however left turns require tremendous strength.recall issued for grand prix and similar 97 pontiac's, but not the bonneville.
While leaving a parking lot vehicle fails to turn to left. Vehicle can turn toright, but steering wheel is very hard. Owner believes that failure was due torack and pinion. *yd
While turning left in parking lot, my wife heard a pop/thump noise and then could not continue left turn. Steering wheel would turn right with power assist but very difficult to turn steering wheel left. Vehicle towed to dealer who reported "power steering rack broke inside". Dealer replaced rack and pinion assembly.
Heard a "popping" noise, then lost power steering when turning left. Right turns work fine, but no power steering to the left.
While making a left hand turn vehicle lost power steering. Consumer had to use force to turn steering wheel. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. The consumer notified the manufacturer who stated that there was no recall on the vehicle but there were recalls on other models with the same rack and pinion.the consumer was told that his vehicle was not produced at the plant of the recalled cars.
While rotating my tires, i noticed that the right side stabilizer bar was not connected to the lower control arm.the link bolt and bushing were missing.i purchased a new assembly from pontiac dealer and installed.
Comsumer complained of a clunking noise coming from the vehicle wheneverthe vehicle is cold and in drive. Consumer learned that the stabilizer bar ( front sway bar link) was missing. Dealer notified, and replaced both links at no cost to the consumer.
On 8/16/00, i took my '97 bonneville to effingham tire and auto to see if the tires needed balanced or aligned.i'd had a sudden onset of rumbling and vibration about ten days or so before.the tire technician called me into the garage area and showed me the extreme and uneven wear on my right front tire.he saida steel belt had broken on the worn edge and "when they do that they bunch up".he said that tire had things so badly out of line that it had caused my left tire to wear at an angle (my term).i was asked to and did feel how one side of the treads were "sharp" and the opposite side was worn.according to the dealer, i had worn off 45% of the tire tread on these 60,000 mile warranty tires while driving only 8,762 mostly interstate miles in four months!!!( dot number: unknown tire size: p225/60r16 )
Oil pressure gauge will bottom out, and engine check light will come and stay on. Contacted dealer, and the dealer could not find cause. *mj
Engine compartment fire and explosion in a 1997 pontiac bonneville se 3800 (3.8l non-supercharged engine) due to a backfire upon start-up.
Fuel gauge cluster failed causing gauge to read full at all times
While vehicle was going 65mph, the acclerator pedal dropped to the floor.engine was running hot, and the oil was sizzling. Dealer informed.consumer says that 6 out of 6 bearings were worn out , and 4 out 6 rods needed replacement.also, oil pressure sensor malfunctioned.consumer states that the vehicle was well maintained, and that the engine & oil pressure indicator should be recalled to prevent injury or fatality.*scc
While driving at 70 m.p.h. On an interstate highway, cruise control was disengaged using brake pedal followed by total electrical failure.light rain was present and car began to spin moving to the side of the road uncontrolled, rolled at least once and flipped end over end.driver was 7 mos. Pregnant.this same type failure was experienced twice before, taken to the dealer and cause or duplication never was discovered until the incident.previous occurence was o/a 10/98
Vehicle surges at all speeds above 42mph.on hot and humid days it is all most impossible to drive.
Sudden acceleration, causing accident.
At freeway speed (2200 rpm) vehicle would surge repeatedly as if driver was quickly pressing and releasing gas pedal. Occasionally transmission would go into neutral and engine would rev to 4000 rpm. Letting the car coast for 10-15 seconds seemed to get the transmission back into operation. Dealer reported "found fluid black (burned very bad) recommend to replace with srta. Replaced trans with srta." so far no more problems after dealer replaced transmission.
If standing ro running water is encountered on the roadway while operating this vehicle in cruise control mode and the front tires should begin to hydro-plane an immediate and potentially fatal loss of control may ensue. Evidently the cruise control system sensed the slowing of the hydro-planing tires and interprets it as a loss of established speed. In order to correct for the perceived loss of speed the cruise control applies power which results in a sudden and uncontrollable spin. As the vehicle continuse to spin the cruise control continues to apply more and more power which makes the spin un-recoverable until such time as the brakes are applied. Having been taught to steer into the spin and stay off the brakes all my life only results in the spin getting worse. I do not believe the problem is related to either age or mileage of the vehicle but rather is a design flaw inherant in front wheel drive vehicles. I feel this situation warrants an investigation and appreciate your attention to the matter.
While vehicle was going 65mph, the acclerator pedal dropped to the floor.engine was running hot, and the oil was sizzling. Dealer informed.consumer says that 6 out of 6 bearings were worn out , and 4 out 6 rods needed replacement.also, oil pressure sensor malfunctioned.consumer states that the vehicle was well maintained, and that the engine & oil pressure indicator should be recalled to prevent injury or fatality.*scc
The contact owns a 1997 pontiac bonneville.while driving at55 mph the accelerator pedal became stuck and the vehicle sped into full throttle.the contact depressed the brake pedal, but was unable to stop the vehicle.the contact had to shift the gear into reverse in order to stop the vehicle.the failure contained no warning indicators.the vehicle was towed to a repair shop and when the mechanic started the vehicle, it was still at full throttle.the mechanicreplaced the transmission.the passenger sustained minor injuries.the current and failure mileage was 110,000.
My car surges all the time and the cruise control gets stuck on it i took it to the chevrolet place they said it was the transmission gone in it. But i still drive it i believe it has something to do with the fuel system myself. I bought the car in sept of 2002 and it was doing it when i got it. But it was a buy as is deal so they said there was nothing i could do about it. But when i took it to the chevrolet place they already had the car on file but would not tell me what the file said about the car.
While driving 55 mph vehicle suddenly accelerated to 80 mph. Consumer applied brakes with both feet and wasable to stop vehicle. Vehicle has not been taken to dealer .
While driving driver's and passenger's air bags deploued for no reason.dealer ha been contacted. Windshield replaced.
Windshi4ld wiper sticks intermittently when turning them on.
Wipers have failed respond after being turned on.must repeat several times.2-3 repair attempts have failed.
While driving the front wheel fell off of vehicle.(ohio traffic crash report).*mjs
Vehicle's passenger front wheel came off damaging the front fender and door.*mrwhile driving the passenger side front tire to came off due to broken studs.the vehicle sustained damage to the passenger side fender and door (ohio traffic crash report).
Three of four chrome rims have begun to discolor/tarnish from the center of the rim.
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