10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
99,250 miles

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problem #4

Feb 102012

Bonneville

  • 107,000 miles
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.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #3

Nov 072009

Bonneville

  • 160,000 miles
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.

- Houghton, MI, USA

problem #2

Oct 062006

Bonneville 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 130,000 miles
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.

- Madison, WI, USA

problem #1

Dec 152002

Bonneville

  • Automatic transmission
  • 0 miles
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 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.

- Huntington, IN, USA