RoadVitals

1978 Pontiac Bonneville

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Oct 26, 2000
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Jun 13, 1978
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1978 Pontiac Bonneville, most frequently naming the tires & wheels, driver assistance and powertrain (other) categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels250.0%
  • Driver assistance125.0%
  • Powertrain (other)125.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
78V139000

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN

Jun 13, 1978
333,619 units potentially affected
The defect: THE HUB PORTION OF THE FAN BLADE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK DUE TO HIGH STRESS LEVELS GENERATED DURING ENGINE OPERATING CONDITIONS. EVENTUALLY, THE BLADE COULD BREAK APART AT THE HUB AND BLADE PIECES COULD BE PROPELLED INTO THE ENGINE. IF THE HOOD IS OPEN WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, THE FRAGMENTS WOULD BE FREE TO FLY FROM THE VEHICLE.
The remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE FAN BLADE ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.View on NHTSA.gov
77V200000

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

Nov 16, 1977
4,504 units potentially affected
The defect: THE REAR WHEEL MOUNTING BOLTS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, ARE BRITTLE AND THEREFORE MAY FRACTURE. THIS BRITTLENESS IS DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT DURING MANUFACTURE. IF THE BOLTS BREAK, THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.
The remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, WILL REPLACE DEFECTIVE BOLTS ON ALL AXLES AND THE TEN REAR AXLE WHEEL MOUNTING BOLTS, FREE OF CHARGE.
GENERAL MOTORS CORP.View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 26, 2000

THE FIRESTONE FR721 P215/75R15 MS TIRES ON THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED OVER NINE OCCASIONS OF TIRE DEFECTS, MOST OF WHICH WERE TREAD SEPARATIONS, ALL FAILURES OCCURRED BETWEEN THE MILEAGES OF 42,000 TO 94,638 MILES. *MJS

NHTSA ID
556424
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 19, 1999

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED.

NHTSA ID
545075
Incident
Apr 1, 1999
Tires & wheels
Filed May 13, 1995

UNIROYAL TIRE BLEW OUT DUE TO PREMATURE TREAD DAMAGE. *SKD

NHTSA ID
486091
Incident
Aug 1, 1994

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Pontiac Bonneville by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2006000—
2005270037.3
2004280036.5
2003542052.9
2002892255.6
20011290249.3
20002142359.0
19991434462.0
19982772261.6
19971472259.3
19961503260.6
19952441044.4
1994880043.4
19931381151.5
19921133262.7
1991222051.6
1990391046.4
1989282049.5
1988171454.8
1987194862.2
1986338—
1985113—
1984121—
1983010—
1982110—
1981100—
1979211—
1978Viewing320—
1977140—
1976010—
1975030—
1974010—
1972020—
1971020—
1969020—
1966020—
1965010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.