1994 Pontiac Bonneville Electrical Problems

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT HE DETECTED THE ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING. HE SAW GRAY SMOKE COMING FROM THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING VENTS, AND A YELLOW FLAME CLOSE TO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AREA. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED 911. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND DISTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. NO REPAIRS COULD BE MADE DUE TO THE FIRE DAMAGE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10143532

Incident

Nov 22, 2005

Mileage

146,000 mi

DT: WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF IT OVERHEATED. BEFORE THIS OCCURRED THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. THERE ALMOST HAST BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THEY FINALLY DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. THE HAVE DONE OTHER THINGS TO THE VEHICLE TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DID NOT WORK. THEY HAVE FOUND IT TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10133973

Incident

Jul 20, 2003

Mileage

92,000 mi

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW. WITHIN 6MO THE FIRST ALTERNATOR PROBLEM OCCURRED. IN THE PAST 8YEARS I HAVE HAD 10 ALTERNATORS AND 4 BATTERIES PUT IN THE VEHICLE. EVERYTIME THE BATTERY GUAGE WOULD GO LOW WHEN CHECKED I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE ALTERNATOR. ON ONE OCCASSION I TOOK MY CAR DUE TO THE FACT THE DEALER WAS CLOSED, TO ANOTHER CAR REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT STATED THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND UNTIL THAT IS FIXED I WILL STILL HAVE ALTERNATOR/ BATTERY PROBLEMS. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE DEALERTO NO SATISFACTION. INITIALLY THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY SO THE DEALER REPLACED PARTS. THEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED KICKED IN, AGAIN PAYING FOR PARTS. WHEN THE WARRANTYEXPIRED I HAD GREAT EXPENSE PAYING FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I ALSO LOST USE OF MY VEHICLE AND HAD TO FIND ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME . AFTER SEVERAL CALLS AND PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE GM STATED I SHOULD GO BACK TO THE DEALER IT WAS A DEALER PROBLEM. WHEN I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND SERVICE MANAGER THEY SAID IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. THAT IT IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THAT THE CAR DRAWS A LOT OF ELECTRIC AL POWER. THEY COULD ONLY RECOMEND PUTTING IN A NEW WIRING SYSTEM ROUGH COST 3,000 BUT COULD NOT TELL ME THIS WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I KNOW MY CAR IS NOW 8 YEARS OLD. I HAVE ALL THE REPAIR BILLS SHOWING NINE GOING ON TEN ALTERNATORS. THE PROBLEM IS ON GOING AND I WAS TOLD YESTERDAY I NEED ANOTHER ALTERNATOR. THE DEALER'S ONLY SUGGESTION TO ME AS A CONSUMER IS THAT THEY COULD SELL ME ANOTHER CAR. WHY WOULD I BUY ANOTHER CAR FROM THEM IF THEY SOLD ME A PREVIOUS CAR WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND WON'T HELP ME FIX THEM. I AM AT A LOSS. MY CAR DOESN'T FALL UNDER LEMON LAW ALTHOUGH 9 SOON TO BE 10 ALTERNATORS TO ME QUALIFIES AS A LEMON. BECAUSE THE CAR IS OLDER THAT IS THE EXCUSE I AM GIVEN. CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!

NHTSA ID

765455

THIS IS THE SECOND BONNEVILLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS LISTED OWNED. SEEMS PONTIAC WOULD INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS A LITTLE MORE. NEVER BUY ANOTHER. AFTER ONE ENGINE REPLACEMENT, WILL JUST REPLACE THE "HEAP" OF A CAR NEXT TIME. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

NHTSA ID

749198

Incident

Apr 10, 2000

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC . ALTERNATOR/ BATTERY AND IGNITION MODULE HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID

882541

VEHICLE LOSES POWER, BUT DOES NOT STALL COMPLETELY. HAD ALTERNATOR REPLACED 2 TIMES. PROBLEM REOCCURED. *AK

NHTSA ID

881925

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

ENGINE FAILS WITHOUT WARNING, CAR STALLS WHILE SITTING WARMING UP OR TRAVELING WITH NO WARNING. WHEN ENGINE STALLS, CAN OCCASIONALLY BE RESTARTED. HAVE HAD A COMPUTER CHIP AND FEUL PUMP REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. WATER PUMP IS NOW GETTING VERY NOISY AND ALSO WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED NOW. WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, WE EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE TEMPERATURE SEEMED TO BE RISING AND THE CAR NOT OPERATING SMOOTHLY. REASSURED THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS TO BE FOUND.

NHTSA ID

737612

Incident

Oct 1, 2000

THE PUSH ROD FAILED WITH NO OTHER ENGINE WARNINGS WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 65MPH. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THAT I'VE PUT 5 ALTERNATORS IN IT, THE 5TH COMING AT 79,000 MILES. THAT'S NOT NORMAL; ALL PONTIAC SAYS IS TOUGH! ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE THAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING ME? (DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRESIZE: N/A)

NHTSA ID

736832

Incident

Nov 20, 2000

CAR STALLED & SHIM RING FOR ANY REASON, LOSS POWER STERRING AND BRAKING WHEN DURING NORMAL CONDITION. THREE OCCURENCES IN 3 MONTHS.

NHTSA ID

711552

DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM WHEN THE VATS IGNITION FAILED (SPRING) THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD AND AIR BAG SYSTEM HAD TO BE REMOVED.

NHTSA ID

542308

Incident

Sep 14, 1998

ALTERNATOR FAILS EVERY 40 TO 45 THOUSAND MILES.

NHTSA ID

537837

Incident

Jun 1, 1996

ALTERNATOR FAILED TWICE. *AK

NHTSA ID

519130

Incident

Jun 23, 1997

WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN LOW TO HIGH SPEEDS, AT 55MPH, WARNING CHIME CAME SECONDS BEFORE HAPPENED.*AK

NHTSA ID

800625

WHILE DRIVING, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE ON PASSENGER SIDE, FOLLOWED BY BIG FLAMES; VEHICLE BURNED UP COMPLETELY; TOTALED; CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID

971509

Incident

Aug 17, 1995

EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT HIGH TO LOW SPEED ENGINE SHUT DOWN, NO PRIOR WARNING, DEALER CAN'T CORRECT. TT

NHTSA ID

963081

UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE ON AND HEATER ON, ELECTRICAL SHORT, WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. TT

NHTSA ID

962495

Incident

Mar 4, 1995

IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION IT IS DIFFICULT TO PUSH/ACTIVATE HORN DUE TO LOCATION OF HORN BUTTONS. *AK

NHTSA ID

480225

Incident

Jan 27, 1995