Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Pontiac Bonneville submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 44 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 44, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE CHIMED BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HAD TO BE MADE BEFORE SUCCEEDING IN STARTING VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND OXYGEN SENSOR. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CAP WAS MELTING AND CAUSING OIL TO SPILL. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE WAS PRODUCING WHITE SMOKE FROM THE TAILPIPE EXHAUST. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE AS TO THE EXACT REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILED AND WOULD ALERT THE CONTACT THAT THE DOORS WERE OPENED, AND THE SEAT BELTS WERE NOT SECURED ERRONEOUSLY. THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE AND WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE FUEL INJECTOR, AND ADDING FUEL CLEANER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS: 96V116000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM) AND 95V204000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER) HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN EITHER RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 158,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
THIS CAR BELONGS TO MY ELDERLY MOTHER WHICH SHE BOUGHT USED AND HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM! OCCASIONALLY WHEN STARTING THE CAR, THE ENGINE WILL BACKFIRE, AFTER STARTING IT WOULD RUN OK. THE CAR NOW DOES NOT RUN AS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS BROKEN FROM THE BACKFIRING AND ALMOST CAUGHT ON FIRE THE LAST TIME IT WAS ATTEMPTED TO START THE MOTOR! ACCORDING TO PONTIAC THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS CAR BY THE VIN NUMBER!! *JS
1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE PLASTIC MANIFOLD IN ENGINE FROM MANUFACTURE BROKE CAUSING DEX COOLANT TO LEAK INTO ENGINE DESTROYING SEALS/HEAD GASKETS. REPLACE AT DEALER GASKET,GASKET KIT,VALVE,VALVE KIT,UPPER MANIFOLD, LOWER MANIFOLD RESEAL,COOLANT. DEALER DOES NOT HONOR RECALL. *TR
AROUND JAN 2008 WHILE DRIVING A PLASTIC WATER HOSE BURST. I REPLACED IT AND HAD NO OTHER PROBLEM UNTIL AROUND AUG 2008. THIS TIME THE WATER PUMP STARTED LEAKING. I REPLACED THAT AND THE THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR CAP, BUT I STILL KEPT LOOSING COOLANT. THEN I FOUND A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR WHICH I REPLACE AROUND THE END OF AUG 2008. I STILL KEPT HAVING TO TOP OFF THE COOLANT RESERVOIR EVER TWO DAYS. ABOUT JUNE 2008 I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE VEH STARTING, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE IT WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH GAS OR FLOODING. IT WOULD BE RUNNING BUT BARLEY AND IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL. FINALLY IT WOULD START. IT DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME BUT IT'S DOING IT MORE OFTEN NOW. I'VE FUEL SYSTEM AND INJECTION CLEANERS WITH NO CHANGE. THEN I WENT TO NHTSA AND FOUND A RECALL 96V-116 THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM. I WENT TO THE LOCAL PONTIAC DEALERS AND THEY SAID THAT MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY DO. I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD BRING BACK TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, THE VEHICLE GRADUALLY LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT BACKFIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND WOULD COST $503 TO REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 176,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. UPDATED 04/08/08. *LJ THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE VEHICLE BACKFIRED WHEN THE IGNITION WAS STARTED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS DAMAGED. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE BEFORE AND THE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN RECALL # 96V116000. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE CONTACT POSSESSED THE REPAIR INVOICES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 150,000. *AK
MY 1996 BONNEVILLE STARTED ACTING UP, ROUGHLY IDLING, AND HESITATING WHEN TAKING OFF. THERE WAS LOSS OF POWER, POOR GAS MILEAGE, CAR WOULD SHUT IT SELF OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY.CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED FLASHING. TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE TO GET IT CHECKED. SCANNER IDICATED THAT IT HAD MULTIPLE MISFIRES, AND THAT MY MAP SENSOR WAS BAD. REPLACED MAP SENSOR. STILL DIDNT CHANGE ON HOW THE VEHICLE OPERATED. REPLACED ONE OF COIL PACKS, STILL NOTHING. PUT NEW PLUG WIRES AND NOTHING CAHNED. NEW OXYGEN SENSOR INSTALLED, AND STILL NOTHING. CHANGES. OVER ALL I JUST GOT DONE SPENDING $150.00 ON THIS CAR AND I CANT EVEN AFFORD THAT, AND STILL HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. I REPLACED BASICALLY EVERYTHING THAT THE COMPUTER CAME UP WITH. WHAT CAN I DO HERE TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT ME HURTING MY FINANCIAL STATUS, AND ME BLOWING THE CAR UP.*AK
1)COOLANT LOSS FROM PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE. 2)EGR PIPE BURN THROUGH FAILURE, UPPER AND LOWER GASKET FAILURE. 3)REPLACE UPPER PLASTIC INTAKE, UPPER AND LOWER GASKETS, COOLANT ELBOW OIL AND FILTER CHANGE. (5 HRS LABOR). *NM
COOLANT FROM UPPER INTAKE PLENUM FOUND TO CAUSE MIS-FIRE CYLINDER. REPLACED UPPER INTAKE PLENUM TWICE ONCE AT 54,820 MILES AND AGAIN AT 107,181 MILES. *JB
AN INDEPENDENT DEALER REPLACED THE MANIFOLD GASKET AND UPPER PLENUM ON 01/16/04, 03/15/04 THE GASKET AND EGR VALVE WAS REPLACED, AND THE PLENUM GASKET WAS REPLACED ON 02/27/03. COOLANT LEAKED FROM THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *AK *SC *JB
AFTER STARTING VEHICLE INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED, AND VEHICLE BECAME INOPERATIVE. *AK
THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD MELTED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. *PH EGR VALVE IS STUCK AT 67% OPEN POSITION AT IDLE, WHICH IN TURN HEATED THE EGR PIPE CONNECTION AT THE PLASTIC AIR PLENUM AND LED TO THE LEAKING OF COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE. DEALER REPLACED PLASTIC AIR PLENUM WHICH HAS MUCH THICKER WALLS AT THE EGR ENTRANCE. VEHICLE ALSO DOESN'T RUN WELL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND GAS MILEAGE DROPPED. IN ADDITION, CONSUMER ALSO NOTICED LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, NO ONE KNOWS WHEN THE LEAK ON THE MOTOR STARTED. *LA
THE EGR VALVE STUCK 67% IN THE OPEN POSITION AT IDLE WHICH CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. *PH PLASTIC AIR PLENUM WAS REPLACED.*MR
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE OVERHEATED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED, SPILLING FLUID INTO THE ENGINE. *AK *MR
WHILE CRANKING MY 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE I HEARD A BIG EXPLOSION. I LOOK UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND THE PLASTIC COVER OVER MY INTAKE WITH A HOLE BLOWN FRON THE ENGINE. I FURTHER REMOVED THE INTAKE COVER AND THA INTAKE HAD A RIPPING HOLE IN IT ALSO, AS IF THE TOP OF MY ENGINE BLEW UP.*AK
REPLACED PLENUM ON 1996 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE THREE TIMES. LAST TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY AT 87,000 MILES. FAULTY (PLASTIC) PART ALLOWED ANTIFREEZE AND OIL TO MIX IN THE ENGINE CAUSING STALLING (IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STATE ROAD INTERSECTION, A SAFETY HAZARD). THE MIXING OF THE FLUIDS ALLOWS THE ENGINE TO BURN THE ANTIFREEZE AND BY THE TIME YOU REALIZE ANYTHING YOU ARE OVERHEATED. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK
I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN DECEMBER OF 1999, I BELEIVE THAT THE CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE I BOUGHT IT, BECAUSE THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT HAVE THE LABELS ON THE DOOR FOR THE WEIGHT OR TIRE PRESSURE, ALL IT HAS IS A PARTS NUMBER STICKER A WHITE LABLE. I HAVE ASKED THE PONTIAC DEALER ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID THAT SOME COME WITH JUST THAT LABEL. I PAYED $16.000 FOR THE CAR AND BELEIVE THAT THE CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT PRIOR TO PURCHASED DATE. I HAVE HAD THE PAINT PEEL OFF THE HOOD SHORTLY AFTER BUYING IT AND NOW PEELING ON THE ROOF OVER WINDSHEILD. BUT WITH THE STICKER OFF THE DOOR I BELIVE THAT I WAS TAKEN. I STILL OWE $9.000 IN PAYMENTS. I ALSO THINK THAT IT WAS A LEMON, BECAUSE ON THE WINSHEILD IS A STICKER THAT SAYS SUNSET PONTIAC SATISFACTION, A ROUND STICKER ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF WINDSHEILD. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER STICKER LIKE THIS ON ANY OTHER VECHICLE.
THE PLASTIC AIR INTAKE PLENUM FAILED ON MY CAR. THIS ALLOWED WATER FROM THE COOLING SYSTEM TO ENTER THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. THE ENGINE HYDRAULICALLY LOCKED UP. THIS DAMAGED THE PISTONS AND VALVES. ENGINE IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. SALVAGE OR REPLACEMENT IS THE ONLY OPTION. *JB
AIR INTAKE PLENUM ON THE BONNEVILLE 3.8 LITER ENGINE FAILED ALLOWING COOLANT TO ENTER THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY LOCKED UP WHEN THE WATER ENTERED THE PISTON AREA. THIS FAILURE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE PISTONS AND THE VALVES. ENGINE IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND MUST BE REPLACED. *NLM
VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, AND THEY FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED, AND CAUSED COOLANT TO LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE. *AK
MY 1996 BONNEVILLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY ON MONDAY MORNING, SEPT. 22, 2003. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY ENGINE HAD GONE INTO HYDRAULIC LOCK. THE PLASTIC INTAKE HAD CRACKED AND FILLED THE CYLINDERS WITH COOLANT. I HAD TO HAVE THE HEAD REMOVED AND SURFACED, THE HEAD GASKET REPLACED AND SEVERAL OTHER RELATED ITEMS. THE REPAIRS TOTALED TO OVER $2000. THIS WAS VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I AM VERY CAREFUL TO HAVE ALL OF MY MAINTENACE DONE ON TIME AND ALL OF THE FLUIDS CHANGED EVERY 30,000 MILES. IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS, IT WILL BE MOST APPRECIATED. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THIS DESIGN OF INTAKE. *LA
CAR WAS AT APROXIMATELY 87000. TURNED THE CAR ON, THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, DIDNT SEE ANY FLAMES, POPPED OPEN THE HOOD, AND SMOKE JUST CONTINUED TO PILE OUT. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THE ENGINE WAS ON ITS LAST BREATH. HAD ENGINE RELACED FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 4500 MILES ON IT FOR $1500. SOON AFTER THE ENGINE THE ALTERNATOR STARTED TO DIE, WHERE JUST BY STANDING NEXT TO THE CAR YOU CAN HEAR METAL TO METAL GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM IT. PAID $100 TO GET NEW ALTERNATOR. RIGHT AFTER ALTERNATOR THE EG R VALVE DIED, HAD IT REPLACED, ANOTHER $300 SPENT. NOW COME SPEDOMETER SAYING 99000 BUT THE SECOND ENGINE ONLY HAVING 60000 THE SERPENTINE BELT CRACKED AND WORN OUT BEYONG BELIEVE. ANOTHER $75 SPEND. WHILE HAVING THAT REPLACED THE MECHANIC POINTED OUT PUDDLES OF OIL ON THE ENGINE, THUS THE MANIFOLDS/GASKET ON ENGINE#2 WILL SOON NEED TO HAVE WORK DONE.SHOULD I CONTACT THE LOCAL DEALER ABOUT THE GASKETS LEAKING...DOES IT RELATE TO THE RECALL THAT WAS MADE ON THE MANIFOLDS. *AK
1ST THE PLENUM WAS MELTED BY THE EGR VALVE, WHICH CAUSED ME TO BE STRANDED. WHEN THAT WAS FIXED, I BEGAN HEARING A HIGH PITCHED WHINE ONCE THE ENGINE IS HEATED UP. WE HAVE REPLACEDTHE HARMONIC BALANCER POWER STEERING PUMP, WATER PUMP, ALL BELTS, CHECKED THE TIMIMG CHAIN, AND EVERYTHING ELSE WE COULD THINK MIGHT BE CAUSING IT, BUT I STILL HAVE THE WHINE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN STILL.*AK
THE VEHICLES PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED WHICH CAUSED ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE. *MR *CB *NLM
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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