1997 Pontiac Bonneville Fuel system Problems

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10298048

Incident

Dec 28, 2009

Mileage

64,303 mi

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. *JB

NHTSA ID

10062325

Incident

Jul 24, 2002

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

NHTSA ID

767741

Incident

Sep 9, 2002

ENGINE FAILED DUE TO HOLE IN EGR/ INLET IN INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH CAUSED ENGINE COOLANT TO ENTER FUEL INTAKE SYSTEM

NHTSA ID

752083

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.

NHTSA ID

741737

Incident

Jan 1, 2001

FUEL SENDING UNIT INDICATES THAT TANK IS ALWAYS FUEL. CONSUMER HAS BEEN TO SEVERAL DEALERS & THEY SEE THIS AS A COMMON PROBLEM OF REPAIRS. *AK

NHTSA ID

874595

Incident

May 1, 1999

VEHICLE WILL STALL WHILE IN MOTION UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER BETWEEN 4-6 TIMES, BUT DEFECT KEEPS OCCURRING. FINALLY DEALR REPLACED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND DEFECT DID STOP, BUT ONLY FOR 2 YEARS. CURRENTLY, DEFECT HAS REAPPEARED.*AK FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED TWICE IN THREE YEARS. *YH

NHTSA ID

869216

Incident

Sep 1, 1998

FUEL GAUGE CLUSTER FAILED CAUSING GAUGE TO READ FULL AT ALL TIMES

NHTSA ID

727317

Incident

Apr 5, 2000

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. *AK AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER IDENFIFIED THE PROBLEM TO BE A FAILED FUEL PUMP AND WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WANTS REIMBERSMENT FOR THE COST OF REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR THAT WAS NOT THE CAUSE. *YH

NHTSA ID

866328

Incident

Jun 29, 2000

STARTER TERM LOOSE CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. NLM

NHTSA ID

547320

Incident

Jul 16, 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT 50MPH THE VEHICLE CUT OFF SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF, RESULTING IN THE CONSUMER NOT HAVING CONTROL OF STEERING OR BRAKES. DEALER WAS CONTACTED.*AK

NHTSA ID

829324

THE FUEL TANK LEAKS . MANUFACTURER IS CHANGING THE TANK. *AK

NHTSA ID

814267

Incident

Jul 14, 1997