RoadVitals

1997 Pontiac Bonneville Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints 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.
15
Latest Apr 10, 2007
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 147 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 15 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.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Apr 10, 2007
1 injury reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND THE VEHICLE SPED INTO FULL THROTTLE. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD TO SHIFT THE GEAR INTO REVERSE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE CONTAINED NO WARNING INDICATORS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND WHEN THE MECHANIC STARTED THE VEHICLE, IT WAS STILL AT FULL THROTTLE. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. *AK

NHTSA ID
10187429
Incident
Mar 19, 2007
Mileage
110,000 mi
EngineTransmission
Filed Apr 21, 2004

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OR THE PLEMIUM WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL THE THING WORE OUT AND ALL OF MY ENGINE COOLANT WENT INTO THE FUEL CYLINDERS AND LOCKED MY MOTOR DOWN I WAS HEADED TO MACON GA FROM DOUGLAS,GA GOING TO THE HOSPITAL WERE THEY HAD TRANSFERED MY BROTHER AND HERE I AM IN PERRY,GA BROKE DOWN BECAUSE PONTIAC PUTS A PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ON A MOTOR I FEEL LIKE PONTIAC SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS PART BEING REPLACED. I ALSO HAVE TROUBLE WITH MY CAR SURGING BETWEEN 35 AND 55 MILES PER HOUR THIS IS THE SORRIEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWED AND I HAVE OWNED 2 GRAND PRIXS BEFORE THIS CAR BUT LIKED THE BODY STYLE OF THE BONNEVILLE AND I RHOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD CAR BUT BOY WAS I WRONG I BOUGHT THE CAR IN AUGUST,2002 AND HAVE SPENT ENOUGH MONEY ON REPAIRS ON IT THAT I COULD PROBABLY DONE PAID FOR ANOTHER GRAND PRIX.AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SIGHT I FEEL THEY SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THEM FOR THE TRANSMISSIONS AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS BECAUSE THEY ALL SEEM TO BE RELATED TO ME .PEOPLE PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR THERE CARS AND STILL HAVE TO PUT MONEY IN REPAIRS ITS JUST NOT FAIR .*AK

NHTSA ID
10067614
Incident
Apr 11, 2004
Mileage
128,123 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 28, 2003

TRANSMISSION BUMPS AND JERKS AT SPEEDS OVER 30 MPH. USUALLY WHEN CLIMBING A HILL. SOLUTION...LET OFF THE GAS FOR A SECOND AND RE APPLY TO STOP THE BUCKING TEMPORARILY. ALSO HAPPENED TO MY 92 BONNEVILLE WHICH HAD THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION THAT NEVER FAILED WITH OVER 180,000 MILES ON IT, BESIDES THE BUCKING. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10016644
Incident
Aug 4, 1997
Mileage
12,000 mi
ElectricalEngineSteering+1 more
Filed Jan 7, 2003

NAR 1/29/2003. THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED TO THE CONSUMER WITH A BENT WATER PUMP AND A BENT WHEEL. THE ALTERNATOR, POWER STEERING PUMP, TRANSMISSION AND EGR VALVE WERE REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10006051
Incident
Jan 7, 2003
Transmission
Filed Aug 6, 2002

SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WOULD BUCK AT 30-40 MPH. DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. ON JULY 22, 2002 DEALER STATED THAT VALVE BODY HAD TO BE REPLACED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
8015622
Incident
Jul 1, 1999
Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Aug 2, 2002

AT FREEWAY SPEED (2200 RPM) VEHICLE WOULD SURGE REPEATEDLY AS IF DRIVER WAS QUICKLY PRESSING AND RELEASING GAS PEDAL. OCCASIONALLY TRANSMISSION WOULD GO INTO NEUTRAL AND ENGINE WOULD REV TO 4000 RPM. LETTING THE CAR COAST FOR 10-15 SECONDS SEEMED TO GET THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO OPERATION. DEALER REPORTED "FOUND FLUID BLACK (BURNED VERY BAD) RECOMMEND TO REPLACE WITH SRTA. REPLACED TRANS WITH SRTA." SO FAR NO MORE PROBLEMS AFTER DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION.*AK

NHTSA ID
765110
Incident
Aug 29, 2001
Transmission
Filed Apr 23, 2002

CONTROL VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY FAILING FOR SECOND TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
761085
Incident
Apr 15, 2002
Transmission
Filed Feb 20, 2002

CONSUMER STATING THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO IN TO GEAR, DEALER REMOVED TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY AND DISASSEMBLED IT AND FOUND INTERNAL DAMAGE EXCEEDED A REBUILT REPLACEMENT, ALSO TRANSAXLE DOES NOT GO INTO REVERSE SMOOTHLY AND WILL BANG, DEALER FLUSHED TRANSMISSION FLUID AND CHANGED FILTER, CONSUMER STILL NOT SATISFIED WITH THE SITUATION. *YD

NHTSA ID
564392
Incident
Aug 17, 2001
Transmission
Filed Oct 5, 2000

I WOULD LIKE NITSA TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO BULLETIN #87-71-75. IN ACCORDANCE WITH PURSUANT TO 49USC' 30162 AND 49CFR PART 522. MY DEALER AND PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION OF GENERNAL MORTORS WOULD NOT CHANGE THE CONTROL VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY THAT IS FAILING IN MY BONNEVILLE, BECAUSE THEIR EXCUSE IS THAT I DID NOT PURCHASE THIS CAR NEW EVEN THOUGH THIS CAR IS ONLY NINE MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ONLY HAD 34,150 MILES ON IT. EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THEY MANUFACTURED A DEFECTIVE PART AND DO NOT WANT TO REPAIR IT. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART THAT THEY INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. JOHN G. HAMMEL. *AK

NHTSA ID
733547
Incident
Jun 1, 2000
Transmission
Filed Sep 25, 2000

I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED FROM A RETAILER WHO OFFERED ME 60 BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. DURING THE FIRST ROAD TRIP, THE CAR BEGAN SURGING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 35-65 MPH. THE SURGING APPEARED TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN AT A RPM OF 2000 - 2500. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO GARY PONTIAC WITH AN EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE THE WIRES, FILTERS, PERFORM A TRANSMISSION TUNE-UP FOR A TOTAL OF AROUND $300.00. I DECIDED TO SAVE MONEY AND TO HAVE THE WORK DONE ELSEWHERE. AFTER HAVING THIS WORK PERFORMED, THE CAR CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT THE SAME SURGING. I ATTEMPTED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO GARY PONTIAC BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, BUT DUE TO HEALTH REASONS WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER/TRANSMISSION EXPERT, MY RETURN TO GARY WAS POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF MY 60 DAY WARRANTY. DURING THIS WHOLE PROCESS, I HAD MADE REPEATED REPORTS TO GMCARES TO DOCUMENT THIS PROCESS. I BELIEVE THAT I HAD MADE AROUND 6 CALLS TO GMCARES DURING THIS TIME. MOST RECENTLY (9/25/2000), I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO GARY WITH THE PRIOR UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE PREVALENT IN THESE TYPES OF CARS/TRANSMISSIONS, SINCE I PERSONNELLY KNOW THREE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT INDEAD THE VALVE BODY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED . THE DEAL THAT WAS OFFERED TO ME WAS FOR ME TO PAY THE PART COST WITH GM TO ABSORB THE COST OF SERVICE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A NOBLE ATTEMPT AT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, BUT SINCE THIS PROBLEM IS INHERENT IN THESE VEHICLES, I THINK GM SHOULD PICKUP THE TOTAL COST OF THIS REPAIR. THE FACT THAT I HAD A WARRANTY ON THE CAR THAT WOULD HAVE COVERED THIS DEFECT HAD GARY PONTIAC DIAGNOSED IT THE FIRST TIME PROPERLY, IS ENOUGH REASON FOR THIS REPAIR TO BE PAID BY GMC. *AK

NHTSA ID
732472
Incident
Jun 1, 2000
Transmission
Filed Jun 22, 2000

PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE PREVALENT WITH THIS YR., MAKE, MODEL, DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY PART. NO SAFETY DEFECT INDICATED WITHIN SUMMARY. *AK

NHTSA ID
724374
Transmission
Filed Oct 13, 1999

WHILE TRAVELING 40MPH VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO TO 2ND GEAR. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FUTHER INFORMAT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
850583
Transmission
Filed Aug 23, 1999

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA ID
710373
Incident
Aug 15, 1999
BrakesElectricalFuel system+2 more
Filed Jul 16, 1999

STARTER TERM LOOSE CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. NLM

NHTSA ID
547320
Incident
Jul 16, 1999
Transmission
Filed Nov 1, 1998

ORGINIAL TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT 20,000 MILES. PARTIAL REBUILD AT 27,000. OWNER REPORTED CONTINUED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AT 31,000 MILES, 35,000 MILES AND 37,000 MILES. DEALER REPORTED

NHTSA ID
700248
Incident
Apr 30, 1998

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .