Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 27 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 27, in the owner's own words
ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS I HAVE PULLED TO A DEAD STOP AT A LIGHT AND DURING THE IDLING TIME THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND IT WILL NOT START AGAIN. VERY EMBARRASSING SET OF TRIPS TO NEARBY GROCER. .. *TR
ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO INCIDENT, I GOT A WHIFF OF A BURNING SMELL, 2 DAYS IN A ROW, SHORT QUICK SCENT. NEXT 4 DAYS, SMELLED NOTHING (EVEN DROVE CAR 80 MILES ONE WAY AND BACK). DAY OF INCIDENT, I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 10 MPH WHEN WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM THE HEATER VENT. I INCREASED SPEED TO ABOUT 30 MPH TO GET TO A SAFE SPOT, AND BLACK SMOKE BILLOWED OUT OF HEAT VENT ON TOP OF DASHBOARD, AND FRONT OF DASHBOARD. TURNED CORNER TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC, CAME TO A STOP AND FLAMES SHOT OUT OF CIGARETTE LIGHTER, AND AIR VENT IN FRONT OF DASH. HEATER WAS OFF, RADIO WAS OFF, AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS NOT BEING USED. CAR FULLY ENGULFED IN APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MINUTES. CAR TOTALED. *TR
DASH AND REAR LIGHT SWITCH HAVE BLOWN FOR 2 YEARS IN A ROW AFTER AROUND THANKSGIVING/CHRISTMAS TIME FORCING ME TO DRIVE HOME WITH NO DASH OR REAR TAILLIGHTS. $150.00 REPAIR. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AND FOUGHT THE FLAMES WITH AN EXTINGUISHER. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THAT THE FIRE WAS DUE TO THEIR VEHICLES COMPONENTS AND THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE WAS FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES. AN ELECTRICAL EXPERT BELIEVES THAT THE LEAD FROM THE CIGARETTE LIGHT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FUSE WAS BLOWN BUT THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AFTER THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER'S CELL PHONE WAS CHARGING IN THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. *JB *NM
CONSUMER DISAPPOINTED WITH REIMBURSEMENT FOR 1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. *BF RECALL CAMPAIGN: 04V090000. THE RECALL IS RELATED TO THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR LEAK. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS FLUCTUATING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. THE CONSUMER TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ALLOWED IT TO COOL OFF. THE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD BACK FIRE WITH A LOUD BANG. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESTART. THE CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL SHORTLY AFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALER. THE INTAKE PLENUM AND THE INTAKE PLENUM GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE THERMOSTAT BLEW OUT AGAIN. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE FEELS THAT THE FAILURES ARE A RESULT OF THE RECALL ISSUE THEREFORE THE REIMBURSEMENT CHECK WAS NOT SUFFICIENT. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BRAKES HAD A TICKING NOISE. *TC
HAD TUNE-UP AND REGULATORS CHANGED (BASED ON RECALL) ON 7/19/04. THEN ON 7/22/04 SMOKE EMITTING FROM EXHAUST AND THEN CAR WOULD NOT START. CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED (MANIFOLD CRACKED). ON 7/26/04 CAR TAKEN FROM SHOP, 2 HRS LATER CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THIS TIME CLAIMED STARTER WAS THE PROBLEM. CONSEQUENCES: OVER $1,500 IN REPAIRS.
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH CONSUMER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, LIKE ELECTRICAL WIRES. STOPPED AND PULLED OFF ROAD. LIFTED HOOD AND BURNING WIRES SMELLED STRONGER NEAR ALTERNATOR. TOUCHED AREA, AND IT WAS HOT. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS INFORMED THAT ALTERNATOR FAILED DUE TO BEARINGS BURNING OUT. FRONT BEARINGS CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO BURN. HAD TO REPLACE OLD ALTERNATOR WITH A NEW ALTERNATOR THAT HAD LARGER/BIGGER BEARINGS, AND WOULD NOT WEAR OUT AS FAST.*AK
WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE GASKET BLEW OUT. *AK THE STARTER HAD GONE OUT AS WELL. GM STATED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *SC *JB
HORN IS WORTHLESS. WAS HIT BY A PARTY WHO RAN A RED LIGHT. APPLIED HORN TO GET THEIR ATTENTION, BUT IT WOULD NOT WORK. I HAVE TRIED TO USE THE HORN ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS WHEN ABOUT TO BE HIT IN A PARKING LOT OR ON THE STREET, BUT IT NEVER SEEMS TO WORK. VERY HARD TO GET TO WORK. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH DAMAGE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF FRONT BUMPER. WHEN GETTING CAR REPAIRED ALSO ADVISED THAT STEERING COLUMN BOLTS WERE STRIPPED ON ONE SIDE AND SHEARED OFF ON THE OTHER, BUT NOT CAUSED BY ACCIDENT. ESTIMATE TO FIX STEERING ANOTHER $500+
THIS CAR HAS HAD VERY GOOD CARE/MAINTENANCE, HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN HARD, AND HAS ONLY 67,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING DOWN A CITY STREET, APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER. I PULLED IN TO A PARKING LOT AND SHUT THE CAR OFF SO THAT I COULD LOOK AT THE SPARK PLUG WIRES. I HAD A SPARK PLUG WIRE LOOSE WHEN THIS HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE. I HAD NO OVER TEMP, I HAD NORMAL OIL PRESSURE AND THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I DID NOT FIND A NOTICEABLE PROBLEM, BUT I COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO START AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED HOME. I CHANGED THE BATTERY, THE STARTER, AND FINALLY CHECKED TO SEE IF THE CRANKSHAFT WOULD TURN, WHICH IT WOULDN'T. I REMOVED THE SPARK PLUGS AND TRIED IT AGAIN. I GOT ANTIFREEZE FROM FOUR OF THE CYLINDERS! THIS WAS DETERMINED TO BE BECAUSE OF A FAILED INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET.*AK
1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE - ON NUMREOUS OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SOMETIMES WHILE MOVING, OTHER TIMES AT STOP SIGNS OR STOPLIGHTS. WARM AND COLD WEATHER. WARM AND COLD ENGINE. THE DEALER HAS HAD IT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHNIES AND EVEN HOOKED UP A RECORDER TO RECORD CONDITIONS WHEN THE STALLS OCCUR, BUT STILL NO ANSWERS.
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *JB *TS
TURNED IGNITION ON AND THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION, AND THEN A FIRE BROKE OUT IN VEHICLE SITTING THERE FOR 8 DAYS BEFORE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THEY OFFERED TO REPURCHASE VEHICLE.*AK
TRAVELING @65 MPH ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF. WOULD NOT START UNTIL 3 HOURS LATER THEN IT WAS HARD TO START. PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE GROUND UNDER PASSENGER SEAT. CAR STILL WAS HARD TO START NOW THE DEAL CLAIMS IT IS THE FUEL PUMP REGULATOR. VERY UPSET WITH THIS EXPERIENCE. OTHER PROBLEMS SEEM TO HAVE CROPPED UP DUE TO THIS GROUND PROBLEM SUCH AS ALTERNATOR FAILURE, HEADLIGHTS FAILING TO THE ON POSITON, POWER WINDOWS WOULD NOT WORK AND OF COURSE THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL REGULATOR. THIS GROUND SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM AND I AM SURPRISED THERE HAS NOT YET BEEN A RECALL. THE COMMON THREAD CAN BE SEEN IN THE COMPLAINTS LODGED ON YOUR INTERNET SITE.*AK
HORN IS DIFFICULT TO APPLY IN AN EMERGENCY DUE TO AIR BAG ASSEMBLY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
CAR WOULD STALL HARD TO START GROUND PROBLEM BLAMED FOR POOR GAS PRESSURE TO CARB, ALSO COULD OF BEEN PROBLEM THAT FAILED THE STARTER, ENGINE LITE WOULD GO ON THEN OFF, DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT WORK. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTEN UNTIL THE LAST TIME WHEN THE GROUND PROBLEM WAS FOUND. MAJOR EXPENSE TO ME NOT HAPPY IT TOOK THIS LONG TO FIND PROBLEM. AS OF TODAY CAR SEEMS TO BE OK
THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION COIL WIRE AND ABOUT 5/6 TIMES ALREADY THE CAR HAS JUST COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT, USUALLY WHEN I WAS SLOWING DOWN AT A STOP SIGN/SIGNAL OR JUST TAKING OFF FROM ONE.*AK
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE STOPPING AND THEN STARTING, VEHICLE IDLES LOW AND ON SOME OCCASIONS IT STALLS, ESPECIALLY WHILE MAKING LEFT TURNS, DEALER ONCE FOUND A VACUUM LEAK FROM BETWEEN THE THROTTLE BODY AND UPPER PLENUMN, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS POOR ACCELERATION AND LACK OF POWER. BATTERY FAILED. *SLC
FROM THE NIGHT WE DROVE THE CAR HOME WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS/ DASH LIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEN WE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT WORKING , HORN. UPON REPAIR WORK IN MARCH OF 1999 WE WERE SHOWED AND TOLD THAT THE DASH HAD BEEN BROKEN OUT BEFORE AND WIRES HAD BEEN CUT INTO. WE HAVE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH LACK OF POWER UPON PRESSING ACCELERATOR. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY ACCELERATE OR STALL AND DIE. DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR GENERATOR AND THE ECM. MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK
THE ALTERNATOR AT A STOP CANNOT MAINTAIN POWER FOR MORE THAN AA COUPLE OF MINUTES AND IF YOU HAVE AN ACCESSORIE (I.E.) YOUR HEAT OR DEFOGGER OR THE HEADLIGHTS IT WILL DIM TO THE POINT THAT IF YOU ARE AT A LONG LIGHT IT WILL STALL THE CAR AND IF IT IS DARK IT IS HARD FOR OTHER CARS TO SEE YOU WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT IT WILL STALL OUT AFTER A MIN. IF YOU HAVE A DEFOGGER ON I DON'T BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO GO TO PARK WHEN I STOP AT A LIGHT IF I NEED THE DEFOGGER ON SO I CAN SEE AND THE DEALER JUST TOLD ME TO PUT IT IN PARK AT A LONG LIGHT AND THEY HAVE HAD TWO OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT THEY MENTIONED AND TECH SUPPORT TELLS THEM THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CHARGEING SYSTEM THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME
POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. *YC
RADIO FAILED.
SPARK PLUGS FAILED ON THREE OCCASIONS. *YC
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF, LOSING POWER BRAKES, POWER STEERING, ETC. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER WAS REPROGRAMMED IN FEBRUARY OF 98. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
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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