1998 Pontiac Bonneville Visibility Problems

I PUSHED THE REAR DEFROSTER BUTTON AND ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER THERE WAS THIS SMALL POP NOISE AND SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE DASH. I PULLED THE CAR OVER AND LOOKED INTO THE VENT AND SAW A FIRE ABOUT 3 INCHES HIGH. I GOT MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF OUT OF THE CAR RAN TO THE NEAREST HOUSE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPT AND BY THE TIME THEY GOT THERE (7 MIN LATER) THE CAR WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10091056

Incident

Sep 10, 2004

Mileage

118,500 mi

CONSUMER NOTICED WHILE USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION WIPERS STARTED SMOKING, AND STOPPED WORKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

10031587

RIGHT REAR-VIEW MIRROR EXPLODED. EXPLOSION SO LOUD AND FREIGHTENING THAT I THOUGHT A BOMB HAD HIT MY CAR. I WAS 2 BLOCKS FROM MY DRIVEWAY. I STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AS I THOUGHT ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF CAR WAS DESTROYED FROM JUST THE SOUND OF THE EXPLOSION. THERE IS NOT A MARK ON MY CAR NOR THE OUTSIDE OF THE MIRROR FRAMING. THE MIRROR ITSELF WAS BLOWN TO DUST. THE ENTIRE MIRROR FRAMING, ETC. WAS LEFT HANGING DOWN AND HELD ON BY A SMALL PLUG-IN TYPE RECEPTACLE JUST BARELY HANGING ON TO A BLOWN OUT PLASTIC HOLE FROM THE CAR. I HAVE NO REAR VIEW MIRROR NOW ON THE RIGHT SIDE. I HAVE THE ENTIRE MIRROR MOUNTING IN M BACK SEAT AND 3 MECHANICS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. IT WAS THE WORST EXPLOSION I'VE EVER HEARD, BUT I'M THANKFUL THE GLASS HURT NO ONE NOR CAUSED ANY DAMAGE. MY CAR LOOKS FINE, EXCEPT THERE'S A BARE SPOT WITH A FEW BLASTED HOLES WHERE ONCE THERE WAS A MIRROR. THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ID

759034

Incident

Mar 2, 2002

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

NHTSA ID

742042

Incident

Dec 22, 2000

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

NHTSA ID

719876

Incident

Jun 25, 1998

VENTILATION SYSTEM IS DESIGN SO BADLY THAT OUTSIDE FUMES ALWAYS ENTER INSIDE OF VEHICLE. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL VENTILATION SYSTEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

857882

CONSUMER REPORTING A RENTAL VEHICLE FROM HERTZ/ CONCERNING FOLLOWING PROBLEMS, 1) LEFT SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY; 2). FUEL VAPORS LEAKING INTO VEHICLE, AND 3) TRUNK LID WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY,CAUSING EXHAUST VAPOR ENTERNING THE VEHICLE. REPORTED THESE CONDITION TO NHTSA. RENTAL VEHICLE LOCATED IN ST. PAUL, MN. *AK

NHTSA ID

842525

Incident

Jul 4, 1999

VEHICLE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUCNTIONED DUE TO A OVERHEATED MOTOR CONDITION, RESULTING FROM UNDERSIZED MOTOR DESIGN. *YC

NHTSA ID

544523