RoadVitals

2000 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.
16
Latest Nov 6, 2008
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.
7%
of 214 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.
0

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 2000 Pontiac Bonneville submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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

Transmission
Filed Nov 6, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 126,000.

NHTSA ID
10247840
Incident
Oct 4, 2008
Mileage
126,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 17, 2007

I HAVE HAD THE SAME ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE THE CAR WAS BOUGHT. THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID VALE HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES. THERE WAS A NEW TRANSMISSION PUT BACK IN THE CAR. I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE PUT SO MANY REPAIRS TO THIS SAME PROBLEMS. NOT TO MENTION ALL SORTS OF OTHER REPAIRS. I THINK THIS CAR IS A LEMON . *JB

NHTSA ID
10203256
Incident
Dec 12, 2006
Mileage
75,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 23, 2007

2002 BONNEVILLE WITH 81,284 MILES WENT INTO SERVICE 2/29/00. TRANSMISSION FAILED ON 3/15/2007. ALWAYS SERVICED AT PONTIAC DEALER AND NO PRIOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. PONTIAC REFUSED ANY HELP WITH THE PROBLEM, BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THERE WAS A TECHNICAL BULLENTIN ON THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10185986
Incident
Mar 15, 2007
SteeringTransmission
Filed Jan 24, 2005

OWNER OF 200 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE RE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION, REQUESTING A DEFECT AND RECENT RECALL INVESTIGATION. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE FRONT AND REAR TRANSMISSION MOUNTS WERE BROKEN AND THE LEFT TIE ROD WAS SEVERELY WORN. *JB

NHTSA ID
10108707
Incident
Dec 21, 2004
BrakesTransmission
Filed Oct 15, 2004

WHILE DRIVING,THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT THE ABS BRAKE, AND THE TRACK OFF LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKES PADS,AND ROTOR. THE DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THIS PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

NHTSA ID
10096991
Incident
Oct 15, 2004
Transmission
Filed Jul 13, 2004

DURING "COLD" ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION IN THE 3.8L V-6 ENGINE IN THE 2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE RUNS SO SMOOTHLY THAT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FEEL OR HEAR THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS. HOWEVER, DURING "HOT" ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SO ROUGHLY AND VIOLENTLY THAT IT IS STARTLING TO THE DRIVER AND IT SEEMS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. THE SHIFT IS VERY HARSH. IT BANGS, BUMPS, SHUDDERS, SLIPS, AND GRINDS ITS WAY UP AND DOWN THROUGH THE GEARS. IT IS NOT HEALTHY FOR THE TRANSMISSION OR THE REST OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HAPPENSTANCE AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANUFACTURER TO RECALL AND REPAIR ANY AND ALL TRANSMISSIONS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS POSSIBLY LIFE THREATENING DESIGN FLAW AND MANUFACTURING FAILURE. (BECAUSE, IN MANY CASES, DRIVERS HAVE ACTUALLY HAD THEIR VEHICLE STOP DUE TO THE DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION.) A REMEDY HAS BEEN RELEASED...FIX THE PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENOID...WHICH IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER IS BILLED FOR THIS REPAIR AND IT CAN COST ABOVE $400.00. A MANUFACTURER DEFECT SHOULD BE RECALLED, REPAIRED, AND PAID FOR BY THE MANUFACTURER. DON'T LET THE MANUFACTURER GET AWAY WITH CHARGING CONSUMERS TO FIX A FLAW AND DEFECT THAT MOST LIKELY OCCURRED IN THE FACTORY WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PRODUCTION. MY VEHICLE WAS "CHECKED" TWICE BY SERVICE CENTER AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I WAS TOLD "NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT...THIS TRANSMISSION IS A SPORT TRANSMISSION...IT WAS BUILT TO SHIFT WITH A "PUNCH." HOWEVER SPORTY A VEHICLE OR TRANSMISSION, A DRIVER SHOULD NOT FEEL AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WILL FALL OUT AS IT SHIFTS.*NOTE* IN THE "VEHICLE INFORMATION" SECTION, YOU WILL NOTICE THAT I NOTED THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT 10 MPH AND AT 40,000 MILES. THE FAILURE OCCURS AT ANY SPEED. IT WAS OCCURRING WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, SO I IMAGINE IT WAS OCCURRING BEFORE I PURCHASED THE CAR. *LA

NHTSA ID
10080922
Incident
Sep 1, 2003
Mileage
40,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 13, 2004

WHILE DRIVING I NOTICE MY CAR "JERKS" WHEN IT SHIFTS INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
10075297
Incident
Jun 12, 2004
Transmission
Filed Mar 3, 2004

MY 2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE WAS HESITATING SLIGHTLY WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND OR 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. WHEN IT SHIFTED IT WAS JERKING SLIGHTLY. THIS WAS NOT NOTICEABLE WHEN CAR WAS COLD BUT OCCURRED WHEN WARMED UP. TRANSMISSION SHOP WANTED TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION FOR $2000. 2ND OPINION SAID TO TAKE TO DEALER TO HAVE "PROM RELFLASHED". DEALER SAID THERE'S A BULLETIN OUT TO FIX PROBLEM FOR $800 DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. GM SHOULD PUT OUT RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IF THEY KNOW ABOUT IT. IT SHOULDN'T COST ME $800 TO FIX THEIR DESIGN FLAW!*AK

NHTSA ID
10060289
Incident
Jan 26, 2004
Transmission
Filed Nov 16, 2002

TRANSMISSION DOESN'T FULLY ENGAGE WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC FROM A COLD START. HIGH LIKELY HOOD OF BEING BROADSIDED IF CAR SLOWLY MOVES 10 FEET THEN STOPS MOVING. 1ST REPORTED JUNE 04, 2001, 17100 MILES DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE. 2ND REPORT SEP 18 2001. 24167 MILES PROBLEM HAD PERSISTED, THEN TRANSMISSION FAILED AND HAD TO BE TOWED IN FOR SERVICE. DEALER FOUND INTERNAL DAMAGE WITH CARRIER BEARING. 3RD REPORT OCT 17 2002 38739 MILES COLD SHUDDER STILL OCCURS. DEALER FOUND DAMAGE WITH TORRINGTON BEARING OUT OF WARRANTY. GM COVERS MOST OF EXPENSE OWNER PAYS $600. 4TH REPORT NOV 4 2002 38897 MILES PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. DEALER REPLACES SELENOIDS AND VALVE ASSEMBLY COST IS COVERED BY GM. DEALER HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE TO ADDRESS ISSUES, BUT I FEEL THAT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM FIRST OCCURED UNDER WARRANTY AND I SHOULD NOT NOW HAVE TO SHARE $600 OF THE REPAIR COST, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PROBLEM IS SAFETY RELATED WITH A FORESEEABLE OF BROADSIDE ACCIDENT IF IT OCCURS AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I FEEL GM SHOULD REIMBURSE ME THE $600, AND AGREE TO REPLACE THE CAR WITH NO FINANCIAL LOSS (BETTER THAN JUST A NORMAL BUY/SELL ARRANGEMENT) IF THE PROBLEM REOCCURS. DT

NHTSA ID
769787
Incident
Jun 4, 2001
Powertrain (other)Transmission
Filed Sep 21, 2002

TRANSMISSION DRIVE SPROCKET SUPPORT BEARING CAME APART AND DAMAGED CASE AND INSIDE TRANSMISSION; DEALER SAID TO DRIVE THIS FROM ILLINOIS TO MICHIGAN AND IF A PROBLEM OCCURED SOMEONE WOULD HANDLE IT, AND IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE NEXT DAY THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND DEALER STILL NEEDED TO BE PERSUADED TO LOOK AT IT. THEY THEN SAW THE PROBLEM

NHTSA ID
767541
Incident
Sep 20, 2002
Transmission
Filed Jul 29, 2002

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE STOPPED/ BECAME INOPERABLE.DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, AND HAS REPLACED TRANSMISSION.*AK JLG

NHTSA ID
8014945
Incident
Jan 5, 2002
ElectricalTransmission
Filed Jul 12, 2002

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE HAD ROUGH IDLE AND STALLED OUT. DEALER FOUND SPARK PLUGS IN NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER BURNED UP AND CAME APART RUNING THE ENGINE. IT HAD ALSO BURNED A HOLE IN THE PISTON. CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE NGK TYPE PTR4B-15 SPARK PLUGS THAT WERE IN THE VEHICLE WERE NOT FACTORY PLUGS. *TT

NHTSA ID
566683
Incident
Dec 7, 2001
ElectricalEngineFuel system+2 more
Filed Apr 23, 2002

UPON PURCHASING VEHICLE IN THE YEAR OF 2000 RACK AND PINION HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. COOLANT LEAKS, ALSO STARTER AND FUEL PUMP HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING FLUID DUE TO TORQUE CONVERTER SEAL FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A NOISE COMING FROM STEERING COLUMN ON TURNS. TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY DUE TO SHIFT SOLENOID FAILURE. VEHICLE MAKES A POPPING NOISE FROM FRONT END DUE TO STEERING GEAR FAILURE. *YH

NHTSA ID
8008377
Incident
Jun 16, 2000
Transmission
Filed Feb 25, 2002

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH GEAR SHIFT LOCKED UP. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER INDICATED IT NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION. *AK

NHTSA ID
8004489
Incident
Feb 21, 2002
Transmission
Filed Apr 9, 2001

WHEN PULLING OFF IN FIRST GEAR IT RIDES NICELY. THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN IT CHANGES INTO SECOND REALLY HARD. FINALLY, IT WILL UNEXPECTEDLY GO TO 1ST GEAR.*AK INTERMITENTLY GETS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR. *YH

NHTSA ID
885467
Incident
Jan 29, 2001
SuspensionTransmissionVisibility
Filed Oct 19, 2000

VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT DURING HEAVY ACCELERATION, THE DEALER FOUND THE 1ST AND 2ND SHIFT SOLENOID WAS STICKING. *SLC

NHTSA ID
556675
Incident
Sep 19, 2000

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

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .