RoadVitals

2001 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.
12
Latest May 25, 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.
9%
of 129 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 2001 Pontiac Bonneville submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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

Body & structureElectricalInterior & seats+4 more
Filed May 25, 2008

ALL WINDOWS EXCEPT DRIVERS STOPPED WORKING, ALL DOOR LOCKS EXCEPT DRIVERS STOPPED WORKING. CAR WAS STORED FOR PART OF WINTER. I PUT IN A NEW BATTERY AND NOW I HAVE NO CLIMATE CONTROL. DRIVERS SIDE IS HOT, PASS IS COLD. PASS HEATED SEAT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. SUN ROOF JUST BROKE! STEERING IS MAKING LOTS OF NOISE, TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING. WTF WHY NO RECALL. HOW CAN YOU PURCHASE A CAR FOR 35,000 & IT IS ?!@#$% BEFORE IT HITS 100,000? MY FORD HAS 196,000 NO PROBLEM, MY HONDA HAS 235,000 BARELY A PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED 4 PONTIACS AND NOW IM PAYING THOUSANDS TO FIX THE PIECE OF ?!@#$%! WHY IN THE ?!@#$% DO MY WINDOWS NOT WORK!! ALL OF THEM IN ONE DAY? NO DOOR LOCKS, AT ALL? SAME DAY! NOW WITH A NEW BATTERY, I HAVE 90 DEG AIR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE & 60 DEG AIR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. YOU TRY TO DRIVE THIS PIECE OF ?!@#$%!! NOW MY BACK PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW JUST FELL DOWN!! I HAVE TO USE A MAGIC MARKER TO PRY & HOLD IT UP!! WE NEED A MAJOR RECALL ON THESE FAULTY VEHICLES. IM A PONTIAC FAN, BUT ILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER ONE IF YOU CANT TRY AND FIX THIS ?!@#$%. MY CAR LOOKS LIKE NEW BUT WORKS LIKE IT WAS BUILT BY A BUNCH OF IDIOTS!! I AM EMBARRASSED TO DRIVE THIS CAR. IT LOOKS BETTER THAN MOST 525 B-MIRS BUT I HAVE TO TELL ALL MY FRIENDS THAT I HAVE NO DOOR LOCKS, NO AIR, NO WINDOWS OR ANYTHING. NOTHING LIKE SITTING INSIDE A 135 DEGREE LEATHER BOUND FLAGSHIP SWEATING YOUR ?!@#$% OFF!! BY THE TIME I GET TO WORK IM A BIG BALL OF SWEAT!! PLEASE STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT. IM SERIOUSLY LOOKING TO SPEND SOME OF MY MONEY TO PROMOTE A CAMPAIGN TO DO NOTHING BUT TALK ?!@#$%ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS. GET ON LINE FOR A MINUTE AND SEE HOW MANY BONNEVILLE OWNERS ARE REALLY HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE ISSUES I HAVE LISTED ABOVE! THERE ARE THOUSANDS!! TIME FOR A RECALL! DON'T U THINK? GET YOUR ?!@#$% STRAIGHT GM! MY FAMILY WORKS FOR YOU! WE BUY YOU PLEASE HELP! *TR

NHTSA ID
10228851
Incident
May 9, 2008
Mileage
88,526 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 16, 2005

TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY FAILED AFTER MAKING A LOUD "BANG" WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. THIS CAR HAD ONLY 10,100 MILES WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE TRUSS BEARINGS BROKE APART CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. *JB

NHTSA ID
10142916
Incident
Oct 15, 2005
Mileage
10,100 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 2, 2005

TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY FAILED AFTER MAKING A LOUD "BANG" WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ON THE EXPRESSWAY. THIS CAR HAD ONLY 24,000 MILES WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE TRUST BEARINGS BROKE APART.

NHTSA ID
10123906
Incident
May 5, 2005
Mileage
24,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 7, 2005

WHILE AT AN IDLE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. ALSO, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD SHIFT GEARS, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T ONCE THE VEHICLE HAD CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE TRUST BEARINGS BROKE APART AND DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. *AK

NHTSA ID
10117611
Incident
Feb 20, 2005
Transmission
Filed Aug 9, 2004

THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. WHILE TURNING THE KEY TO START THE ENGINE, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AT THE TIME. THERE WAS NOTHING IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE SO THERE WAS NO COLLISION. THE CAR STOPPED AND THOUGH THE ENGINE RAN, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR REVERSE. THE TRANSMISSION INPUT FAILED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT BY GM FOR A SUBSTANTIAL FEE.*AK

NHTSA ID
10086499
Incident
Jul 23, 2004
Mileage
86,500 mi
Transmission
Filed Feb 19, 2004

THE SHIFT SOLENOID AND CLUTCH SOLENOID GOT STUCK ON WHICH CAUSED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MOTOR TO BURN OUT. THIS WAS MARKED BY MIIMICKING THE NEUTRAL GEAR: THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN ACCELERATING EITHER FORWARD OR REVERSE BUT THE ENGINE RPMS WOULD RISE. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST, BUT WAS MORE NOTICEABLE IN COLD WEATHER. AFTER THE VEHICLE WARMED UP, THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY ENGAGED SUDDENLY. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 37,650 MILES ON IT AND GM IS GIVING ME A HARD TIME ABOUT REPLACING IT BECAUSE IT IS PAST THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THEY WILL GUARANTEE A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION FOR 50,000 MILES.

NHTSA ID
10058533
Incident
Feb 19, 2004
Mileage
37,650 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 4, 2003

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 46,600 AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10049215
Incident
Nov 24, 2003
Mileage
46,600 mi
BrakesSteeringTransmission
Filed Oct 20, 2003

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION ENGINE STARTED SLIPPING AND JERKING. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK FIRST THE TRANSMISSION WAS RECONDITIONED THEN THE DEALER REPLACED THE SHIFT SOLENOIDS. BREAKS SQUEAKED AND MADE A RUBBING AND MOANING NOISE. THE JOINT ON THE STEERING SHAFT WAS BINDING. THE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED. . *TS

NHTSA ID
10038483
Incident
Sep 12, 2003
Mileage
23,456 mi
Transmission
Filed Oct 15, 2003

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. WHEN YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE RPM RISE RAPIDLY, BUT THE CAR BARELY MOVES. AS THE CAR WARMS UP, THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY ENGAGES, VERY ROUGHLY, AND SHIFTS ROUGHLY UNTIL THE CAR IS WARM. *LA

NHTSA ID
10043003
Incident
Oct 15, 2003
Mileage
68,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 10, 2003

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY WOULD NOT ENGAGE OR TRIES TO ENGAGE ON INITIAL TAKE-OFF. SERIOUS CONCERN WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, LET ALONE BEING STRANDED. TRANSMISSION PAN WAS DROPPED REVEALED METAL SHAVINGS AND GEAR TEETH ON THE MAGNETS AND IN THE FILTER. THE CAR HAS 48,400 MILES ON IT AND DID NOT EVEN MAKE IT TO GM'S RECOMMENDED 50,000 MILE FLUID AND FILTER CHANGE. GM REFUSES TO PAY 100% FOR THEIR FAILURE OF THE 'SUN GEAR/CARRIER ASSEMBLY' THAT SELF DESTRUCTS. THIS MODEL TRANSMISSION IS A 4T65E, AND IS USED IN BUICK'S, CHEVROLET'S, OLDSMOBILE'S AND PONTIAC'S. GM HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS EXACT SITUATION. TSB #03-07-30-017 ISSUED MAY 7, 2003. *JB

NHTSA ID
10037575
Incident
May 31, 2003
Mileage
48,400 mi
Body & structureFuel systemTransmission
Filed Jul 19, 2003

MY HUSBAND PURCHASED A USED 2001 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE FROM MCDONALD PONTIAC IN SAGINAW, MICHIGAN. WE HAVE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE TRANSMISSION, FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR, AND NOW THE PAINT IS BUBBLING ON THE HOOD. WE BELIEVE OUR CAR SHOULD BE DECLARED A LEMON AND ANOTHER VEHICLE BE SUPPLIED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10028613
Incident
Feb 7, 2002
Transmission
Filed Feb 21, 2003

THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE TRANSMITION, WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK AND WANT TO SHIFT TO REVERSE THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE AND FEELS LIKE IT IS IN NEUTRAL POSITION. THIS PROBLEM WAS MORE NOTICABLE IN MORNINGS WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I THINK THERE IS A LOT WRONG WITH IT.

NHTSA ID
10007948
Incident
Dec 18, 2002

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 .