2001 Pontiac Bonneville recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Electrical systemFire

  MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE BACK IN JANUARY 2020 UNDER THE HOOD ON MY WAY TO WORK THE FIRE STARTED BEHIND THE VALE COVER GASKETS AND NOW OIL IS LEAKING ON THE MANIFOLD GASKETS AND GAS IS MIXING WITH THE OIL AND I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR ANYMORE HELP ME PLEASE.

  Jan 5, 2020 · 191,600 miles
• Engine

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED OIL OUT OF THE VALVE COVER GASKET AND THE SPARK PLUG WIRE RETAINER CAUSING A MISFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED BUT FAILED TO PROPERLY ACCELERATE WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE FUMES INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED EYE IRRITATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TPMS, CHECK ENGINE, SERVICE ENGINE, SEAT BELT, AND AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, AFTER REFUELING, THE FUEL GAUGE FAILED TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE FUEL READING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT…

  Jan 15, 2020 · 264,000 miles
• EngineFire

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE ENGINE MADE AN ABNORMAL BANGING SOUND AND THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE ENGINE BLEW UP AND PRODUCED A THICK CLOUD OF SMOKE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

  Mar 14, 2019
• Air bagsCrash1 injury

  MY SON WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND HIS AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY.

  Feb 8, 2019 · 178,000 miles
• Engine

  VALVE COVER GASKETS LEAKING OIL CAN GET ON EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING AN ENGINE FIRE.

  Aug 10, 2015 · 94,000 miles
• Service brakes

  STEEL BRAKE LINES HAVE CORRODED TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. BRAKE FLUID LEAKS

  May 1, 2016 · 131,000 miles
• EngineFire

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND EXPLODED WHEN THE IGNITION KEY WAS INSERTED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

  Nov 27, 2014 · 100,000 miles
• EngineFire

  I HAD LEFT MY LIGHTS ON AND BATTERY WENT DEAD. WENT TO JUMP THE VEHICLE AND CHARGE THE BATTERY. CABLES CONNECTED CORRECTLY. WHEN I WENT TO START THE VEHICLE, I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION NOISE LIKE A BACK FIRE BUT SAW A FLAME THEN SMOKE OUT OF ENGINE. THE ENGINE HOOD WAS CLOSED SINCE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED UNDER THE BACK SEAT OR THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL OR A SERIOUS INJURY. THE FLAME MUST HAVE BEEN EXTINGUISHED BY THE FLUIDS? WHEN WE OPENED THE HOOD AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, WE FOUND THAT THEIR WAS SOME TYPE OF EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND IN MY DRIVEWAY

  Sep 28, 2015 · 150,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREClosedLed to recall 08V118000

  BY LETTER DATED MARCH 12, 2008, GENERAL MOTORS CORP. (GM) HAS NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 08V-118) TO ADDRESS A DEFECT IN APPROXIMATELY 207,542 MODEL YEAR (MY) 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL GS AND PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GTP VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE L67 SUPERCHARGED VERSION OF GM'S 3800 SERIES II V6 ENGINE.THE RECALLED REGAL GS VEHICLES WERE BUILT FROM AUGUST 1996 TO JUNE 2003 AND THE GRAND PRIX GTP FROM MARCH 1996 THROUGH JANUARY 2003.ACCORDING TO GM, OIL MAY ESCAPE PAST THE VALVE COVER GASKET ON THE FRONT CYLINDER BANK (CYLINDERS 1-3-5) AND DEPOSIT ONTO HOT EXHAUST SYSTEM COMPONENTS.UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THIS OIL TO IGNITE A SMALL PILOT FLAME, WHICH MAY SPREAD TO THE ADJACENT PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL, THE SPARK PLUG WIRES THEMSELVES, THE PLASTIC ENGINE COVER, AND OTHER UNDER HOOD COMPONENTS.REPORTS…

  EA07008 · opened Jun 12, 2007 · closed May 1, 2008
• ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESClosedLed to recall 04V090000

  EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.

  EA02030 · opened Oct 22, 2002 · closed Mar 9, 2004