1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Complaints

CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN WHILE DECELERATING AT ANYWHERE FROM 30-55 MPH. SOMETIMES CAN RESTART, SOMETIMES NOT FOR A HALF HOUR OR SO. THE CAR'S ENGINE COOLANT HAS LEAKED OUT ONTO ENGINE. CAR SHUT DOWN, NO POWER, NO STEERING, NO BRAKES, THEN THE COOLANT SPILLED OUT EVERYWHERE, ENGINE STARTED SMOKING AND NOW THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED WORKING EVEN AFTER REPLACING HEAD GASKET. CAR HAD BEEN INTO DEALERS NUMEROUS TIMES TO NO AVAIL. NO ONE COULD IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. NOW HAVE A CAR THAT HAD TO BE TOWED AND IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. NUMEROUS FUEL INJECTORS WERE REPLACED IN HOPES OF STOPPING THE STALLING OUT AND SHUTDOWNS, BUT NOTHING HAS WORKED. WAITING FOR A COUPLE OF QUOTES ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO TRY AND FIX THE ENGINE OR MOST LIKELY NEED REPLACED. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE CAR WAS FAIRLY NEW.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINES WERE CORRODED AT EVERY CONNECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING DUE TO THE CORROSION. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THERE WERE 10-15 OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. UPDATED 9/5/2006 - *NM

HEARD A "POPPING" NOISE, THEN LOST POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING LEFT. RIGHT TURNS WORK FINE, BUT NO POWER STEERING TO THE LEFT. *JB

RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING, WOULD NOT ALLOW A LEFT TURN. RIGHT TURNING CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH ONE FINGER, HOWEVER LEFT TURNS REQUIRE TREMENDOUS STRENGTH. RECALL ISSUED FOR GRAND PRIX AND SIMILAR 97 PONTIAC'S, BUT NOT THE BONNEVILLE. *NM

DT: CALLER SAID THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD BROKE . THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. CALLER'S WIFE HAD TO GET HELP TO PUSH THE CAR OFF THE ROAD, AND CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. CALLER SAID THERE WAS A RECALL # 04V090000. MANUFACTURER SAID THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. *AK *NM

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET ON MY 1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 3800 SERIES ENGINE FAILED CAUSING COOLANT TO GAIN ACCESS TO INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND BECOME TOTALLY INOPERABLE REQUIRING THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2200.00. THIS FAILURE ALSO HAPPEND IN A PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, THAT I ALSO OWNED, WITH THE SAME SERIES OF ENGINE. THE COST OF THE REPAIR TO THE GRAND PRIX WAS APPROX. $650.00. THE ENGINE IN THE GRAND PRIX DID NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED. LOOKING AT AND READING THE VARIOUS GM MESSAGE BOARDS ON THE INTERNET, THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE FAIRLY PREVALENT WITH THE 3800 SERIES OF ENGINE. GM CONTINUES TO IGNORE THIS WITH NO REGARD TO THE CONSUMER.

THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD ON MY 1997 BONNEVILLE WARPED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE ENGINE WHICH THEN SEIZED THE ENGINE. REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD AND REBUILT BOTH ENGINE HEADS. TOTAL COST WAS $1,525. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE GM 3800 SERIES ENGINES BECAUSE THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD IS PLASTIC. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER, A ROD BEARING FAILED. I WAS TOLD IT FAILED PREMATURELY BECAUSE COOLANT HAD ENTERED THE ENGINE. I DO NOT HAVE A REPAIR ESTIMATE YET. I BELIEVE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE RELATED TO THE DEFECTIVE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD. *AK

G.M. 3800 SERIESII V-6 ENGINE PLASTIC UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD PLENUM & GASKETS. FAILURE OF INFERIOR PARTS IN CONJUCTION WITH DEX COOL (G.M. ANTI-FREEZE/COOLANT). CAUSING DETERIORATION AND FAILURE OF PLENUM FORCING COOLANT INTO ENGINE. ENGINE IMMEDIATELY SEIZES,TRYING TO RESTART WILL CAUSE DAMAGE TO STARTER,FLYWHEEL,BATT.,AND ENGINE. REMEDY? TOW TO G.M. SERVICE CENTER REPLACE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD PLENUM,MANIFOLD GSKTS,SPARK PLUGS & WIRES,STARTER,PWR-FLUSH ENG.& COOLING SYS.,REPLACE ALL FLUIDS. G.M. IS AWARE OF PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. SERVICE MNGR. TOLD ME DAMAGES TO VEH.WAS NOT DUE LACK OF MAINTENANCE BUT USE OF PLASTIC PARTS AND COOLANT BY G.M. THIS A MAJOR DEFECT & PROBLEM. COST OF REPAIRS? $1,300.00. *AK

VEHICLE BACK FIRED WHILE DRIVING,THEN STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WHILE LEANING BACK IN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT, THE RECLINING PART OF THE SEAT FAILS TO HOLD ME.*AK