2002 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Complaints

THE STEERING WHEEL HAS A CLUNKING SOUND & FEEL AS YOU TURN THE CAR. THE LOCAL DEALER HAS REPLACED THE SHAFT 3 OR 4 TIME IN 58,000 MILES, AND IT IS VERY BAD AGAIN. IN THE PAST THEY DID NOT CHARGE TO REPAIR, BUT NOW WANT TO. THIS IS LIKE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS IN THE SYSTEM FOR THIS PROBLEM. *NM

VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH FACTORY HEATED CLOTH SEATS. FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS ALL WAS WELL THEN THE DRIVERS SEAT STOPPED HEATING. DEALER REPLACED ELEMENTS. SINCE THEN, REPEATED ELEMENTS AND FABRIC HAVE BEEN CHANGED. ELEMENT IMPRESSION HAS BEEN IN THE FABRIC EVER SINCE. SEAT RUNS EXTREMELY HOT AND HAS BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE NEW. GM/PONTIAC DEEMED THIS NORMAL OPERATION AND SENT THE CUSTOMER HOME. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR TIMES FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AND GM HAS NO ANSWERS. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A TEMPERATURE ISSUE IF YOU CAN SEE THE HEAT ELEMENT IMPRESSION IN THE CLOTH UPHOLSTERY. AT THIS POINT WE DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE USING THIS OPTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE HIGH TEMPERATURE. CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE A FIRE ISSUE IF WE CONTINUE TO USE IT. *JB

I HAVE A 2002 BONNEVILLE. TWICE DURING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD, THE DEALER REPAIRED AND REPLACED BEARINGS IN THE STEERING MECHANISM BECAUSE OF CLUNKING, BANGING, RUBBING NOISES AND PLAY IN THE STEERING. AT 87,000 MILES, IT BEGAN HAPPENING AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY SAID IT WAS A DEFECT THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE REPLACEMENT PARTS ON AND NOW THE FIX WAS TO CHANGE THE OIL IN THE MECHANISM WITH A HEAVY DUTY OIL AT $160. IT LASTED 3 WEEKS. THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN I CONTACTED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THAT COULD BE DONE. THIS HAS BECOME A SAFETY CONCERN DUE TO THE SLOPPY STEERING THAT INCREASES AS THE NOISES INCREASE . *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE STABILITY SYSTEM. THE STABILITY SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED PERIODICALLY, STATING STABILITY SYSTEM ACTIVE. WHEN THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND DECELERATED TEMPORARILY. ALSO, IF THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE ABS WILL ACTIVATE. A LOCAL MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST , AND SAID IT WAS THE STABILITY SYSTEM SENSOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN. TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE THEY WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THIS SENSOR. *AK

I HAVE HAD BOTH REAR WINDOW GO DOWN AND WON'T COME BACK UP. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF READING OF COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ,BUT WHY IS NOTHING BEING DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IT IS REALLY A SHAME FOR SUCH A NICE LOOKING CAR TO HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS. WHY WON'T THE MANUFACTURER STAND BEHIND THERE WORK. AND FIX THE PROBLEMS??*JB

I RECEIVED A RECALL REPAIR FOR MY 2002 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE-CAMPAIGN #03034. IF I HAD REPLACED THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, THROTTLE BODY NUTS, OR THROTTLE BODY GASKET BEFORE AUGUST 8, 2003, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. SINCE I ONLY HAD OWNED THE CAR FOR 1 YEAR AT THAT TIME AND HAD NOT REPLACED THESE ITEMS, I HAD A RECALL REPAIR DONE ON 11-10-03. I MENTIONED AT THE TIME THAT WHEN I COME INTO MY GARAGE, I COULD SMELL HOT COOLANT. THE SHOP FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE RECALL REPAIR TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY NUTS AND ADDED SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A "STOP LEAK". WE TRIED AT THAT TIME TO GET A BETTER "FIX" TO PROPERLY REPAIR POSSIBLE PROBLEM, BUT THIS IS ALL SHOP WOULD DO. NOW, AFTER MY WARRANTY IS OVER, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE MY UPPER INTAKE GASKET KIT SINCE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS LEAKING COOLANT EXTERNALLY. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A BATTERY PROBLEM. THE POSITIVE TERMINAL CAME OUT OF THE BATTERY. THIS HAPPENED ON AUGUST 25, 2005. HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED THE DEALER BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. BATTERY ACID WAS SLIPPING OUT OF IT, AND THE BATTERY WAS IN THE BACK FLOOR BOARD. THEY NEUTRALIZED THE BATTERY ACID AND PUT IN A NEW BATTERY. *AK THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE AC DELCO SIDE TERMINAL BATTERIES. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE IN HER VEHICLE. *NM

EARLY WEAR AND REPLACEMENT OF FRONT LEFT HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY. 2002 BONNIVILLE 41273 MILES. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY CONCERN. *JB

ON 08/03/05 FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW ON MY 2002 BONNEVILLE SSEI FAILED TO GO UP. THE BUTTON DIDN'T WORK ON THAT DOOR NOR ON DRIVER'S DOOR. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AND IT COST ME $458.25 FOR A REGULATOR AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY TO FIX IT. THEN ON 08/23/05, LESS THAN 3 WEEKS LATER, AGAIN FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WHILE SITTING ON THE CARPORT NOT RUNNING, THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW CAME DOWN ALL BY ITSELF AND WOULD NOT MOVE UP OR DOWN. THAT WINDOW COST ME ANOTHER $440.51 AT THE DEALERSHIP. PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM FEMALE (NOT THAT GENDER MAKES A DIFFERENCE), THE SOLE DRIVER OF THIS CAR, AND ALL WINDOWS OTHER THAN THE DRIVER'S WINDOW, HAVE RARELY BEEN USED. IT'S QUITE EVIDENT THAT THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THESE WINDOWS. NOW I AM OUT NEARLY A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PONTIAC. NOW I'M WONDERING HOW LONG IT'LL BE BEFORE THE OTHER TWO GO OUT. ALSO NOTE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE 36 MONTH WARRANTY EXPIRED IN MARCH 2005, MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 32,000 MILES. OUT OF CURIOSITY, I HAVE CONDUCTED AN INTERNET RESEARCH TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AS I HAVE WITH THE WINDOW FAILURES AND HAVE FOUND THAT MY CASE IS DEFINITELY NOT AN ISOLATED ONE. QUITE A FEW OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. THE NHTSA NEEDS TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION. MY LOYALTY TO AND CONFIDENCE IN PONTIAC IS NOW SOMEWHAT COMPROMISED AND I HOPE SOMETHING IS DONE ABOUT THIS SITUATION SOON.

DT THE HEAD REST DID NOT PROVIDE ANY TYPE OF SUPPORT. VEHICLE WAS INVOLED IN A REAR END CRASH IN FEBRUARY. IT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY SUPPORT. HAD A CASE OF WHIP LASH. THE CONSUMER CAN RAISE THE HEAD REST UP BUT CAN NOT PULL IT FORWARD. THIS FEBR 14TH, 2005. *AK