1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Complaints

THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. *PH THE DEALER REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. *SCC *JB

BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR OIL CHANGE @ LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. SHOP OWNER STATES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON-VEHICLE STALLED. FOUND PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD BURNED. ENTIRE ENGINE FLOODED WITH ANTI-FREEZE. ESTIMATED ENGINE REPAIR COST APPROXIMATELY $2100.00. *AK

THERE IS A RECALL ON GM 3800 SERIES II ENGINES FOR YEARS 2000 AND ABOVE RELATING TO THE INTAKE PLENUM. THIS DEFECT CAUSES SERIOUS ENGINE PROBLEMS. I TALKED WITH MORE THAN ONE MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THIS EXACT DEFECT FREQUENTLY OCCURS IN 1998 AND 1999 YEAR AUTOS WHICH USE THE SAME ENGINE. MY 1999 BONNEVILLE HAS THIS PROBLEM WHICH WILL PROBABLY COST SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPAIR. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY GM. CURRENTLY, THEY ARE NOT COVERING 1999 MODELS. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THEM. *PH

I HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE AND I NOTICED ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO THAT THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WOULD NOT HOLD ANY COOLANT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BUTTS MOTORS TO HAVE A BELT CHANGED AND THE COOLANT LEAK INVESTIGATED. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS THE UPPER MANIFOLD AND GASKET THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED IF THOSE PARTS WERE PART OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM AND THE GENTLEMAN SAID, "YES IT IS. IF YOU DON'T GET IT REPLACED YOU'LL BE SPILLING EMISSIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE." HE THEN QUOTED ME A HEFTY PRICE OF ALMOST $900.00 TO DO THE WORK. I TOLD HIM THAT I BELIEVED THAT THE UPPER MANIFOLD WHICH HE CONFIRMED WAS PART OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM SHOULD BE COVERED FOR 7 YEARS/70,000 MILES (FEDERAL EMISSIONS LAW). THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM IS COMMON AMONG GM ENGINES FROM 1995-1999. IT IS AN ISSUE COVERED IN THEIR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN NO: 01-06-01-007A, DATED JULY 2001. IT STATES THAT, CONDITION: SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON EXCESSIVE ENGINE COOLANT CONSUMPTION, OR AN ENGINE COOLANT LEAK NEAR OR UNDER THE THROTTLE BODY AREA OF THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD." THEY CONTINUE," CAUSE: UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD COMPOSITE MATERIAL MAY DEGRADE AROUND THE EGR STOVE PIPE AND COULD RESULT IN AN INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL COOLANT LEAK." THE EGR SYSTEM, INTAKE MANIFOLD, AND THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY ARE ALL COVERED UNDER EMISSIONS. THE SERVICEMAN AT BUTTS MOTORS TOLD ME BY PHONE ON 31 JULY 2003, THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, WHICH WAS, OF COURSE, EXPIRED. IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN. I WANT GM TO COVER THE COST OF THE WARRANTED PARTS/LABOR FOR THIS REPAIR. THE FACT THAT THE GASKET IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND THAT THE RECOMMENDED COOLANT "DEXCOOL" CORRODES THE PLASTIC IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE CONSUMER. THIS IS A DOCUMENTED DEFECT AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED FOR THE CONSUMER AT NO COST. I SENT THIS EXACT COMPLAINT STATEMENT TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. I WANT GENERAL MOTORS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR AND RECTIFY ITS FAULTY PRODUCTS.*AK

THE UPPER PLENUM DEVELOPED A HOLE THAT ALLOWED COOLANT TO FLOW INTO THE EGR. WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM BY THE DEALER AND COULD HAVE LOCKED UP THE ENGINE. *NLM

IN NORMAL DRIVING, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CRACKED AND CAUSED THE COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THIS HAS CAUSED EXTENSIVE REPAIRS AND THE PROBLEMS CONTINUE. *NLM

THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. *JB

I HAVE A 1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND I HAD IT TOWED TO DOBBS. DOBBS INVESTIGATED AND FOUND THAT THE UPPER PLENUM HAD WARPED. THEREBY CAUSING THE STARTER TO FAIL AND ANTIFREEZE TO GET INTO THE ENGINE. PONTIAC KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT ON THE YEAR 2000 MODEL. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT DO A RECALL AND LEFT US POOR SAPS TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OURSELVES. SINCE MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEY HAVE SAID THAT IT IS MY OWN PROBLEM. I AM OUT OF POCKET $1,046.96 PLUS $40 TOWING FEE FOR A PROBLEM THEY KNEW ABOUT AND DIDN'T RECALL. I WISH TO BE REIMBURSED.*JB

THE CONSUMER'S BROTHER EXPERIENCED THE VEHICLE BACKFIRING THE AN ENGINE FIRE. THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING THE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR THE INSURANCE CLAIM. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THERE MAY BE A NEGLIGENCE ISSUE, PER NEWS ARTICLE, THAT MAY UNCOVER MORE INCIDENTS OF THIS NATURE. REFER TO RECALL#'S 010601008A AND 99070. SCC REFERENCED IN EA02-030

WHILE RUNNING, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A BACK FIRE CAUSING THE MANIFOLD TO CRACK WHICH CAUSED A FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS WHEN BACKFIRE OCCURRED ENGINE DIED AND THERE WAS SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE FIRE WITH SNOW. *TT REFERENCED IN EA02-030