1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Complaints

CONSUMER PULLED OUT FROM A STOP AND HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE. THE DRIVER HAD NO STEERING ABILITY, AND VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO MECHANIC.*AK

THE EXTERIOR PAINT ON THE VEHICLE IS "FLAKING OFF", SOMETHING THAT THE AUTO BODY SHOP REFERS TO AS "DELAMINATION"... SEEMS TO OCCUR A GREAT DEAL ON 1995 PONTIAC BONNEVILLES. *AK

TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. RANDOMLY OCCURS AFTER TRAVELING SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET. HIGHER INCIDENCE AT TIME OF AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR. CAN NOT BE RESET BY TRACTION CONTROL SWITCH - MUST COME TO FULL STOP AND TURN OFF ENGINE. WITH RAPID ACCELERATION AND MAINTAINING SPEED AT 55 MPH OR ABOVE "TRACTION CONTROL OFF" LIGHT WILL NOT COME ON. DROP DOWN TO ~50 MPH AND LIGHT COMES ON. GM DEALER CLAIMS NPF BUT PROBLEM OCCURS ALMOST EACH TIME OUT FOR ME. ANOTHER DEALER CLAIMS REPLACEMENT OF TC MODULE NECESSARY - SERVICE TECH TELLS ME IT IS COMMON PROBLEM TO 95 & 96 BONNEVILLES.*AK

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: - CAR DIES IN TRAFFIC AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 5-65 MILES/HOUR. - CAR WILL NOT START- RANDOM OCCURRENCE. - ELECTRICAL SURGES ON DASH BOARD (MOMENTARY LOST OF ELECTRICAL POWER) WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION. - ELECTRICAL SURGE ACCOMPANIES VEHICLE HESITATION WHILE IN MOTION - SPEED TYPICALLY 20 MPH AND ABOVE. - CAUSE "SEEMS" TO BE RELATED TO BATTERY CABLE ON POSITIVE POLE. REPLACING BATTERY, BUT THE BATTERY ISSUE STILL EXISTS. - CAR HESITATION, OR DEWING IN TRAFFIC IS A GREAT HAZARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 12 TIMES IN PAST THREE MONTHS - FIVE ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY AND ALL WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE REPAIR SHOP REPORTED THAT A CABLE ISSUE IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR CABLE CONFIGURATION. INCIDENT DATE REPORTED IS THE LAST DATE THIS PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED. *LA

THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD.*AK THE INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKED WATER INTO THE MOTOR AND CAUSED IT TO LOCK UP. THE PART WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER FELT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A LEMON. *SCC *JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT DASHLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. CONSUMER IS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT FUEL LINE IS DRIPPING GAS ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. DEALER NOTIFIED. VEHICLE IS RUNNING WITHOUT WARRANTY. *AK

GM TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 01-06-01-007A IDENTIFIES AN INHERENT DESIGN FLAW ON THE 3.8 L ENGINE (VIN K - RPO L36) AVAILABLE IN THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES:995-1997 BUICK RIVIERA995-1998 BUICK LESABRE, PARK AVENUE. *AK 1996-1998 BUICK REGAL 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO 1995-1996 OLDSMOBILE NINETY-EIGHT 1995-1998 OLDSMOBILE EIGHTY-EIGHT 1998 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE 1995-1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE 1997-1998 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GM MINIMIZES THE IMPACT OF THE PROBLEM BY IDENTIFYING ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS AS OWNER COMPLAINING OF A SMALL COOLANT LEAK. THE FACT IS THAT IN MOST CASES THE LEAK IS NOT VISIBLE. THE COOLANT TYPICALLY LEAKS INTERNALLY BY THE EGR STOVE PIPE INTO THE ENGINE'S INTAKE MANIFOLD WHERE IT BUILDS UP. EVENTUALLY THE COOLANT LEVEL IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD RISES TO THE POINT WHERE THE COOLANT WILL GET SUCKED INTO ONE OF THE CYLINDERS. IN LESS SEVERE CASES, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT IDLE OR LOW RPM, THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND STALL. IN THE MOST SEVERE CASES, WHEN IT HAPPENS AT HIGH RPM, THE HAMMERING EFFECT OF THE ENGINE TRYING TO COMPRESS A LIQUID, CAUSES THE AFFECTED PISTON TO SHATTER (MY CASE). THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY A DESIGN FLAW. WHEN THIS HAPPENS ON A HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH (MY CASE) THERE IS GREAT POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT AND INJURY TO PASSENGERS. I WAS LUCKY, BUT I STILL HAD TO REPLACE MY ENGINE WITH A REMANUFACTURED ONE AT MY EXPENSE. GM IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. GM REPAIR CENTERS ARE ATTRIBUTING THE FAILURE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND ARE CHARGING OWNERS TO REPLACE THE FLAWED PARTS WITH THE NEW DESIGN. I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE MANAGER AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND HE STATED THAT HE HAS SEEN A LOT OF VEHICLES COMING IN WITH THE SAME FAILURE, THE LESS SEVERE CASE BEING THE MOST COMMON. THEY COMMONLY JUST DRAIN THE AFFECTED CYLINDERS AND REPLACE THE FLAWED PARTS WITH THE NEW DESIGN. I ASKED HIM HOW DID HE KNOW IF THE AFFECTED PISTON HAD BEEN DAMAGED CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE LATER ON. HE DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER.

THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING DID NOT GO OFF AT VARIOUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO TOOK THE FUSES OUT TO GET THE LIGHTS OFF. *NLM *TS *JB

WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND THE CONSUMER COULD SEE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE DRIVERS HUSBAND. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT WAS DECLINED ANY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE. THE CONSUMER REFERENCED RECALL # 96V116000 BUT WAS TOLD THAT HER VEHICLE DID NOT FIT THE SCOPE OF THE RECALL. *M *SCC *NLM