1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Complaints

I WOULD LIKE NITSA TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INTO BULLETIN #87-71-75. IN ACCORDANCE WITH PURSUANT TO 49USC' 30162 AND 49CFR PART 522. MY DEALER AND PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION OF GENERNAL MORTORS WOULD NOT CHANGE THE CONTROL VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY THAT IS FAILING IN MY BONNEVILLE, BECAUSE THEIR EXCUSE IS THAT I DID NOT PURCHASE THIS CAR NEW EVEN THOUGH THIS CAR IS ONLY NINE MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY AND ONLY HAD 34,150 MILES ON IT. EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THEY MANUFACTURED A DEFECTIVE PART AND DO NOT WANT TO REPAIR IT. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART THAT THEY INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. JOHN G. HAMMEL. *AK

VEHICLE SURGES AT ALL SPEEDS ABOVE 42MPH.ON HOT AND HUMID DAYS IT IS ALL MOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. *AK

I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED FROM A RETAILER WHO OFFERED ME 60 BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. DURING THE FIRST ROAD TRIP, THE CAR BEGAN SURGING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM 35-65 MPH. THE SURGING APPEARED TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN AT A RPM OF 2000 - 2500. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO GARY PONTIAC WITH AN EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DIAGNOSIS WAS TO REPLACE THE WIRES, FILTERS, PERFORM A TRANSMISSION TUNE-UP FOR A TOTAL OF AROUND $300.00. I DECIDED TO SAVE MONEY AND TO HAVE THE WORK DONE ELSEWHERE. AFTER HAVING THIS WORK PERFORMED, THE CAR CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT THE SAME SURGING. I ATTEMPTED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO GARY PONTIAC BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, BUT DUE TO HEALTH REASONS WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER/TRANSMISSION EXPERT, MY RETURN TO GARY WAS POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF MY 60 DAY WARRANTY. DURING THIS WHOLE PROCESS, I HAD MADE REPEATED REPORTS TO GMCARES TO DOCUMENT THIS PROCESS. I BELIEVE THAT I HAD MADE AROUND 6 CALLS TO GMCARES DURING THIS TIME. MOST RECENTLY (9/25/2000), I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO GARY WITH THE PRIOR UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE PREVALENT IN THESE TYPES OF CARS/TRANSMISSIONS, SINCE I PERSONNELLY KNOW THREE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT INDEAD THE VALVE BODY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED . THE DEAL THAT WAS OFFERED TO ME WAS FOR ME TO PAY THE PART COST WITH GM TO ABSORB THE COST OF SERVICE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A NOBLE ATTEMPT AT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, BUT SINCE THIS PROBLEM IS INHERENT IN THESE VEHICLES, I THINK GM SHOULD PICKUP THE TOTAL COST OF THIS REPAIR. THE FACT THAT I HAD A WARRANTY ON THE CAR THAT WOULD HAVE COVERED THIS DEFECT HAD GARY PONTIAC DIAGNOSED IT THE FIRST TIME PROPERLY, IS ENOUGH REASON FOR THIS REPAIR TO BE PAID BY GMC. *AK

ON 8/16/00, I TOOK MY '97 BONNEVILLE TO EFFINGHAM TIRE AND AUTO TO SEE IF THE TIRES NEEDED BALANCED OR ALIGNED. I'D HAD A SUDDEN ONSET OF RUMBLING AND VIBRATION ABOUT TEN DAYS OR SO BEFORE. THE TIRE TECHNICIAN CALLED ME INTO THE GARAGE AREA AND SHOWED ME THE EXTREME AND UNEVEN WEAR ON MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. HE SAID A STEEL BELT HAD BROKEN ON THE WORN EDGE AND "WHEN THEY DO THAT THEY BUNCH UP". HE SAID THAT TIRE HAD THINGS SO BADLY OUT OF LINE THAT IT HAD CAUSED MY LEFT TIRE TO WEAR AT AN ANGLE (MY TERM). I WAS ASKED TO AND DID FEEL HOW ONE SIDE OF THE TREADS WERE "SHARP" AND THE OPPOSITE SIDE WAS WORN. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, I HAD WORN OFF 45% OF THE TIRE TREAD ON THESE 60,000 MILE WARRANTY TIRES WHILE DRIVING ONLY 8,762 MOSTLY INTERSTATE MILES IN FOUR MONTHS!!!( DOT NUMBER: UNKNOWN TIRE SIZE: P225/60R16 )

TWICE WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50MPH CAR LOST ALL POWER FOR A SECOND OR SO AND THEN CAME RIGHT BACK ON. DURING THIS SECOND OR SO, I HAVE NO POWER BRAKES, STEERING, NOTHING. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD, IF IT HAPPENS AT THE WRONG TIME, IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ONE TIME BEFORE I REMEMBER AT LEAST A MONTH AGO, THE RADIO JUST CUT OUT FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS FOR NO REASON, AND THE DAY AFTER THE FIRST TIME MY CAR LOST POWER, THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND THEN WENT OUT. I DON'T KNOW IF THESE ARE RELATED, BUT SOMETHING IS WRONG, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE ENGINE, ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER. *AK

VEHICLE WILL STALL WHILE IN MOTION UNEXPECTEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING. CONSUMER HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER BETWEEN 4-6 TIMES, BUT DEFECT KEEPS OCCURRING. FINALLY DEALR REPLACED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND DEFECT DID STOP, BUT ONLY FOR 2 YEARS. CURRENTLY, DEFECT HAS REAPPEARED.*AK FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED TWICE IN THREE YEARS. *YH

VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY ON THREE OCCASSIONS WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DECELERATING AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 35-50MPH. VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER A PERIOD TIME. ONCE IMMEDIATELY AND THE OTHER TWO TIMES AFTER 15-30 MIN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER SERVICE AND THE PROBLEM WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DETECTED OR REPEATED. PLEASE PROVIDE INFORMATION ON PROBLEM AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN.

WHEN DRIVING OR IDLING VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY DIE ,AND WILL NOT RESTART UNTIL AFTER 10-15 MINUTES LATER . DEALER HAS REPLACED ALTERNATOR, BUT DEFECT HAS REOCURRED, DEALER CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE WITHOUT DUPLICATING DEFECT. *AK AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER IDENFIFIED THE PROBLEM TO BE A FAILED FUEL PUMP AND WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WANTS REIMBERSMENT FOR THE COST OF REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR THAT WAS NOT THE CAUSE. *YH

AFTER INSPECTING THE BRAKES, NOTICED UNUSUAL WEAR ON THE SIDE OF THE BRAKE ROTORS, THEY COULD DETERIORATE. *AK

PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE PREVALENT WITH THIS YR., MAKE, MODEL, DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY PART. NO SAFETY DEFECT INDICATED WITHIN SUMMARY. *AK