1994 Pontiac Bonneville

1994 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. DUE TO CORROSION THE ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS / MOUNTING FAILED AND ENGINE FELL OUT OF CAR. LUCKILY IT WAS WHILE TURNING AROUND IN THE DRIVEWAY, IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON / AT ROAD SPEEDS THERE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, MULTI CAR INVOLVEMENT, INJURIES, OR LOSS OF LIFE. GM SERVICE OFFERED ZERO HELP ON RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN INFORMATION AND DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFECT OR REPAIR. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THE REAR ENGINE CRADLE BOLT AND RETAINER PULLED THROUGH THE CRADLE. THE REAR CRADLE DROPPED TO THE GROUND AND THE STEERING SEPARATED. THIS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE ROAD, AND TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT VERBALLY SPOKE WITH AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR MECHANIC ABOUT THE PROBLEM WHO SUGGESTED THE VEHICLE BE BROUGHT IN FOR INSPECTION. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT HE DETECTED THE ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING. HE SAW GRAY SMOKE COMING FROM THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING VENTS, AND A YELLOW FLAME CLOSE TO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AREA. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED 911. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND DISTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. NO REPAIRS COULD BE MADE DUE TO THE FIRE DAMAGE. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE ENGINE FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE IN JUNE OF 2005 WHILE SLOWLY PULLING OUT FROM A STOP LIGHT. HE HEARD A LOUD CLUNK AND LOST STEERING CONTROL AND THE CAR DRIFTED TO THE CURB AND STOPPED. THE GM MANUFACTURER WANTED TO KNOW HOW THE VEHICLE WAS MAINTAINED. WHEN THE MANUFACTURER FOUND OUT THAT THEY DONE ALMOST ALL THE MAINTENANCE THEY TOLD HER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TEN YEARS OLD. SHE UNDERSTOOD THIS, BUT SHE STILL FELT THAT AN ENGINE SHOULD NOT JUST FALL OUT OF A VEHICLE. HER PRIMARY CONCERN WAS TO MAKE NHTSA AND THE MANUFACTURER AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IF DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED AND THIS HAPPENED THEN YOU WOULD LOSE ALL STEERING CAPABILITIES . THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A REPAIR SHOP AND THE REPAIR SHOP TOLD HER THAT THEY HAD A FORD TAURUS THAT HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO, ANOTHER DEALERSHIP TOLD HER THAT THEY HAD A DODGE INTREPID WITH THE SAME PROBLEM . THERE IS A FRAME THAT HOLDS THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION TO THE BODY OF THE CAR. THERE IS A LARGE THREE INCH DIAMETER WASHER THAT IS UNDER A METRIC .5 INCH DIAMETER BOLT. THE BOLT DID NOT FAIL, BUT THE WASHER DID FAIL. THERE ARE FOUR BOLTS IN THE REAR AND TWO BOLTS IN THE FRONT, AND THE TWO IN THE FRONT WERE OKAY, BUT THE FOUR IN THE REAR BROKE AWAY AND FAILED. THE GM BUSHING PART NUMBER IS 25536051 FOR THE FRONT TWO BOLTS.*AK UPDATED 01/19/06. *JB

TURNING INTO STREET WHEN THE ENGINE CRADLE FELL OUT IN THE REAR. LOSS OF ALL STEERING. HAD A CUTLASS SUPREME THAT DID THAT ALSO EXCEPT THERE WAS A RECALL. HUGE SAFETY HAZARD, A VEHICLE GOING DOWN THE ROAD NO STEERING??? WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE. GM NEEDS A RECALL ON THIS. *JB

DT: WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF IT OVERHEATED. BEFORE THIS OCCURRED THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. THERE ALMOST HAST BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THEY FINALLY DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. THE HAVE DONE OTHER THINGS TO THE VEHICLE TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DID NOT WORK. THEY HAVE FOUND IT TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK

DT: CONTACT STATES: THE CRADLE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE WHICH HELD THE SUSPENSION UP IN THE FRONT. THERE WERE FOUR BOLTS HOLDING IT UP, AND THE WASHERS RUSTED, CAUSING THIS FAILURE. DEALER SAID THEY HAD NOT SEEN THAT HAPPEN. THEY HAVE AGREED TO FIX IT ALL AT CONSUMER'S COST. CONTACT COMPLAINED TO GM, AND WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS TOO OLD.*AK

I WAS EXITING OFF ROUTE 82 AND HEADING EAST ON RT. 422 GOING ABOUT 30 MPH. EST. WHEN I HEARD A LOUD BANG SOUND. THE STEERING AND THE BRAKES WENT OUT AND THE CAR WAS OUT OF CONTROL. THE CAR CAME TO REST ABOUT 50 FT. AFTER THE CAR HIT A CONCRETE BARRIER. OHIO HIGHWAY STATE PATROL MADE A CRASH REPORT AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO GREENWOOD AUTOBODY DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THE ENGINE CRADLE BOLTS BROKE OUT THE FRAME. ALLOWING THE ENGINE AND DRIVE TRAIN TO DROP ON THE ROAD. DAMAGE IS BEING ESTIMATED BY THE AUTOBODY SHOP AND INSURANCE COMPANY. CAR HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED YET.