IllustrationUNDER DASH ELECTRICAL FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE CARS INTERIOR - CAR JUNKED. *AK
1997 Pontiac Bonneville
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Bonneville years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
20–25K
325–50K
750–75K
875–100K
14100–150K
3150K+
37 reports with mileage · 110 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports16 fire reports6 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
28 reportsI WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WHEN WORK WHEN MY CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE. MY BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR. THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES IN THE MATTER OF A FEW MINUTES. *AK
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…
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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
BATTERIES LEAK ACID.ET.
HEADLIGHTS ARE WORKING INTERMITTENTLY, AND THE FUSE KEEPS BLOWING OUT. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE INTO THE SHOP 6 TIMES, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER KEEPS REPLACING DIFFERENT PARTS, AND THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO GO BACK INTO THE SHOP FOR THE 7TH TIME. *AK
HORN VERY HARD TO USE. REQUIRES EXCESSIVE PRESSURE.
ON DATE MENTIONED THE CARS FIREWALL AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE WHICH CAUSE THE LOSE OF THE USE OF THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. I WAS DECENDING A STEEP HILL AT THE TIME . I WAS LUCKY TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND MANAGED TO GET THE FIRE OUT BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT…
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ON DATE MENTIONED THE CARS FIREWALL AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUGHT FIRE WHICH CAUSE THE LOSE OF THE USE OF THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. I WAS DECENDING A STEEP HILL AT THE TIME . I WAS LUCKY TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND MANAGED TO GET THE FIRE OUT BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FATAL ACCIDENT IF I HAD NOT KEEP MY HEAD. WE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR IN THIS VEHICLE WHICH SHOULD HAVE NOT WORN OUT AS THE CAR ONLY HAD 3500 MILE ON IT AT THAT TIME. THE POLICE REPORT STATED THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE FIRE. I HAVE CALLED THE PLACE OF PURCHASE TO INFORM THEM OF THIS AND THEY GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER OF THE PONTIAC CO. TO CALL AND THE NUMBER WILL NOT GO THREW. I HAVE SEARCHED THE WEB TO SEE IF THERE WAS A PLACE IN THEIR WEB SITE TO SEND THEM AN EMAIL ABOUT THE FIRE AND NO LUCK THERE EITHER. IF THIS HAD NOT HAPPENED WHEN IT DID IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY WIFE DRIVING WITH OUR GRANDSON IN THE CAR, AS I HAD GONE TO GET GAS FOR THE CAR FOR HER FIRST. I FEEL IT SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT AS TO WETHER THERE HAS BEEN ANY OTHER PROBLEMS OF THIS TYPE . I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MY WIFE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE HANDLED THE CAR AND WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH OUR GRANDSON IN THE CAR. THIS HAS ME VERY UPSET.
STARTER TERM LOOSE CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. NLM
THE HORN BUTTON IS DIFFICULT TO PUSH, MUST HIT SPOT PRECISELY TO ACTIVATE. *ET
THE FUSE FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAS BLOWN OUT, LEAVING CONSUMER WITH NO BRAKE LIGHTS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Official recalls
196V196000 · Seats
Oct 8, 1996
THE SEAT COVER TRIM MATERIAL DOES NOT MEET THE FLAMMABILITY REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 302, "FLAMMABILITY OF INTERIOR MATERIALS."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF AN IGNITION SOURCE WERE PRESENT, A VEHICLE INTERIOR FIRE CAN OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COVERS ON THE FRONT SEAT BACKS, REAR SEAT CUSHION AND REAR SEAT BACK ASSEMBLIES.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA02030 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Oct 22, 2002 · Closed Mar 9, 2004
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery; Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
Fuel System, Gasoline
EA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GMEA02-030 IS CLOSED WITH GM?S ACTIONS IN 03V-473 AND 04V-090 RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 529,000 MY 1998-99 C- AND H-BODY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS.THESE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLDS THAT ARE UNABLE TO CONTAIN PRESSURES THAT OCCUR IN SOME BACKFIRE EVENTS AND DEFECTIVE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS WITH LEAKING DIAPHRAGMS THAT CAN PROVIDE A SOURCE OF FUEL TO PRODUCE A COMBUSTIBLE AIR-FUEL MIXTURE IN THE MANIFOLD.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY ODI THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS IN THE VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN GM?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE INCIDENCE OF MANIFOLD RUPTURES AND RELATED FIRES IN OTHER MY 1995-2002 GM PASSENGER CARS EQUIPPED WITH THE SUBJECT INTAKE MANIFOLD.FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT.
PE02050 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Jun 13, 2002 · Closed Oct 22, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.