1998 Pontiac Bonneville

ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO INCIDENT, I GOT A WHIFF OF A BURNING SMELL, 2 DAYS IN A ROW, SHORT QUICK SCENT. NEXT 4 DAYS, SMELLED NOTHING (EVEN DROVE CAR 80 MILES ONE WAY AND BACK). DAY OF INCIDENT, I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 10 MPH WHEN WHITE SMOKE CAME FROM THE HEATER VENT. I INCREASED SPEED TO ABOUT 30 MPH TO GET TO A SAFE SPOT, AND BLACK SMOKE BILLOWED OUT OF HEAT VENT ON TOP OF DASHBOARD, AND FRONT OF DASHBOARD. TURNED CORNER TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC, CAME TO A STOP AND FLAMES SHOT OUT OF CIGARETTE LIGHTER, AND AIR VENT IN FRONT OF DASH. HEATER WAS OFF, RADIO WAS OFF, AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER WAS NOT BEING USED. CAR FULLY ENGULFED IN APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MINUTES. CAR TOTALED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AND FOUGHT THE FLAMES WITH AN EXTINGUISHER. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THAT THE FIRE WAS DUE TO THEIR VEHICLES COMPONENTS AND THAT THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE WAS FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES. AN ELECTRICAL EXPERT BELIEVES THAT THE LEAD FROM THE CIGARETTE LIGHT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FUSE WAS BLOWN BUT THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED AFTER THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER'S CELL PHONE WAS CHARGING IN THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. *JB *NM

CONSUMER DISAPPOINTED WITH REIMBURSEMENT FOR 1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS REPLACED. *BF RECALL CAMPAIGN: 04V090000. THE RECALL IS RELATED TO THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR LEAK. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS FLUCTUATING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. THE CONSUMER TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ALLOWED IT TO COOL OFF. THE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD BACK FIRE WITH A LOUD BANG. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESTART. THE CONSUMER SMELLED FUEL SHORTLY AFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALER. THE INTAKE PLENUM AND THE INTAKE PLENUM GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE THERMOSTAT BLEW OUT AGAIN. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE FEELS THAT THE FAILURES ARE A RESULT OF THE RECALL ISSUE THEREFORE THE REIMBURSEMENT CHECK WAS NOT SUFFICIENT. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BRAKES HAD A TICKING NOISE. *TC

HAD TUNE-UP AND REGULATORS CHANGED (BASED ON RECALL) ON 7/19/04. THEN ON 7/22/04 SMOKE EMITTING FROM EXHAUST AND THEN CAR WOULD NOT START. CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED (MANIFOLD CRACKED). ON 7/26/04 CAR TAKEN FROM SHOP, 2 HRS LATER CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THIS TIME CLAIMED STARTER WAS THE PROBLEM. CONSEQUENCES: OVER $1,500 IN REPAIRS.

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH CONSUMER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, LIKE ELECTRICAL WIRES. STOPPED AND PULLED OFF ROAD. LIFTED HOOD AND BURNING WIRES SMELLED STRONGER NEAR ALTERNATOR. TOUCHED AREA, AND IT WAS HOT. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS INFORMED THAT ALTERNATOR FAILED DUE TO BEARINGS BURNING OUT. FRONT BEARINGS CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO BURN. HAD TO REPLACE OLD ALTERNATOR WITH A NEW ALTERNATOR THAT HAD LARGER/BIGGER BEARINGS, AND WOULD NOT WEAR OUT AS FAST.*AK

HORN IS WORTHLESS. WAS HIT BY A PARTY WHO RAN A RED LIGHT. APPLIED HORN TO GET THEIR ATTENTION, BUT IT WOULD NOT WORK. I HAVE TRIED TO USE THE HORN ON NUMEROUS OCCASSIONS WHEN ABOUT TO BE HIT IN A PARKING LOT OR ON THE STREET, BUT IT NEVER SEEMS TO WORK. VERY HARD TO GET TO WORK. AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH DAMAGE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF FRONT BUMPER. WHEN GETTING CAR REPAIRED ALSO ADVISED THAT STEERING COLUMN BOLTS WERE STRIPPED ON ONE SIDE AND SHEARED OFF ON THE OTHER, BUT NOT CAUSED BY ACCIDENT. ESTIMATE TO FIX STEERING ANOTHER $500+