VEHICLE DEVELOPED A LEAK IN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, CAUSING AN UNDERHOOD FIRE. *AK
1994 Pontiac Bonneville complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1994 record →
THE FIRST PROBLEM STATED WAS THE DOOR LOCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, I HAVE KEYLESS ENTY BUT IAN UNABLE TO USE THIS BECAUSE MY LOCK IS ALWAYS ON THE LOCK POSITION, THIS MAKES FOR A DIFFCULT TIME EXPECIALLY WHEN THIS WAS A FEATURE I WANTED BECAUSE I WORK 11-7 IAM A WOMEN AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GAIN ACESS INTO MY CAR WITHOUT FUMBLING WTIH KEYS. THE SECOND PROBLEM I NOTED WAS I WAS DRIVING AND THE WHOLE ENTIRE VISOR FELL IT BROKE INSIDE SOMEHOW AND IT IS IN A POSITON THAT IS OBSTRUCTING MY VEIW, THERE FIRE I HAVE USED SAFETY PINS AND RUBBERBANDS TO KEEP IT OUT OF MY VEIW OF THE ROAD.
WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND ACTIVATES WHEN NOT SUPPOSE TO WHICH MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. CAUSE UNKNOWN. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE AIR BAGS DDURING VEHICLE COLLISION CAUSED INJURY TO DRIVER(NECK, LOWER BACK, RIGHT SHOULDER, RIGHT ELBOW).
REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS ARE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID ONTO BRAKES, CAUSING BRAKES TO GRIND AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM WHEN THE VATS IGNITION FAILED (SPRING) THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD AND AIR BAG SYSTEM HAD TO BE REMOVED.
ALTERNATOR FAILS EVERY 40 TO 45 THOUSAND MILES.
BOTH THE PASSENGER'S AND DRIVER'S AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A HEAD-ON COLLISION . THE CONSUMER WAS ONLY TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 5MPH, WHILE THE VEHICLE THAT HIT CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK
THE AIRBAG WARNING STAYS ON WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE OWNER HAS HAD VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG NEEDED REPAIRING. *AK
AT NIGHT, THE GEAR POSITIONS CANNOT BE READ.
ALTERNATOR FAILED TWICE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH THE DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK AND THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT PRESSURE WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *AK
THE WATER PUMP BROKE OFF THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. DEALER SAYS THERE MAY BE INTERNAL DAMAGE TO ENGINE. *AK
THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED PREVIOUSLY TO THE ACCIDENT. MANUFACTURER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM , BUT NEW BRAKES WERE PUT ON BY THE DEALER. *AK
OWNER STATES THAT SHE WAS IN ACCIDENT, SHE HIT A DEER AND BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAGS WENT OFF, CAUSING SEVERE BURNS TO DRIVER. *AK
SOMETIMES WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES THERE IS NO RESISTANCE AND NO PAUSING ON WET OR DRY ROAD CONDITIONS. PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL. *AK
WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, DRIVER BROKE ARM IN FOUR PLACES. *AK CONSUMER STATES SHE WAS HIT IN THE FOWARD PART OF THE REAR DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING ONTO A HIGHWAY, AT IMPACT THE AIR BAG RELEASED AND CAUGHT CONSUMER'S ARM IN THE STEERING WHEEL AS THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AND THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED CONSUMER'S ARM HAD NO WHERE TO GO.*JB
LEFT AND RIGHT REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED CAUSING THEM TO LOCK UP AND TWIST WHEN IN USE.
SEAT BELT RETRACTORS JAM/FAIL.
FRONT DASHBOARD IN CONSUMER'0S CAR STARTED TO SMOKE THAN CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK
WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN LOW TO HIGH SPEEDS, AT 55MPH, WARNING CHIME CAME SECONDS BEFORE HAPPENED.*AK
ENGINE FIRE. *DH
SEAT BELTS DO NOT WORK, THEY JAM AND ARE UNUSABLE, CANNOT SECURE CHILDREN IN SEATS. *AK
NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS DURING ACCIDENT, CAUSING INJURIES. *SD
BECAUSE OF THE THINESS OF THE ROTORS. THE BRAKES HAVE STOPPED WORKING AT 29,000 MILES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON TOOK TO DEALER TEN TIME. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
BUMPER HAS MELTED OVER EXHAUST PIPE, SMELLS COMING INTO CAR. TT
TRANSMISSION SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE, INTO NEUTRAL. *DH
REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILS REPEATEDLY AFTER (4) ATTEMPTS BY LEGEND PONTIAC ELLWOOD CITY, PA., PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
WHILE DRIVING, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE ON PASSENGER SIDE, FOLLOWED BY BIG FLAMES; VEHICLE BURNED UP COMPLETELY; TOTALED; CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
BOUGHT THE CAR A YEAR AGO AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AT HIGH SPEED. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
BOTH OUT BOARD SEAT BELTS IN THE REAR WHEN RETRACTING TWIST AND JAM AND CAN'T BE PULLED OUT AGAIN. TT
ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED TWICE, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT HIGH TO LOW SPEED ENGINE SHUT DOWN, NO PRIOR WARNING, DEALER CAN'T CORRECT. TT
UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE ON AND HEATER ON, ELECTRICAL SHORT, WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. TT
ANTI LOCK BRAKES LOCK UP AFTER HEARING A GRIDING NOISE. TT
IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION IT IS DIFFICULT TO PUSH/ACTIVATE HORN DUE TO LOCATION OF HORN BUTTONS. *AK
CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. TT
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1994 Pontiac Bonneville → · Every Bonneville year → · How the figures are calculated →