1997 Pontiac Bonneville Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville, 34% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 98,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (26% of reports).
- 50engine and engine cooling complaints
- 98,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,950typical repair cost reported by owners
- 56%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 13 of 50 complaints (26%)
- Engine coolant: mentioned in 6 of 50 complaints (12%)
- Caught fire: mentioned in 6 of 50 complaints (12%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville at $1,950, and half of them between $1,250 and $2,850.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2005), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 17 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 50 complaints, 10 a fire.
Pontiac Bonneville engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Bonneville | 1 | 4% | 63,635 |
| 2004 Bonneville | 2 | 7% | 22,000 |
| 2003 Bonneville | 6 | 11% | 82,500 |
| 2002 Bonneville | 10 | 11% | 62,800 |
| 2001 Bonneville | 22 | 17% | 93,767 |
| 2000 Bonneville | 37 | 17% | 63,500 |
| 1999 Bonneville | 59 | 41% | 64,008 |
| 1998 Bonneville | 194 | 70% | 70,741 |
| 1997 Bonneville | 50 | 34% | 98,000 |
| 1996 Bonneville | 43 | 29% | 105,000 |
| 1995 Bonneville | 55 | 23% | 109,644 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 pontiac bonneville. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. The mechanic replaced the battery and…
I had a 1997 pontiac bonneville. While i was driving down a highway in michigan, the engine compartment suddenly caught on fire. I was not speeding, and my car was perfectly serviced and maintained. By the time the fire service got there, the whole car burnt down. It took less than 20 minutes for…
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 pontiac bonneville. The vehicle was leaking radiator fluid. The dealer repaired the leak. A year after the repair, the fan connected to the heater and air conditioner stopped working. There was a popping noise intermittently under the hood near the defrost and suddenly…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Pontiac Bonnevilles have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville (34% of the 147 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 98,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,950 (half paid between $1,250 and $2,850), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 13 of 50 complaints, followed by “engine coolant” (6).
See all 1997 Pontiac Bonneville problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Bonneville years.