1998 Pontiac Bonneville Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Bonneville years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 277 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville. That is the most of any Bonneville model year in the database (11 years). The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (194 complaints, 70%), typically at around 70,741 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 28 fires, 7 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
.jpg){kind=link}
- 277owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Pontiac Bonneville problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 194 | 70% | 70,741 | “intake manifold” (45%) | $2,100 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 33 | 12% | 60,789 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 28 | 10% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 5% | 78,600 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 3% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 3% | 49,585 | — | — |
| Visibility | 8 | 3% | 118,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 3% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 2% | 52,753 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 1% | 111,520 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 1% | 105,673 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 1% | 49,378 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | 68,557 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Pontiac Bonneville recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3800 v6 (l36) engines and certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. A leak can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. If the engine does not start when cranked, the fuel from the leaking regulator and a mistimed spark can cause a backfire.
Risk: The backfire can rupture the intake manifold. The rupture of the intake manifold can displace a fuel line, pulling an injector out of place, and causing a fuel leak and possible fire.
Fix: Dealers will install new fuel pressure regulators with improved diaphragms. The recall will be conducted in phased mailings. Phase 1 began on june 30, 2004, and phase 2 began on september 30, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine compartment fires (EA02030) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 9, 2004, led to recall 04V090000.
- Engine compartment fires (PE02050) — opened Jun 13, 2002, closed Oct 22, 2002.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Engine compartment fire approximately 30 mins after shutdown. Incident 2015-00001363
The back two cradle mounts on both sides rusted out and mounts pulled through the cradle causing the steering to become loose filling and causing steering to be out of alignment and when hit brakes front would dart one way or the other and lots of noise coming from under vehicle from cradle…
My car has been stolen from sioux falls residents home july 10 th but have a police report [xxx] been spotted in mitchell off interstate 90 first parking lot right after exit 90 into mitchell tanish color trunk has bunngie cord on trunk silver small spot on passenger side pontiac 1998. Information…
I was driving on the new york thruway and all of a sudden, my car shut off. I had to power steer, no power brakes, the fuel gauge read no fuel and the bells went off. I had to try to get to a safe place and restart my car. This has happened many more times. I can be going 25mph or 70mph; i can have…
On multiple occasions i have pulled to a dead stop at a light and during the idling time the engine shuts off and it will not start again. Very embarrassing set of trips to nearby grocer. .. *tr
Other Pontiac Bonneville years
← 1997 Bonneville · 1999 Bonneville →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Bonneville | 27 | 0 |
| 2004 Bonneville | 28 | 0 |
| 2003 Bonneville | 54 | 2 |
| 2002 Bonneville | 89 | 2 |
| 2001 Bonneville | 129 | 0 |
| 2000 Bonneville | 214 | 2 |
| 1999 Bonneville | 143 | 3 |
| 1998 | 277 | 1 |
| 1997 Bonneville | 147 | 1 |
| 1996 Bonneville | 150 | 2 |
| 1995 Bonneville | 244 | 1 |
See all Pontiac Bonneville problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Pontiac models
Embed this 1998 Pontiac Bonneville badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline, electrical system problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 194 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Bonneville model years, the 1998 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.