2003 Pontiac Bonneville Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Bonneville years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 9th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Pontiac Bonneville. That ranks 9th out of 11 Bonneville model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (10 complaints, 19%), typically at around 81,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 5 fires, 2 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
.jpg){kind=link}
- 54owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 10 | 19% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 10 | 19% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 9 | 17% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 11% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 11% | 156,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 9% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 6% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 6% | 229,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 6% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 6% | 42,665 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 4% | 35,900 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | 57,996 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | 108,231 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Pontiac Bonneville recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: On certain cadillac deville and seville passenger vehicles, funeral coaches, and limousines equipped with a v8 (4.6l) engine, oldsmobile aurora passenger vehicles equipped with a v8 (4.0l ) engine, and pontiac bonneville ssei passenger vehicles equipped with a supercharged v6 (3.8l) engine, the fuel tank pressure sensors are unusually susceptible to malfunctions. If the sensor malfunctions, excessive vacuum can be applied during self-diagnostic testing.
Risk: Fuel system components can be damaged and fuel can leak from the vehicle when it is refueled. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel tank pressure sensor. Owner notification began on october 17, 2003. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment.
Risk: Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver.
Fix: Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at 1-800-521-7300, cadillac at 1-800-458-8006, chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-762-2737.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Look at the car the car is located [XXX] first of all you start off as a passcode 2 system and then it says passcode 3 system on the thing and I just don't want to deal with this because you have the cut off switch you have the fuel cut off switch but you still have current going through the switch…
Passenger control arm is bad
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 pontiac bonneville. While the vehicle was stopped at a stop sign, smoke emerged from underneath the hood without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The contact called a local dealer (wheelers chevrolet of medford, 704 n 8th st, medford, wi 54461)…
With the key turned to acc you can pull the car out of park without depressing the brake pedal. With the key turned to run you must depress the brake pedal to pull it out of park. Car is not running. Also checked 3 other pontiac bonneville's. One is a 2002 vin # [xxx]. They all showed the same…
Check engine light has been on since 2003, have had 5 different service techs, including dealer look for the problem, no one seems to be able to fix or find the problem.
Other Pontiac Bonneville years
← 2002 Bonneville · 2004 Bonneville →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Bonneville | 27 | 0 |
| 2004 Bonneville | 28 | 0 |
| 2003 | 54 | 2 |
| 2002 Bonneville | 89 | 2 |
| 2001 Bonneville | 129 | 0 |
| 2000 Bonneville | 214 | 2 |
| 1999 Bonneville | 143 | 3 |
| 1998 Bonneville | 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 2003 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 2003 Pontiac Bonneville?
Owners most often report electrical system, steering, engine problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 10 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Pontiac Bonneville?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.