Pontiac Bonneville Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 116 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Pontiac Bonneville across 11 model years. The 1995 model year has the most (18). The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (8% of reports).
- 116power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $2,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 40%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.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 9 of 116 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the Pontiac Bonneville at $2,400, and half of them between $1,150 and $4,200.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2008), 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 power train problems happen?
Based on 46 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 116 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Pontiac Bonneville power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Bonneville | 2 | 7% | 111,500 |
| 2004 Bonneville | 3 | 11% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Bonneville | 6 | 11% | 156,000 |
| 2002 Bonneville | 7 | 8% | 49,352 |
| 2001 Bonneville | 17 | 13% | 48,400 |
| 2000 Bonneville | 18 | 8% | 67,617 |
| 1999 Bonneville | 8 | 6% | 53,519 |
| 1998 Bonneville | 13 | 5% | 78,600 |
| 1997 Bonneville | 16 | 11% | 110,000 |
| 1996 Bonneville | 8 | 5% | 144,000 |
| 1995 Bonneville | 18 | 7% | 80,725 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 1999
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 4t65e automatic transmissions. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence." a retaining clip, which secures the manual valve to the linkage of the transmission detent lever, can become loose under a combination of possible driver shifting maneuvers and allow the link to become disconnected from the manual valve.
Risk: If the link disconnects, the driver's indicated prndl state may differ from the hydraulic state of the transmission. If the driver selects 'drive' and the transmission is actually in 'reverse', a vehicle crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. The contact stated that the vehicle leaked oil out of the valve cover gasket and the spark plug wire retainer causing a misfire. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was…
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…
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…
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. While driving approximately 45 mph, the contact attempted to engage the brakes and the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and repaired. The type of…
The car will from time to time accelerate on its own. On one occasion i took it to the shop after it had been doing for about a week, however on the day i took it to the shop it was not doing it and the shop couldn't find anything wrong with it. Recently it had been doing it for a couple days and…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Pontiac Bonnevilles have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 116 owner complaints about power train for the Pontiac Bonneville. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Pontiac Bonneville power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the Pontiac Bonneville?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,400 (half paid between $1,150 and $4,200), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Pontiac Bonneville?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 9 of 116 complaints.
Other Pontiac Bonneville problems
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (479)
- Electrical System problems (226)
- Steering problems (178)
- Visibility problems (118)
- Air Bags problems (117)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (113)
See all Pontiac Bonneville problems.