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1997 Pontiac BonnevilleProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 147 owner complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

47
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the Bonneville median · #6 of 19 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints14726 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage98kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 11, 2015. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville has problems

147 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling5010
Electrical system285
Power train161
Steering140
Service brakes, hydraulic111
Fuel system, gasoline91
Vehicle speed control93
Air bags42
Fuel system, other30
12 other systems252

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1997 Pontiac Bonneville recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Pontiac.

Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

8 owners mentioned a cost

$1,100median

Middle half: $696 – $1,644

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1997 vs. every other Bonneville year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Bonneville median. How we score

'65'66'69'71'72'74'75'76'77'78'79'81'82'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

1997 Pontiac Bonneville safety ratings

1997 Pontiac Bonneville SSE 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1997 Pontiac Bonneville, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA02030 · closed Mar 9, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-090
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESPE02050 · closed Oct 22, 2002
    No recall
In owners' words

What Bonneville owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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…
Complaint 10450042 · Mar 2, 2012 · 107,000 miles
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…
Complaint 10292155 · Nov 14, 2009 · 160,000 miles
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,…
Complaint 10282369 · Aug 31, 2009 · 83,000 miles

Own a 1997 Bonneville?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.