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1998 Pontiac BonnevilleProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 277 owner complaints about the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

33
CarFlaw IndexUse caution2.1× the Bonneville median · #1 of 19 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints27743 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage71kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 17, 2015. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville has problems

277 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 cooling19417
Fuel system, gasoline335
Electrical system287
Power train131
Visibility81
Vehicle speed control82
Steering72
Engine62
Air bags43
11 other systems270

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

1 recall

1998 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.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

71kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 90 engine and engine cooling complaints. 90% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 42% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles81under 100k miles9100k miles or more
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

23 owners mentioned a cost

$1,000median

Middle half: $725 – $1,550

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

1998 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

1998 Pontiac Bonneville safety ratings

1998 Pontiac Bonneville SSE 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

1998 Pontiac Bonneville side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1998 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.

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…
Complaint 10713247 · Apr 27, 2015 · 105,673 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT IT HESITATED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE PLASTIC GASKET FROM…
Complaint 10413890 · Jul 21, 2011 · 80,433 miles
98 PONTIAC 86,000 MILES INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME... PARTS REPLACED...SPARK PLUGS (FOULED)..STARTER ASSEMBLY.. MOTOR WAS WATERLOCKED BROKE STARTER...INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED.....OIL CHANGED DUE TO COOLANT CONTAMINATION...REPLACE ANTIFREEZE...TOTAL BILL LABOR AND PARTS...…
Complaint 10409152 · Jun 28, 2011 · 84,222 miles

Own a 1998 Bonneville?

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