1996 Pontiac Bonneville

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT. *NLM THEN 20 FEET DOWN THE ROAD THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED, TEARING APART THE DASHBOARD AND WINDSHIELD. GM DIDN'T SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND THEIR INSPECTOR SUGGESTED THAT THERE WERE PINE NEEDLES ON THE WINDSHIELD THAT CAUSED WATER NOT TO FLOW PROPERLY. THE SERVICE DEALER FOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR FULL OF WATER FROM FRONT TO BACK. THE SDM MODULE HAD CORROSION AND WATER DAMAGE WHICH POSSIBLY CAUSED THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. *SCC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT APRX 40MPH THE CAR LOST ALL POWER, AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THIS HAPPENED TWICE WITHIN 3 WEEKS. THE BRAKES STILL WORKED ,AND IT WAS A STRAIGHT ROAD SO WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITHOUT CAUSING ANY ACCIDENTS OR INJURY.*AK STEARING WHEEL AND PEDALS SHAKE BETWEEN 65 AND 75MPH. MECHANIC FOUND THAT SMALLER BRACKET OF THE DRIVE WHEEL HAS BECOME LOOSE. REPLACED THE BRACKET. WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS...THEN SHAKING STARTED TO COME BACK...WILL BE TAKING IT TO THE MECHANIC AGAIN..

CAR WAS AT APROXIMATELY 87000. TURNED THE CAR ON, THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION AND SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, DIDNT SEE ANY FLAMES, POPPED OPEN THE HOOD, AND SMOKE JUST CONTINUED TO PILE OUT. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THE ENGINE WAS ON ITS LAST BREATH. HAD ENGINE RELACED FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 4500 MILES ON IT FOR $1500. SOON AFTER THE ENGINE THE ALTERNATOR STARTED TO DIE, WHERE JUST BY STANDING NEXT TO THE CAR YOU CAN HEAR METAL TO METAL GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM IT. PAID $100 TO GET NEW ALTERNATOR. RIGHT AFTER ALTERNATOR THE EG R VALVE DIED, HAD IT REPLACED, ANOTHER $300 SPENT. NOW COME SPEDOMETER SAYING 99000 BUT THE SECOND ENGINE ONLY HAVING 60000 THE SERPENTINE BELT CRACKED AND WORN OUT BEYONG BELIEVE. ANOTHER $75 SPEND. WHILE HAVING THAT REPLACED THE MECHANIC POINTED OUT PUDDLES OF OIL ON THE ENGINE, THUS THE MANIFOLDS/GASKET ON ENGINE#2 WILL SOON NEED TO HAVE WORK DONE.SHOULD I CONTACT THE LOCAL DEALER ABOUT THE GASKETS LEAKING...DOES IT RELATE TO THE RECALL THAT WAS MADE ON THE MANIFOLDS. *AK

1ST THE PLENUM WAS MELTED BY THE EGR VALVE, WHICH CAUSED ME TO BE STRANDED. WHEN THAT WAS FIXED, I BEGAN HEARING A HIGH PITCHED WHINE ONCE THE ENGINE IS HEATED UP. WE HAVE REPLACEDTHE HARMONIC BALANCER POWER STEERING PUMP, WATER PUMP, ALL BELTS, CHECKED THE TIMIMG CHAIN, AND EVERYTHING ELSE WE COULD THINK MIGHT BE CAUSING IT, BUT I STILL HAVE THE WHINE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN STILL.*AK

REF: NHTSA RECALL #96V116000, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. PREVIOUSLY I ATTEMPTED TO CRANK THE 1996 BONNEVILLE AND IT MADE A LOUD NOISE LIKE A SHOTGUN BEING FIRED. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE AND ASKED WHAT MADE THAT SOUND. TODAY I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR HAD A CRACKED PLENUM,INTAKE AND IT WAS GOING TO COST OVER $600 TO REPAIR IT. THE CAR IS AT EASLEY PONTIAC IN EASLEY, SC. I ASKED THEM WASN'T THIS A TYPICAL PROBLEM WITH THE 3.8L V-6 ENGINE AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID YES. I ASKED HIM ABOUT ANY RECALLS AND HE SAID NO. I THEN WENT TO THE INTERNET AND CHECKED YOUR WEB PAGE AND FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL, AS REFERENCED ABOVE. I THEN CALLED GM PONTIAC SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH MS. TONYA BRISTLE AND INQUIRED ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC RECALL. SHE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHILE I STAYED ON THE TELEPHONE. SHE CAME BACK AND STATED THAT GM WOULD NOT COVER THIS REPAIR BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE 1996 BONNEVILLE. SHE ALSO SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE MAINTENANCE RECORDS ON THE CAR AND IT WAS ALMOST 7 YEARS OLD. I DO NOT AGREE WITH GM AND THINK THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE HISTORY OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NEARLY ALL OF THEIR 3.8L V-6 ENGINES. ALSO, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I CARRIED THE SAME CAR TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD CUT OFF GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I CALLED PONTIAC SERVICE AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THIS. NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAD A CLUE WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE WOULD REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP BUT HE WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THE CAR WOULD NOT CUT OFF AGAIN. I WONDER IF THESE TWO INCIDENTS ARE RELATED. *NLM