1998 Pontiac Bonneville

CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. HE PROCEEDED OFF THE HIGHWAY, OPENED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE, AND FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHICH ENGULFED INTO FLAMES. WITHIN SECONDS CONSUMER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHO INDICATED THAT THE FIRE STARTED NEAR THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE FIRE OCCURRED DUE TO THE DEFECT DESCRIBED IN THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, RECALL 04V090000. BUT AFTER THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE HE CLAIMED THAT THE FIRE WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE DEFECT. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. *AK

I HAVE A 1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE WHICH WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR DUE TO NOT HAVING ANY HEAT IN THE CAR. I EXPECTED A FAULTY THERMOSTAT OR SOME OTHER MINOR PROBLEM. IT TURNED OUT THAT ENGINE COOLANT LEAKED OUT FROM THE PLENUM, WATER PUMP AND GASKETS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE WATER PUMP, WATER PUMP BELT, AND MANIFOLD (WITH THE VARIOUS GASKETS) MANIFOLD WAS ACTUALLY ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE DUE TO COOLANT LEAK INTO IT. THIS REPAIR COST OVER $1,000. UPON TALKING TO THE DEALER AND MY OWN INTERNET RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE GM 3800 ENGINE WHICH IS IN BONNEVILLES, GRAND PRIX AND BUICK LESABRE. I REFERENCE NHTSA CONSUMER COMPLAINTS LISTED UNDER BONNEVILLE AND GRAND PRIX COMPLAINTS OF "ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS" AND "ENGINE." I ALSO DIRECT YOU TO EDMUNDS.COM "TOWN HALL" SECTION(BONNEVILLE AND GRAND PRIX) THAT IS A CHAT ROOM THAT SHOWS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I GUESS I WAS LUCKY IN THAT AT LEAST MY ENGINE DIDN'T COMPLETELY SEIZE AS IS ALSO COMMON WHEN THE ANTIFREEZE COOLANT LEAKS INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. GM WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME A DIME ON THE COST. THIS CAR HAS JUST 36K MILES ON IT BUT IT IS 4 1/2YRS OLD AND THUS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CAR HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED, INCLUDING A DEALER OIL CHANGE JUST 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS PROBLEM. MY RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT THE ENGINE COOLANT LEAKAGE FROM THE PLASTIC GASKETS AND PLENUM INTO THE MANIFOLD AND COMBUSTION CHAMBER IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND NEEDS THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE FURTHER. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OF NO SERVICE AND THEY HAVE BASICALLY TOLD ME TO BUY JAPANESE FROM NOW ON. *SC *JB

NO EVENTS LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE, IT WAS IMMEDIATE. CAR STOPPED DEAD IN ITS TRACKS, STARTED ONE MORE TIME BEFORE IT DIED IN 1/8TH OF A MILE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS THE PROBLEM COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE. *JB REPLACED INTAKE MANIFOLD,GASKET,OIL FILTER, OIL, COOLANT & SPARK PLUGS.CLEANED OUT COOLANT FROM INTAKE AND CYLINDERS. CHANGE OIL AND FILTER.

HAD TUNE-UP AND REGULATORS CHANGED (BASED ON RECALL) ON 7/19/04. THEN ON 7/22/04 SMOKE EMITTING FROM EXHAUST AND THEN CAR WOULD NOT START. CAR TOWED AND REPAIRED (MANIFOLD CRACKED). ON 7/26/04 CAR TAKEN FROM SHOP, 2 HRS LATER CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THIS TIME CLAIMED STARTER WAS THE PROBLEM. CONSEQUENCES: OVER $1,500 IN REPAIRS.

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH CONSUMER SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, LIKE ELECTRICAL WIRES. STOPPED AND PULLED OFF ROAD. LIFTED HOOD AND BURNING WIRES SMELLED STRONGER NEAR ALTERNATOR. TOUCHED AREA, AND IT WAS HOT. TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS INFORMED THAT ALTERNATOR FAILED DUE TO BEARINGS BURNING OUT. FRONT BEARINGS CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO BURN. HAD TO REPLACE OLD ALTERNATOR WITH A NEW ALTERNATOR THAT HAD LARGER/BIGGER BEARINGS, AND WOULD NOT WEAR OUT AS FAST.*AK