FaultScore

Worst years for a Pontiac Bonneville

Owners have filed 2,580 complaints about the Pontiac Bonneville with NHTSA across model years 1977 to 2005. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

1998 Pontiac Bonneville

359 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

2004 Pontiac Bonneville

38 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Pontiac Bonneville year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2005 B 37 5 1 130,000 Airbags
2004 B 38 0 2 43,000 Electrical System
2003 C 67 4 6 80,500 Engine & Cooling
2002 C 113 5 4 48,927 Steering
2001 D 179 6 24 65,000 Steering
2000 D 301 4 23 65,000 Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
1999 C 176 9 9 70,096 Engine & Cooling
1998 D 359 12 40 70,226 Engine & Cooling
1997 C 188 3 25 98,774 Engine & Cooling
1996 C 181 6 11 110,000 Engine & Cooling
1995 D 330 18 4 115,500 Engine & Cooling
1994 C 123 14 10 127,000 Electrical System
1993 D 183 17 12 147,000 Brakes
1992 139 17 5 153,000 Brakes
1991 26 4 1 Brakes
1990 45 4 1 Brakes
1989 35 3 0 Brakes
1988 20 3 1 Electrical System
1987 24 1 1 Steering
1986 3 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
1985 2 0 0 Seat Belts
1984 1 0 0 Wheels
1982 1 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1981 2 0 0 Engine & Cooling
1979 2 0 0 Electrical System
1978 4 0 0 Tires
1977 1 0 0 Steering

What breaks on a Pontiac Bonneville

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 615 23.8%

Worst in 1998

Electrical System 324 12.6%

Worst in 1995

Brakes 256 9.9%

Worst in 1992

Steering 218 8.4%

Worst in 2000

Worst in 1993

Worst in 1998

Airbags 150 5.8%

Worst in 1995

Worst in 2000

Worst in 1995

Lights 80 3.1%

Worst in 1995

Worst in 1997

Seat Belts 51 2.0%

Worst in 1994

Worst in 1995

Suspension 45 1.7%

Worst in 2000

Exactly what failed on a Pontiac Bonneville

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Gasoline 154 18.6%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 113 13.6%
Engine 107 12.9%
Automatic Transmission 96 11.6%
Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 93 11.2%
Power Window Devices AND Controls 75 9.1%
Cooling System 55 6.6%
Frontal 53 6.4%
Alternator/Generator/Regulator 46 5.6%
Ignition 36 4.3%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Pontiac Bonneville, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 62 Jul 2026

Pontiac Bonneville problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Pontiac Bonneville

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.