FaultScore report
Owners have filed 20 complaints about the 1988 Pontiac Bonneville with NHTSA between 1995 and 2003. The largest single group is the electrical system.
20
Complaints
3
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
1 crashes, 0 fires
1 crashes, 1 fires
1 crashes, 0 fires
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
BRAKE FAILURE
BRAKE FAILURE
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PARKING BRAKE CABLE
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ANTI LOCK BRAKES
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Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
THIS WAS MY FIRST BONNEVILLE THE BRAKES WENT OUT SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING ON BOTH CARS. THIS 1988 BONNEVILLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS BECAUSE DAMAGES ADDED UP TO MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH.
NHTSA complaint #747975 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT; DURING IMPACT AT 30 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK. CAUSE UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #818629 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
DRIVING VEHICLE, SWERVED VEHICLE TO MISS ANIMAL IN STREET, LANDED IN REVINE, VEHICLE STUCK BETWEN 2 TREES, DRIVER PINNED/TRAPPED, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #984314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALL OF THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT CLICK IN OR HOLD THROUGH THE RETRACTOR.
NHTSA complaint #10029667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
PRIOR ALTERNATOR LASTED LEST THAN 15K MILES. I GET STRANDED EVERY TIME THE ALTERNATOR FAILS (NOW FOR THE FIFTH TIME). THIS IS DANGEROUS AND COULD LEAD TO MY INJURY OR EVEN DEATH, DEPENDING ON WHERE I AM THE NEXT TIME THE ALTERNATOR FAILS, INCLUDING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
NHTSA complaint #748439 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
THE ALTERNATOR ON MY 1988 BONNEVILLE SSE HAS FAILED FIVE TIMES SINCE NEW, THE LAST TIME AFTER ONLY LESS THAN 18K MILES AND LESS THAN 2 YEARS, EACH TIME STRANDING ME. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL BONNEVILLES FROM 1987 THROUGH MID-1992 MODEL YEAR HAVE VERY HIGH FAILURE RATES ON ALTNERNATORS, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE ALTERNATORS WERE TOO SMALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL LOAD ON THE BONNEVILLE. THIS REPRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE OWNERS OF THESE BONNEVILLES, INCLUDING ME, BECAUSE WHEN THE ALTERNATOR FAILS, IT STRANDS THE OWNER. A RECALL IS CLEARLY INDICATED, SINCE THERE ARE MILLIONS OF THESE CARS STILL ON THE ROAD.
NHTSA complaint #748501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
THIS WAS MY FIRST BONNEVILLE THE BRAKES WENT OUT SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING ON BOTH CARS. THIS 1988 BONNEVILLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS BECAUSE DAMAGES ADDED UP TO MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH.
NHTSA complaint #747975 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #722974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONING ELECTRONIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL.
NHTSA complaint #539918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
A-FRAME THAT MOUNTED TO VEHICLE HAD RUSTED, CAUSING ENGINE TO FALL OUT BACKWARDS SUDDENDLY. ALSO CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING. NO WARNING.
NHTSA complaint #822057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT; DURING IMPACT AT 30 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK. CAUSE UNKNOWN.
NHTSA complaint #818629 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION PUMP SHAFT SHEARED OFF DUE TO LONG TERM DETERIORATION.
NHTSA complaint #510667 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
PLASTIC DEFROSTER GRILLE ON DASHBOARD HARDENS WITH AGE WHEN EXPOSED TO UV RAYS, CAUSING GRILLE TO DEFORM/ POOR DEFROSTING/POOR VISIBILITY.
NHTSA complaint #505032 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SUSPENSION:FRONT
DRIVING VEHICLE, SWERVED VEHICLE TO MISS ANIMAL IN STREET, LANDED IN REVINE, VEHICLE STUCK BETWEN 2 TREES, DRIVER PINNED/TRAPPED, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #984314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
WHEN MAKING A TURN SLOPPY STEERING. DUE TO RACK DESIGN. TT
NHTSA complaint #972840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON/OFF.
NHTSA complaint #486054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL PUMP FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
NHTSA complaint #486054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
NHTSA complaint #486054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
NHTSA complaint #486054 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
THE CARS COMPUTER SHUT THE CAR DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND LOST ALL THE POWER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
NHTSA complaint #971635 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
PURCHASE CAR USED HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP FIVE TIMES HAD CAR FOR THREE YEARS. TT
NHTSA complaint #970737 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ALTERNATOR; BEEN REPLACE ABOUT THREE AND CAR WOULDN'T START. TT
NHTSA complaint #959601 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
UNABLE TO OPEN LEFT REAR DOOR, DEALER CLAIMS THAT THERE IS NO PART IN THE U.S. OR CANADA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. TT
NHTSA complaint #958701 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.