Problems · by component

1999 Pontiac Bonneville electrical system problems

26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Pontiac Bonneville cite electrical system, 17% of all 152 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
26
17% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“' TAKATA RECALL" DRIVING AND THE CAR CUT OFF..AFTER I STOP THE CAR AND TURN THE KEY OFF. WAS ABLE TO RE START THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPEN A FEW TIMES. THIS IS NOT A SAFE THING WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREE WAYS ....I WAS IN MOTION AND ON THE STREET. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS BUT WAS NOT WERE OF IT THIS WAS IN 2009 NOW IT 2016 AND THE PART IN MY CAR IS NOT WORKING?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2016Steering, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10903615
“UPON ACCELERATING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, AFTER REACHING HIGHWAY SPEED, VEHICLE STALLS AND WOULD NOT START. FLOODING ENGINE, GASOLINE COMING OUT OF EXHAUST, ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER RESEARCH AND REPLACING LEAKING LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD, THIS WAS NOT MY PROBLEM THERE WAS NO LEAK. AFTER MORE RESEARCH I REPLACED MORE SENSORS AND EVENTUALLY CYLINDER GASKETS AND LOWER INTAKE GASKET AGAIN. STILL ENGINE WOULD NOT START. AFTER 2 YEARS OF CAR SITTING I UNPLUGGED MAF SENSOR AND THEN IT STARTED FINALLY. FAULTY MAF SENSOR BUT NO WAY TO FIND OUT UNLESS IT IS UNPLUGGED BECAUSE SENSOR DID NOT GIVE OFF ANY PERTAINING FAULT CODE POINTING TO THE PROBLEM SPECIFICALLY. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 20, 2014Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10604668
“CAR STALLED WHILE DRIVING HOME AT NIGHT. NO ELECTRICAL POWER WHAT SO EVER INCLUDING EMERGENCY FLASHERS. NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT AND HAD NO WAY OF INDICATING TO OTHER VEHICLES THAT I HAD A PROBLEM. NO LIGHTS, NO POWER STEERING, NO BRAKES, NO BRAKE LIGHTS, NO EMERGENCY FLASHERS. AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO APPX. 25 MPH, POWER CAME BACK ON. I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AND DRIVE IT HOME. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 13, 2009Electrical systemODI 10258626
“THE 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM - POSSIBLY THE WORST CAR EVER MADE. AT 30,000 MILES, THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. AT 40,000 MILES, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS REPLACED. RECALLS REPLACED THE STEERING WHEEL & CENTER CONSOLE, AND OTHER RECALLS HAVE BEEN MADE. AT 50,000 MILES THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN, MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS CAUSED A $2,500 COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. UNDER 90,000 MILES, THE GAS GAUGE STOPPED WORKING AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS NEEDED REWIRING. NOW, UNDER 92,000 MILES A NEW PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL: THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON INTERMITTENTLY, THE TRUNK POPS OPEN ON ITS OWN, THE AIRBAG COMES ON AND OFF, THE CAR ONLY STARTS RANDOMLY, AND WORST OF ALL IT SHUTS OFF ALL ON ITS OWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET, SO YET AGAIN WE ARE FORCED TO HAVE DIAGNOSTICS RUN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT NEW AND COSTLY REPAIRS WILL NEED TO BE MADE. PONTIAC/GM SHOULD ADMIT THEY MADE A MISTAKE WITH THE GRAND AM/OLDSMOBILE ALERO AND PAY ALL THE CURRENT OWNERS SOME $$ AND TAKE ALL THE CARS TO A JUNK YARD. THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA COMPLETELY RECALLED THESE CARS FOR THE CITIZENS OF CANADA, YET IN THE U.S. IT'S THE UNFORTUNATE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WHO…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 10, 2007Steering, Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bags, StructureODI 10199037
“1999 GRAND AM GT SECURITY LIGHT HAS BEEN A ONGOING PROBLEM EVERY SENSE I PURCHASED MY CAR AND THAT WAS OVER A YEAR AGO. PROBLEM HAPPENED A MONTH AFTER A HAD THE CAR I COULD NOT TAKE THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER THE WARRANTY WAS OVER WITH 30 DAYS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 16, 2007Electrical systemODI 10190862
“DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE ENGINE STALLED, NO WARNING LIGHTS ILUMINATE IN THE DASH BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED NO PROBLEMS IN THE ENGINE OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. THE CONTACT CONTINUES TO DEAL WITH THE STALLING ENGINE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 29, 2006Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10161104

Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 1999 Bonneville problem areas