1999 Pontiac Bonneville engine and engine cooling problems

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. IN 2003, WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED A HUGE CLOUD OF WHITE SMOKE AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD BLOWN THE GASKET. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS REPLACED AS WELL AS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ITSELF. IN 2005, THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR SWITCH BLEW OUT AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED IN 2007. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO BLOW DUE TO LEAKAGE OF FUEL INTO THE ENGINE. ALSO, THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER SWITCH WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. HE HAD TO REMOVE THE FUSE TO PREVENT IT FROM DRAINING THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000. UPDATE 09/10/08 *CW UPDATED 09/19/08. *JB”

“PLASTIC ENGINE INTAKE PLENUM ASSY MELTDOWN CAUSING COOLANT INTO CYLINDERS OF ENGINE. ORIGINAL INCIDENT IDENTIFIED TO POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO 1ST CYLINDER. PLENUM ASSY REPLACED WITH METAL SLEEVE WHICH MECHANIC CLAIMED WAS SUPERIOR TO ORIGINAL MFG PART. PRIOR DAMAGE TO 1ST AND 2ND CYLINDERS BECAME PERMANENT MONTHS LATER WHEN ENGINE SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING. RESEARCHED RECALL DATA AND FOUND NOTHING TO DATE. MECHANIC ACKNOWLEDGES PROBLEM IS FREQUENT AND KNOWN BY MANUFACTURER FOR LONG TIME. CONTACTED GM AND WAS REFUSED ANY TYPE OF COMPENSATION. RESEARCHED COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA A FOUND AN UNBELIEVABLE LARGE VOLUME OF THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. INTEND TO CALL NHTSA DIRECT AND FIND OUT STATUS OF LARGE COMPLAINT BASE WITH NO ACTION. INTEND TO CONTACT ALL OTHERS FILING COMPLAINTS FOR DEFINITE IMMEDIATE CLASS ACTION. *TR”

“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…”

“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FRACTURED A YEAR AGO WHEN THE CAR HAD 40,000 MILES. THE FRACTURE IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD CONSTITUTED A LEAK AND AS A RESULT OF THE LEAK THE ENGINE RAN VERY INEFFICIENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED 3 TIMES TO PROVIDE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS PAID BY THE CONTACT. UPDATED 8/30/2006 - *NM”

“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.”

“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE IT BACKFIRED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING COOLANT AND THE GASKETS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN ALERTED.”