Problems · NHTSA complaints
2003 Pontiac Bonneville problems
Owners filed 67 complaints about the 2003 Pontiac Bonneville with NHTSA between Apr 2002 and Jul 2026. The most-cited component is steering (12).
Complaints
67
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Steering12
- Electrical system11
- Engine and engine cooling10
- Engine9
- Power train6
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Structure4
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Visibility3
- Air bags3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Fuel system, other2
- Electronic stability control (esc)1
- Seat belts1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
5
6
3
5
8
3
8
3
2
2
0
9
4
3
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 6 |
| 2005 | 3 |
| 2006 | 5 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 8 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Steering
12 reports
“2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE SSEI WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, LEFT OR RIGHT FROM A STOPPING POSITION A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE APPEARS. IT IS FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN. WHILE DRIVING THE NOISE HAPPENS RARELY. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THIS BUT NO RECALL AS OF YET. I AM WORRIED THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEEDS ESPECIALLY. IS SOMETHING LOOSE AND/OR GETTING RUBBED TO CAUSE DAMAGE AND LOSS OF STEERING IN THE FUTURE? GM DEALER DEFECT? *TR”
Electrical system
11 reports2 fires
“Look at the car the car is located [XXX] first of all you start off as a passcode 2 system and then it says passcode 3 system on the thing and I just don't want to deal with this because you have the cut off switch you have the fuel cut off switch but you still have current going through the switch or the fuel they fuel I'll probably leaking into the tank it doesn't start but still sending fuel the oil has excessive amount of liquid in it so does transmission I bought it used the guy goes you know I lost the key go in and remove it I started without the key you know or something like that and I said well here's I got the chamber and I will get it anyway I don't want to deal with this take your car around it took that he sold a mindful but it took the Kelly converter around he didn't tell me about it he asked who did it well he was the city I guess a city bought this car now they're trying to sell it I work clean the electrical Transit system to get a car doesn't work just take it just get it out of it I'm going to be blunt with you just get this XXX car off the property please thank you the XXX had no gas now it shows a full tank of gas just trying to blow me…”
Engine and engine cooling
10 reports1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MOVING THE VEHICLE FROM ITS PARKED LOCATION, THE CONTACT NOTICED ENGINE OIL LEAKING ON THE GROUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING DIMINISHED ENGINE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V701000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. UPDATED 03/16/16*JB”
Engine
9 reports2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, SMOKE EMERGED FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (WHEELERS CHEVROLET OF MEDFORD, 704 N 8TH ST, MEDFORD, WI 54461) AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,600.”
Power train
6 reports
“WITH THE KEY TURNED TO ACC YOU CAN PULL THE CAR OUT OF PARK WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. WITH THE KEY TURNED TO RUN YOU MUST DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO PULL IT OUT OF PARK. CAR IS NOT RUNNING. ALSO CHECKED 3 OTHER PONTIAC BONNEVILLE'S. ONE IS A 2002 VIN # [XXX]. THEY ALL SHOWED THE SAME OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS. *TR”
Fuel system, gasoline
4 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REFUELED, A FUEL ODOR EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING AND THE FUEL TANK PRESSURE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 03V238000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATE 01/15/16 MA”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.