Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 709 | 09/01/2005 | 10018126 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. gm tech link. *tt | 12/15/2005 | |
| 040604024 | 04/01/2004 | 10012634 | Powertrain control module will not properly communicate on board diagnostic freeze frame information to nontech2 service or test equipment. *eh | 03/09/2005 | |
| 03034 | 07/01/2003 | 10003430 | Engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket, or at the upper intake manifold to lower intake manifold to lower intake manifold gasket. this condition may result in a low engine coolant level and higher engine | 10/20/2003 | |
| 990603009A | 02/01/2004 | 040861001 | 10001285 | Floor pan corrosion perforation in battery compartment. *tt update *eh | 04/25/2003 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 03019 | 07/18/2003 | 10006144 | Engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket, or at the upper intake manifold to lower intake manifold to lower intake manifold gasket. this condition may result in a low engine coolant level and higher engine | 04/22/2004 | |
| 070803 | 07/08/2003 | 10003814 | The vme message is to provide information about a new product field action regarding a customer satisfaction program for an engine coolant leak. the engine coolant may leak at the upper intake manifold throttle body gasket or at the upper | 11/03/2003 | |
| 030601016 | 05/01/2003 | 10002372 | Loss of coolant, milky colored oil. *tt | 08/26/2003 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 0804 | 08/01/2004 | 10014346 | Oil life system reset procedures - cars. *nm | 04/29/2005 | |
| 040601021 | 06/01/2004 | 10012148 | New rear main seal and special tool for installation. *tt | 02/15/2005 | |
| 3180 | 3180A | 10010868 | Dealers may comment on a chuggle, surge, misfire condition. *tt | 12/15/2004 | |
| 3007 | 01/01/2004 | 10008786 | 3.8l engine oil consumption. *tt | 08/23/2004 | |
| 01353 | 01/01/2004 | 01353A | 10007937 | Engine misfire due to injector fretting corrosion. *tt | 07/16/2004 |
| 030604030 | 03/01/2007 | 030604030C | 10002166 | Multiple driveability symptoms of long or hard starts, chuggle, rough idle and light or intermittent misfire due to clogged fuel injectors. *tt | 08/14/2003 |
| 010601008A | 05/01/2002 | 010601008 | 634813 | Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak. *tt | 10/09/2002 |
| 010601008 | 02/01/2001 | 619177 | Some owners may comment on a repeat engine oil pan leak. *tt | 05/17/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 020604014 | 03/01/2002 | 632322 | Subject regarding the elimination of the service bay test procedure. *tt | 07/12/2002 | |
| 311001 | 10/31/2001 | 628072 | Some vehicles with the supercharged 3800 engine may experience a hard start or extended crank. *tt | 03/05/2002 | |
| 300701 | 07/30/2001 | 625132 | Information on exhaust leak type noise when the vehicle is cold. *yh | 11/16/2001 | |
| 210501 | 05/21/2001 | 619757 | Some customers may comment that the vehicle will not start; it will only start intermittently. *tt | 06/28/2001 | |
| 010604029 | 04/01/2001 | 619361 | Some vehicles built prior to vin breakpoint 14234731 may exhibit poor hot engine idle quality. *tt | 05/24/2001 | |
| 990603005A | 12/01/2000 | 990603005 | 618099 | Some vehicles may exhibit a generator noise (whine / hum / moan / vibration) in passenger compartment at idle, slow speeds, decelerating or parking maneuvers. *jb | 04/04/2001 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||||
| 040605008 | 07/01/2004 | 10012115 | Availability of exhaust muffler for service. *tt | 02/14/2005 | |
| 040601017 | 06/01/2004 | 10008471 | New upper intake manifold and gasket kits. *tt | 08/02/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| EA07008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/12/2007 | 05/01/2008 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | 08V118000 | |
| By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by nhtsa recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume. | ||||||
| EA07008 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/12/2007 | 05/01/2008 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE | 09V116000 | |
| By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by nhtsa recall number 08v-118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 12/12/2011 | 174000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. the contact stated that fuel fumes would seep into the vehicle and the vehicle would emit a loud clicking noise. a local mechanic and dealer were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 174,000 and the current mileage was 190,000. sm. | |||
| 12/12/2011 | 174000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. the contact stated that fuel fumes would seep into the vehicle and the vehicle would make a loud clicking noise. a local mechanic and dealer were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 174,000 and the current mileage was 190,000. nw | |||
| 10/27/2011 | 197313 | ||
| On october 27,2011 i came on from work around 7:00 pm turn my car of and went into the house.i heard some one bamming on the back door , i open the door and a guy said that your car is on fire he asked if i had any on else in the house i told him yes so i go inside to get my children out the house.that is when i saw the the same guy who was knock on the door use my hose pipe spraying water on the car. at that time i called the sheriff's department they advise me that the plaquemine fire department was on there way. the fire department put the rest of the fire out.one of the fire fighter told me that it was an eletrical fire. | |||
| 10/08/2008 | 93767 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. the contact noticed coolant leaking underneath the engine compartment. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced the intake gasket, valve cover gasket, oil pan, and several piping components at the cost of $1,400. the repairs were made at the contact's expense; however, the vehicle continued to leak coolant. the dealer stated that the contact should not be concerned. the contact later took the vehicle to a different dealer and they found that a coolant elbow pipe had been knocked out of place, which caused the leak. the necessary repairs were made to the vehicle for the second time at the cost of $10, due to the failure of the initial dealer. the failure mileage was 93,767 and current mileage was less than 105,000. updated 07/08/09 *bf the front passenger electric window motor failed and needs to be replaced for a second time. updated 07/08/09.*jb | |||
| 03/28/2009 | 81821 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. the contact smelled something similar to that of an electrical fire coming from the vehicle. a leaking valve cover gasket was replaced and the contact realized that there was a recall on 3.8 v6 gm engines. at the time, nhtsa campaign id number 09v116000 only applied to pontiac grand prix's, not bonnevilles. the contact wants the manufacturer to pay for the repair cost since the failures were identical. she feels that it is a major safety issue. the current mileage was 83,000 and failure mileage was 81,821. updated 05/19/09 *bf updated 05/20/09.*jb | |||
| 01/19/2009 | 141000 | 1 | |
| Drove vehicle for 25 miles from work to day-care facility to pick up my daughter. drove under various speeds. parked car and went into pick up daughter came back out and smoke was coming from beneath the hood. opened the hood and there was a fire near the exhaust manifold and valve cover area. fire was spreading to plug wires, plastic engine cover and the wiring harness near the throttle body. *tr | |||
| 10/07/2008 | 1 | ||
| 2001 bonneville ssei 3.8l supercharged v-6 engine identical to engines in recall number ea07008. strong burning smell. valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, intake manifold gasket all leaking! oil is leaking into and contaminating engine cooling system! why isn't this model included in ea07008 recall? your website doesn't even list bonnevilles for 2001. please investigate and respond!!! *tr | |||
| 03/10/2008 | 100000 | 1 | 09/05/2002 |
| Ref nhtsa investigation ea07008, why doesn't it include 2001 bonneville ssei ,i do have the same problem as the grand prix and the regal gs. *tr | |||
| 02/13/2008 | 1 | ||
| I had gone to a store, the car ran normal. i was on my way back when i met a man flashing his lights and waving his arms coming toward me. i stopped and he told me there was a fire under my motor. i got out and within 2 minutes the car was completely engulfed and totalled. *tr | |||
| 05/05/2006 | 70000 | 1 | 07/21/2005 |
| Jumped vehicle due to dead battery,when key was turned engine backfire sound and blew up. intake exploded parts of engine thrown every where. engine caught on fire. *tr | |||
| 10/10/2005 | 1 | 10/20/2002 | |
| We own a 2001 pontiac bonneville. it has had to have a new fan motor, new manifold. and in dec 2003 we had to replace the rack and pinion, in dec 2004 we had to replace the rack and pinion. and now it is making the same noise again. in reading on the internet i see that there are many complaints with pontiac over the rack and pinion issue. they need to make changes to correct this problem. *jb | |||
| 05/15/2004 | 1 | 11/24/2003 | |
| 1)in march of 2004,i had to replace a front bearing on this vehicle,to register it. i then had the tires balanced,believing the shaking in the front end would stop,it hasn't.my next plan was to have the front end checked out.may 15th 2004 i started getting a knocking in the engine and set up an appointment to have it checked. the mechanic told me that there was a problem with the heads and that they may need to be redone. i spoke if some other items i wanted done: adjust sun roof,fix drivers window,why is there still a shaking in the front end on the highway and why am i getting water in the trunk? the mechanic expresseed that this vehicle had been in an accident. the whole drivers side of the vehicle has been replaced. which might explain why the sun-roof is out of alignment,the trunk leaks water,the front drivers barring had to be replaced and the engine is quite loose under the hood. this vehicle was obviously in an accident with the first owner, repaired and turned in at the end of the lease. also, how many other vehicles made in this year had to have the heads worked on at 45000 miles,or was the mileage turned back for the return of the lease????*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 02/17/2003 | 40000 | 08/15/2002 | |
| The intake cover is made of plastic, antifreeze and plastic do not make a good combination. this has caused leaking in the intake and cost me over $600 for repairs. the thing is the mechanic knew the problem as soon as we raised the hood because he had seen it so many times in this model. i believe this to be a manufacturer problem and something needs to be done about it. | |||
| 1 | 06/21/2001 | ||
| Consumer believes that a cooling system leak has gone undetected since delivery of vehicle.*jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 11/26/2001 | 1997 | 1 | 10/31/2001 |
| Car lugs down intermittently at 30 mph and at 45 mph. verification of problem with dealer has been problematic as it does not occur all the time. on nov 13, 2002, the dealer replaced a valve assembly (part 24218255 -valve rem 4.265; part 10478146 - valve solenoid 4.265; part 24207957 - gasket kit 4.265; part 24219819 - valve assembly 4.265). *la | |||
| Consumer states that while driving at highway speed the engine shut down causing lost of powersteering. please provide any additional information. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 12/29/2007 | 89895 | 1 | 11/24/2003 |
| I attempted to start my 2001 pontiac bonneville. it was parked in my garage. a load explosion from under the hood followed by flames. i opened the hood and put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. the intake manifold was split wide open. *tr | |||
| 10/25/2004 | 60000 | 1 | |
| While driving at any speed vehicle stalled when getting ready to stop or make a turn. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 10/28/2006 | 1 | 03/24/2003 | |
| I have had numerous problems, airbag sensor front, steering noise 4th time, and catalytic converter noisy. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 04/01/2009 | 120000 | 1 | 06/01/2008 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. the contact stated that her vehicle would not start and the engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. in addition, she smelled a strong odor of gasoline coming from the vehicle. upon further inspection, she noticed that the intake manifold was ruptured. the manufacturer stated that they would not assume responsibility for the repairs because the vin was exlcuded from nhtsa campaign id number 04v090000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery). the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 120,000. updated 5/7/09 *cn updated 05/08/09.*jb | |||
| 10/05/2006 | 31 | 5 | 12/05/2001 |
| I have had a steering problem since i purchased my 2001 bonneville se. i have a document id #01-02-32-001a that states 2000-2002 pontiac bonneville has a clunk noise from front of steering wheel rotation (lubricate intermediate shaft). after months of getting a run-around duke pontiac in suffolk va finally diagnosed my problem and lubricated the shaft on 03/01/02. the noise stopped for about a year or so and has been getting worse. it now feels like the car has a safety issue because it is hard to control at low or higher speeds. i was advised by perry buick -pontiac 10/05/06 that the noise i'm hearing is from the intermediate shaft. i also experienced low fluid levels that was detected on 8-16-05 when i got an oil change from tune up plus. i then went to perry buick-pontiac and was charged $376.62 to replace upper intake manifold and the work order was noted that the coolant reservoir was empty. after investigating i found that there was a notice in 2003 that pertains to engine coolant leak at the upper intake manifold to throttle boby gasket. it states that the condition could result in low engine coolant level and higher engine temperature. i feel that general motors should replace the intermediate shaft because i still own the car and am having the same problem that i feel is a threat to my safety and to those who ride with me. i also feel that general motors should reimbursed me the $376.62 that i paid 8-18-05 to have the manifold replaced. i also had a fuel leak oct 5,20005 and am not sure if that was not related to the problem aforementioned. *jb | |||