2001 Pontiac Bonneville Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 7%of 129 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 105,500miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the engine of the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville, 7% of the 129 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 105,500 miles. 5 a fire, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My car caught on fire back in january 2020 under the hood on my way to work the fire started behind the vale cover gaskets and now oil is leaking on the manifold gaskets and gas is mixing with the oil and I can't drive my car anymore help me please.”
NHTSA complaint #11350207, filed 2020-08, 191,600 miles“I had left my lights on and battery went dead. Went to jump the vehicle and charge the battery. Cables connected correctly. When I went to start the vehicle, I heard a loud explosion noise like a back fire but saw a flame then smoke out of engine. The engine hood was closed since the battery is located under the back seat or this could have been fatal or a serious injury. The flame must have been extinguished by the fluids? When we opened the hood after a short period, we found that their was some type of explosion in the engine. The vehicle was stationary and in my driveway”
NHTSA complaint #10779022, filed 2015-10, 150,000 miles“The contact owned a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire and exploded when the ignition key was inserted. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10786335, filed 2015-10, 100,000 miles“The contact owns a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact attempted to engage the brakes and the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and repaired. The type of repairs were unknown and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000. Updated 11/12/14”
NHTSA complaint #10633215, filed 2014-09, 25,000 miles“The contact owns a 2001 Pontiac Bonneville. The contact stated that the vehicle leaked oil out of the valve cover gasket and the spark plug wire retainer causing a misfire. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted but failed to properly accelerate while driving. The contact stated that there were fumes inside of the vehicle which caused eye irritation. The contact stated that the TPMS, check engine, service engine, seat belt, and air bags warning lights were illuminated. …”
NHTSA complaint #11343664, filed 2020-08, 264,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11004761Jun 28, 2024This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or…
- 10242298Aug 10, 2023This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308…
- 10178387Jul 27, 2020This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
- 10176326May 21, 2020This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308…
- 10176607May 8, 2020This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank…
- 10167437Oct 14, 2019This Preliminary information communicates to the technician the need to inspect the induction system for potential icing issues in very cold ambient temperatures. To allow the…
- 10160987May 7, 2019This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician to not remove the torque converter bolts and start the engine as this may cause damage to the…
- 10160983May 6, 2019This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
- 10144451Aug 8, 2018This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about engine block of possible cylinder bore damage, scoring or out of round as the possible…
- 10129097Jan 25, 2018This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | 15% |
| 2003 | 9 | 17% |
| 2002 | 4 | 4% |
| 2001 | 9 | 7% |
| 2000 | 5 | 2% |
| 1999 | 1 | 1% |
| 1998 | 6 | 2% |
| 1997 | 1 | 1% |
| 1996 | 1 | 1% |
| 1995 | 1 | 0% |
| 1989 | 1 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
31 complaintsEngine cooling
22 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
17 complaintsElectrical system
16 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
15 complaintsFuel system
14 complaintsAir bags
11 complaintsBrakes
9 complaintsBody and structure
8 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsSeats
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology