1997 Pontiac Bonneville SE review from North America
"Comfortable, powerful, smooth, but repairs are troublesome"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
12,000 wind noise - gasket replaced.
21,000 Battery leak at positive terminal - warrantee replaced with 6-year battery (see below)
33,000 Tensioner/idler pulley bearing bad - warrantee replaced, did serpentine belt at same time.
37,000 Water pump bad; replaced and partially covered by extended warrantee.
38,600 Goodyear Eagle LS tire delaminated (not directly car related)
41,000 Battery again leaking, destroyed cables and acid corroded part of chassis. Not covered under warranty, so cost $480 out of pocket.
General comments?
Other than the seemingly high cost of repairs to this car, I like it's power, comfort, quietness, and appearance. I got the "SLE" package, which was not marketed in '97 as a model. It is very comfortable for long driving trips, and I arrive unstressed.
However, the mounting repair costs are beginning to worry me. Delco needs to fix their battery design - in hot climates they seem to always leak acid at the positive terminal, and it caused considerable damage this time.
Recommended reviews
| 1997 - Bonneville SE 3.8 (non-supercharged) Good, but not great - especially over 50,000 miles |
|
| Plenty of power with flaws |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 L V6 (non-supercharged) Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 5000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 40000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Taurus |
| Date of Entry | 6th July, 2001 |