1998 Pontiac Bonneville SE review from North America
"Lots of features means lots of problems!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Driver side speaker cover came off.
Windshield leaks causing all types of electrical problems when it gets wet due to the wiring harness under the dash getting wet.
Paint chips real easy and it is hard to find touch-up paint that is the right color, medium teal green.
The hood latch squeaks and needs grease about once a month.
Exhaust manifold is not aligned properly with the exhaust pipe and causes the exhaust pipe to hit the transmission dipstick letting fluid seep out. Dealer said the engine would have to be removed and re-aligned to have the proper clearance.
Horn sometimes blows when you close the trunk to hard.
Right rear window works sometimes by either switch.
Console lid is broken.
Tie-rod ends are worn and need replacing.
Interior lights come on when your driving down the road and then won't work when you open the door.
Twilight Sentinel sometimes forgets to turn off the headlights after three minutes.
Fog light bulbs need replacing to often.
Do I need to keep going? I think I bought a lemon.
Alternator gage and oil pressure gage sometimes drop into the red area causing the "check gages" light and "low oil level" light to come on, although the oil level and alternator amperage are fine.
General comments?
This car has very good response during and after take-off.
Steering could use a little tightening and magnasteer is worthless.
Seats are comfortable.
Nice stereo.
All features are nice, just questions about reliability.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 Series II (3.8L) Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 110855 miles |
| Most recent distance | 115901 miles |
| Previous car | Oldsmobile Cutlass |
| Date of Entry | 15th July, 2003 |