1997 Pontiac Bonneville SE review from North America
"If maintained, this car will last and last. Keep it checked, and it won't let you down"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
After purchasing, the water pump had to be replaced. The dealer was kind enough to replace it. I thought this was very nice considering it was used with no warranty.
Next, the serpentine belt had to be replaced at 68,000 miles. I consider this routine maintenance.
We had a leak in one of the lines on the back brakes. This was relatively inexpensive to get fixed.
At 80,000 miles we had the head gasket replaced. We were told this was common for this model because GM used cheap plastic gaskets. The replacement was aluminum which hopefully means that it will last longer. this cost roughly $730.00 to fix.
General comments?
Overall, I have to say that I love this car. Sure, we have had to fix some things, but I consider this normal. It is a man made piece of machinery. Over time it will cause some problems if not well maintained. We caught the gasket problem early on and avoided major engine problems with coolant and oil mixing.
This car is a great family hauler.
The car also handles and takes cures very well.
The transmission shifts seamlessly and beautifully.
This car also has a tougher look about it which makes me want to own it longer. Who knows, maybe we will reach 200,00 in this car.
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| 1997 - Bonneville LSE - 40 year anniversary 3.2 Series II Poorly engineered for the price |
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| 1997 - Bonneville SE 3.8 (non-supercharged) Good, but not great - especially over 50,000 miles |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 49000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 101000 miles |
| Previous car | Pontiac Bonneville |
| Date of Entry | 15th April, 2004 |