1998 Pontiac Bonneville SLE review from North America
"It's a great car, but if you buy one, get the intake manifold problem resolved!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
This car has been exceptionally reliable until a recent loss-of-coolant problem. It seems as if many GM 3800 engine owners have experienced a slow internal coolant leak because of a defective design in the plastic intake manifold. This resulted in an overheated engine and blown head gaskets. My mechanic is still working on the problem.
General comments?
I used to love this car. Maybe I still do, but I expect that the water leak problem is going to cost me about $2000. Okay, that's just 4 car payments, but I'm angry at GM because this was a known problem and they didn't notify me. As a result, $2000 out of pocket. I can't imagine Toyota treating their customers this way.
Aside from that, this car gets great mileage for a large car. I average 27-30 mpg in warm weather. The rental car I'm driving now (Dodge Neon) is one half the size and only gets about 33 mpg.
It has also been very reliable. The only other problem I experienced in 131,000 miles was a defective alternator that was replaced under warranty.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.8 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 131000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Camry |
| Date of Entry | 21st May, 2004 |