The Pontiac Bonneville has 11 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1995–2003. On average a defect was admitted 4.43 years after the car was built, the slowest took 13 years. The most recalled system is Fuel System, Gasoline (3 campaigns). Owners also filed 1,214 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Pontiac Bonneville
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Fuel System, Gasoline 3 Read
What's wrong. On certain cadillac deville and seville passenger vehicles, funeral coaches, and limousines equipped with a v8 (4.6l) engine, oldsmobile aurora passenger vehicles equipped with a v8 (4.0l ) engine, and pontiac bonneville ssei passenger vehicles equipped with a supercharged v6 (3.8l) engine, the fuel tank pressure sensors are unusually susceptible to malfunctions. If the sensor malfunctions, excessive vacuum can be applied during self-diagnostic testing
Risk. Fuel system components can be damaged and fuel can leak from the vehicle when it is refueled. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will replace the fuel tank pressure sensor. Owner notification began on october 17, 2003. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668
What's wrong. On certain cadillac deville and seville passenger vehicles, funeral coaches, and limousines equipped with a v8 (4.6l) engine, oldsmobile aurora passenger vehicles equipped with a v8 (4.0l ) engine, and pontiac bonneville ssei passenger vehicles equipped with a supercharged v6 (3.8l) engine, the fuel tank pressure sensors are unusually susceptible to malfunctions. If the sensor malfunctions, excessive vacuum can be applied during self-diagnostic testing
Risk. Fuel system components can be damaged and fuel can leak from the vehicle when it is refueled. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire
Fix. Dealers will replace the fuel tank pressure sensor. Owner notification began on october 17, 2003. Owners should contact cadillac at 1-866-982-2339; oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668
What's wrong. On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 3800 v6 (l36) engines and certain delphi fuel pressure regulators, the regulators have a much higher than usual rate of fuel leaks. A leak can allow fuel to enter the intake manifold through a vacuum line. If the engine does not start when cranked, the fuel from the leaking regulator and a mistimed spark can cause a backfire
Risk. The backfire can rupture the intake manifold. The rupture of the intake manifold can displace a fuel line, pulling an injector out of place, and causing a fuel leak and possible fire
Fix. Dealers will install new fuel pressure regulators with improved diaphragms. The recall will be conducted in phased mailings. Phase 1 began on june 30, 2004, and phase 2 began on september 30, 2004. Owners should contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668
Exterior Lighting 2 Read
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
What's wrong. Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors
Risk. Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash
Fix. Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. The safety recall began on may 11, 2009. Owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589
Air Bags 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment
Risk. Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver
Fix. Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at…
What's wrong. Certain passenger, mini vans, and sport utility vehicles have an air bag inflator on the driver's side that could fracture at a weld during a deployment
Risk. Pieces of the inflator could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the driver
Fix. Dealers will inspect, and replace, if necessary, the air bag module assembly on the driver's side. Owner notification began august 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact buick at…
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Some of these vehicles have internal fluid leaks in the brake hydraulic control unit
Risk. When the rear brake proportioning, antilock brake, traction control, or stability control feature is activated in some driving situations, the feature may not perform as designed
Fix. Dealers will inspect the ABS hydraulic modulator unit and if necessary, replace the hydraulic modulator
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with 4t65e automatic transmissions. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of fmvss no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence." a retaining clip, which secures the manual valve to the linkage of the transmission detent lever, can become loose under a combination of possible driver shifting maneuvers and allow the link to become disconnected from the manual valve
Risk. If the link disconnects, the driver's indicated prndl state may differ from the hydraulic state of the transmission. If the driver selects 'drive' and the transmission is actually in 'reverse', a vehicle crash could occur
Fix. Dealers will replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener
Wheels 1 Read
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with chrome plated aluminum wheels. Some of these wheels have a mounting surface that was not machined correctly, causing the wheel studs to break
Risk. The tire/wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will inspect the wheels and replace all wheels with date codes indicating that they may not have been machined correctly. The wheel mounting studs at any location where a suspect wheel was installed will also be replaced
Seats 1 Read
What's wrong. The seat cover trim material does not meet the flammability requirements of fmvss no. 302, "flammability of interior materials."
Risk. If an ignition source were present, a vehicle interior fire can occur
Fix. Dealers will replace the covers on the front seat backs, rear seat cushion and rear seat back assemblies
Electrical System 1 Read
What's wrong. These vehicles were assembled with a malfunction alarm, lighting and locking (mall) module that can contain a damaged capacitor. If the capacitor is damaged, the "key in the ignition" warning chime and the driver seat belt unbuckled warning chime and indicator lamp may not work. This does not meet the requirements of fmvss no. 114, "theft protection" and fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection." in addition, other chime reminder functions, interior lighting controls, and power door locking features are also affected
Risk. Consequence of non-compliance; the driver may not be aware that the key was left in the ignition or that the safety belt was not buckled
Fix. Dealers will inspect and, if required, replace the mall module
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 4.43 years |
| Slowest campaign | 13 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 42.9% |
| Campaigns on record | 11 |
Which Bonneville years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Air Bags | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | |
| 2000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 1999 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1998 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1997 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1996 | Exterior Lighting | |
| 1995 | Exterior Lighting |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Pontiac Bonneville have?
11 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1995–2003. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Bonneville still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 4.43 years, and the slowest campaign came 13 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.