Pontiac / Bonneville / 2002
2002 Pontiac Bonneville problems
Owners have filed 113 complaints about the 2002 Pontiac Bonneville with NHTSA. Steering accounts for 17.7% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of visibility at 12.4%.
Complaints113
Crashes5
Fires4
Injuries4
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Steering 17.7% · 20
Visibility 12.4% · 14
Engine and engine cooling 9.7% · 11
Electrical system 9.7% · 11
Suspension 6.2% · 7
Power train 6.2% · 7
Air bags 6.2% · 7
Structure 5.3% · 6
Severity
Of those complaints, 5 describe a crash, 4 describe a fire and 4 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 11 model years of the Pontiac Bonneville in this data, 2002 draws comparatively few complaints; 1998 is the outlier year.
Filings have fallen off, 5 in the last three years against 14 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 48,927 miles.
In owners' own words
The contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville. The contact was driving 40 mph when the steering wheel began making a clunking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering shaft was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 109,000. Steering · reported at 109,000 miles
The steering wheel has a clunking sound & feel as you turn the car. The local dealer has replaced the shaft 3 or 4 time in 58,000 miles, and it is very bad again. In the past they did not charge to repair, but now want to. This is like several other complaints in the system for this problem. Steering · reported at 20,000 miles
: The contact stated while driving various speeds and making turns a clunking noise was heard. A hesitation was also felt in the steering. The vehicle was driven to the dealer who determined the steering need to be lubricated and the steering fluid was check, however the problem persisted. Steering · reported at 40,600 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…