1994 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE Electrical System Problems

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT HE DETECTED THE ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING. HE SAW GRAY SMOKE COMING FROM THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING VENTS, AND A YELLOW FLAME CLOSE TO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AREA. HE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED 911. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND DISTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD. NO REPAIRS COULD BE MADE DUE TO THE FIRE DAMAGE. *AK

Mileage: 146,000

DT: WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT WILL COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF IT OVERHEATED. BEFORE THIS OCCURRED THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. THERE ALMOST HAST BEEN AN ACCIDENT. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THEY FINALLY DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. THE HAVE DONE OTHER THINGS TO THE VEHICLE TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT IT DID NOT WORK. THEY HAVE FOUND IT TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK

Mileage: 92,000

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW. WITHIN 6MO THE FIRST ALTERNATOR PROBLEM OCCURRED. IN THE PAST 8YEARS I HAVE HAD 10 ALTERNATORS AND 4 BATTERIES PUT IN THE VEHICLE. EVERYTIME THE BATTERY GUAGE WOULD GO LOW WHEN CHECKED I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE ALTERNATOR. ON ONE OCCASSION I TOOK MY CAR DUE TO THE FACT THE DEALER WAS CLOSED, TO ANOTHER CAR REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT STATED THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND UNTIL THAT IS FIXED I WILL STILL HAVE ALTERNATOR/ BATTERY PROBLEMS. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE DEALERTO NO SATISFACTION. INITIALLY THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY SO THE DEALER REPLACED PARTS. THEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED KICKED IN, AGAIN PAYING FOR PARTS. WHEN THE WARRANTYEXPIRED I HAD GREAT EXPENSE PAYING FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I ALSO LOST USE OF MY VEHICLE AND HAD TO FIND ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME . AFTER SEVERAL CALLS AND PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE GM STATED I SHOULD GO BACK TO THE DEALER IT WAS A DEALER PROBLEM. WHEN I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND SERVICE MANAGER THEY SAID IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. THAT IT IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THAT THE CAR DRAWS A LOT OF ELECTRIC AL POWER. THEY COULD ONLY RECOMEND PUTTING IN A NEW WIRING SYSTEM ROUGH COST 3,000 BUT COULD NOT TELL ME THIS WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I KNOW MY CAR IS NOW 8 YEARS OLD. I HAVE ALL THE REPAIR BILLS SHOWING NINE GOING ON TEN ALTERNATORS. THE PROBLEM IS ON GOING AND I WAS TOLD YESTERDAY I NEED ANOTHER ALTERNATOR. THE DEALER'S ONLY SUGGESTION TO ME AS A CONSUMER IS THAT THEY COULD SELL ME ANOTHER CAR. WHY WOULD I BUY ANOTHER CAR FROM THEM IF THEY SOLD ME A PREVIOUS CAR WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND WON'T HELP ME FIX THEM. I AM AT A LOSS. MY CAR DOESN'T FALL UNDER LEMON LAW ALTHOUGH 9 SOON TO BE 10 ALTERNATORS TO ME QUALIFIES AS A LEMON. BECAUSE THE CAR IS OLDER THAT IS THE EXCUSE I AM GIVEN. CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW. WITHIN 6MO THE FIRST ALTERNATOR PROBLEM OCCURRED. IN THE PAST 8YEARS I HAVE HAD 10 ALTERNATORS AND 4 BATTERIES PUT IN THE VEHICLE. EVERYTIME THE BATTERY GUAGE WOULD GO LOW WHEN CHECKED I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE ALTERNATOR. ON ONE OCCASSION I TOOK MY CAR DUE TO THE FACT THE DEALER WAS CLOSED, TO ANOTHER CAR REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE BATTERY BUT STATED THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND UNTIL THAT IS FIXED I WILL STILL HAVE ALTERNATOR/ BATTERY PROBLEMS. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE DEALERTO NO SATISFACTION. INITIALLY THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY SO THE DEALER REPLACED PARTS. THEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED KICKED IN, AGAIN PAYING FOR PARTS. WHEN THE WARRANTYEXPIRED I HAD GREAT EXPENSE PAYING FOR PARTS AND LABOR. I ALSO LOST USE OF MY VEHICLE AND HAD TO FIND ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME . AFTER SEVERAL CALLS AND PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE GM STATED I SHOULD GO BACK TO THE DEALER IT WAS A DEALER PROBLEM. WHEN I TALKED TO THE DEALER AND SERVICE MANAGER THEY SAID IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. THAT IT IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THAT THE CAR DRAWS A LOT OF ELECTRIC AL POWER. THEY COULD ONLY RECOMEND PUTTING IN A NEW WIRING SYSTEM ROUGH COST 3,000 BUT COULD NOT TELL ME THIS WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I KNOW MY CAR IS NOW 8 YEARS OLD. I HAVE ALL THE REPAIR BILLS SHOWING NINE GOING ON TEN ALTERNATORS. THE PROBLEM IS ON GOING AND I WAS TOLD YESTERDAY I NEED ANOTHER ALTERNATOR. THE DEALER'S ONLY SUGGESTION TO ME AS A CONSUMER IS THAT THEY COULD SELL ME ANOTHER CAR. WHY WOULD I BUY ANOTHER CAR FROM THEM IF THEY SOLD ME A PREVIOUS CAR WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND WON'T HELP ME FIX THEM. I AM AT A LOSS. MY CAR DOESN'T FALL UNDER LEMON LAW ALTHOUGH 9 SOON TO BE 10 ALTERNATORS TO ME QUALIFIES AS A LEMON. BECAUSE THE CAR IS OLDER THAT IS THE EXCUSE I AM GIVEN. CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!

THIS IS THE SECOND BONNEVILLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS LISTED OWNED. SEEMS PONTIAC WOULD INVESTIGATE THESE PROBLEMS A LITTLE MORE. NEVER BUY ANOTHER. AFTER ONE ENGINE REPLACEMENT, WILL JUST REPLACE THE "HEAP" OF A CAR NEXT TIME. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC . ALTERNATOR/ BATTERY AND IGNITION MODULE HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC . ALTERNATOR/ BATTERY AND IGNITION MODULE HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE WILL STALL OUT AND DIE WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC . ALTERNATOR/ BATTERY AND IGNITION MODULE HAVE BEEN REPLACED. *AK

VEHICLE LOSES POWER, BUT DOES NOT STALL COMPLETELY. HAD ALTERNATOR REPLACED 2 TIMES. PROBLEM REOCCURED. *AK

ENGINE FAILS WITHOUT WARNING, CAR STALLS WHILE SITTING WARMING UP OR TRAVELING WITH NO WARNING. WHEN ENGINE STALLS, CAN OCCASIONALLY BE RESTARTED. HAVE HAD A COMPUTER CHIP AND FEUL PUMP REPLACED AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. WATER PUMP IS NOW GETTING VERY NOISY AND ALSO WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED NOW. WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, WE EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE TEMPERATURE SEEMED TO BE RISING AND THE CAR NOT OPERATING SMOOTHLY. REASSURED THERE WAS NO PROBLEMS TO BE FOUND.

THE PUSH ROD FAILED WITH NO OTHER ENGINE WARNINGS WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX. 65MPH. OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE IS THAT I'VE PUT 5 ALTERNATORS IN IT, THE 5TH COMING AT 79,000 MILES. THAT'S NOT NORMAL; ALL PONTIAC SAYS IS TOUGH! ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE THAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING ME? (DOT NUMBER: N/A TIRESIZE: N/A)

CAR STALLED & SHIM RING FOR ANY REASON, LOSS POWER STERRING AND BRAKING WHEN DURING NORMAL CONDITION. THREE OCCURENCES IN 3 MONTHS.

ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON. LATER, NONE OF THE LIGHTS WERE WORKING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, EVEN WITH A NEW BATTERY. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM WHEN THE VATS IGNITION FAILED (SPRING) THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD AND AIR BAG SYSTEM HAD TO BE REMOVED.

ALTERNATOR FAILS EVERY 40 TO 45 THOUSAND MILES.

ALTERNATOR FAILED TWICE. *AK

FRONT DASHBOARD IN CONSUMER'0S CAR STARTED TO SMOKE THAN CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN LOW TO HIGH SPEEDS, AT 55MPH, WARNING CHIME CAME SECONDS BEFORE HAPPENED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER VEHICLE ON PASSENGER SIDE, FOLLOWED BY BIG FLAMES; VEHICLE BURNED UP COMPLETELY; TOTALED; CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT HIGH TO LOW SPEED ENGINE SHUT DOWN, NO PRIOR WARNING, DEALER CAN'T CORRECT. TT

UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH ENGINE ON AND HEATER ON, ELECTRICAL SHORT, WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. TT

IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION IT IS DIFFICULT TO PUSH/ACTIVATE HORN DUE TO LOCATION OF HORN BUTTONS. *AK