1996 Pontiac Bonneville SE 3.6 V6

Summary:

Cooling system is an engineering fiasco and a money pit

Faults:

Constant overheating and running hot.

Fluid leaks on the garage floor.

Broken water pump.

Upper manifold cracked and coolant leaked into engine.

General Comments:

If you prowl the Internet, you will find that this is a serious engineering problem with all Pontiac Bonnevilles. The upper manifold is plastic, and develops cracks and leaks. Since it is not a "safety" problem, Pontiac and the U.S. government are not going to force a recall. Caveat emptor.

It is no wonder GM is losing market share, it's the last year for Bonneville, and GM is considering eliminating the entire Pontiac line. Over 8,000 Bonneville owners have had similar problems with no help from General Motors.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th March, 2005

1996 Pontiac Bonneville SE 3.8 liter V6

Summary:

The best car on the road, it kicks Chevy butt!!!

Faults:

No problems have happened.

General Comments:

This car has 240 horses and can take off from a stop sign like a bullet leaving a gun.

I recently owned a Ford Taurus and hated it because it had to few horses now my Bonny has a hundred more it is comfy its good for long distance travel and vacations.

It has never had any competition at leaving a stop sign.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th February, 2005

14th Feb 2005, 09:56

This review is a waste of time, not worth reading.

24th Jun 2010, 09:58

I have a Bonny too, and it is the best used car I have owned.

28th Nov 2014, 18:55

The review with 56,000 miles: I would hope you would not have much wrong at such low mileage! Write another review when you get to 120,00+.

1996 Pontiac Bonneville SE 3.8 Series II

Summary:

It has been beat, but is still going strong!

Faults:

My brother owned the car before me, and I know he beat it.

He didn't have to fix anything.

Now that I have it the only problem is the alternator is going out.

General Comments:

Love the car, it has great looks, awesome acceleration, and good mpg. I like the unique color of my car; it is a blue/greenish color. The seats are very comfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th December, 2004

16th Feb 2005, 19:25

I have the same color car it is so awesome I have friends with Nissans and Fords, but none of there cars look as unique as mine I LOVE my Bonny!!!

1996 Pontiac Bonneville SE 3.8

Summary:

These are really one of the nicest and most affordable cars on the road

Faults:

When I first got this car, the radiator was leaking. I bought it from an individual therefore it wasn't under any warranty. My husband fixed it and the radiator only costed around $100.00.

My air conditioner went out this past summer. It was a long hot summer in my navy blue car. I don't know what's wrong with it. The fan blows, but no cool air comes out.

My major problem is that my engine light is on and I can't figure out why. I took my car to Auto Zone where they have an engine light tester. It shows that the number six cylinder is misfiring. I naturally thought it was the spark plug wires or spark plugs. My husband changed both of them out for me and the light is still on. We've checked the coil for spark and there is spark. There is also a foul smell sometimes, like maybe it's running rich. I don't know what else to do. My inspections will be coming up before you know it and it will not pass with the engine light on. I wish I knew what was wrong. If anyone has had a similar problem, please comment.

General Comments:

I really do love the car. It's very comfortable and runs smooth. The radio system and speakers are wonderful. I also have a 93 Bonneville my husband drives. They are very nice and comfortable cars.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th December, 2004

24th Dec 2004, 21:29

My cars engine sound just like yours. We just had a guy look at it because the engine light was on; it said there were a few misses here and there in cylinder 4. It also smelled kinda bad. Sometimes when I put it in park the rpm's go from 1500 to 500, back and forth, then sometimes it dies. Can someone help me?

12th Feb 2005, 16:43

Control module and/or the EGR valve must be bad.

22nd Jun 2005, 17:04

I had the same problem... I put it on the diagnostic machine and it read an EGR Main Pin Fault, among a few other things. I changed the EGR, and it runs perfect. The EGR cost me about $150.00, and takes about 5 minutes to change. There are two bolts that hold it in place, it is very easy to replace... I hope this will help everyone...

Thanks...