Your vehicle report
1999 Pontiac Bonneville
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 143
- Received Jan 1999 to Sep 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine suddenly shuts off while driving30 complaints · 21% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant16 complaints · 11% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle catches fire from wiring8 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V090000On 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.
- Recall #99V089000Vehicle 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 9 fires, 6 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 11 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 14 |
| 2000 | 21 |
| 2001 | 17 |
| 2002 | 15 |
| 2003 | 21 |
| 2004 | 26 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 143 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 30 | 21% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 16 | 11% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 8 | 5.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 3.5% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 5 | 3.5% | – | NHTSA recall #04V090000 |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 3.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 4 | 2.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 2.1% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 3 | 2.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V090000February 24, 2004910,873 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery
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.
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.
Remedy
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.
NHTSA recall #99V089000April 26, 199999,333 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
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.
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.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener.
NHTSA recall #99V072000April 12, 1999352 vehicles affected
wheels
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.
The tire/wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1999 Pontiac Bonneville.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN