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#BS-1998-PONBON-6AC4

1998 Pontiac Bonneville

Based on reports from 359 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
359
Crashes
12
Fires
40
Recalls
2
TSBs
51
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 359 complaints, 12 crashes, 40 fires, and 2 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.6x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

cracked intake manifold causing engine failure

6 complaints • Severity 9.7/10

$X,XXX
2

intake manifold leak

6 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

paint is peeling off the hood and roof

5 complaints • Severity 7.6/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineHIGH

52 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline issues — failures commonly reported around 70K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

5
0–30K
35
30–60K
76
60–90K
23
90–120K
6
120–150K
3
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (76 reports) • Median: 70K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (52 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline52 (14%)
Engine51 (14%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe47 (13%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine34 (9%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System25 (7%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery16 (4%)
Fuel System, Gasoline:carburetor System11 (3%)
Other9 (3%)

1998 Pontiac Bonneville: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville, with 52 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 70,452 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 70K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville, with 51 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville, with 47 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville, with 34 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

29
00
25
01
58
02
74
03
73
04
23
05
6
06
3
07
5
08
1
09
1
10
3
11
3
13
13
14
6
15

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

04V090000Jun 2004

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.

09E012000May 2009

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Pontiac Bonneville is the 2000 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is windows / windshield.

1998 Pontiac Bonneville vs. Class Average (Large Cars)

This vehicle

359

Class avg

219

1.6x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical large cars vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 359 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Pontiac Bonneville Model Years

20052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977197619751974197319721971197019691968196719661965
View all Pontiac Bonneville years →

1998 Pontiac Bonneville: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline, with 52 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville reliable?
The 1998 Pontiac Bonneville has 359 complaints, 12 crash reports, and 40 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 1.6x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Pontiac Bonneville problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Pontiac Bonneville has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Pontiac Bonneville problems start?
Based on 148 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 70,452 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 359 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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