My car caught on fire back in january 2020 under the hood on my way to work the fire started behind the vale cover gaskets and now oil is leaking on the manifold gaskets and gas is mixing with the oil and I can't drive my car anymore help me please.
2001 Pontiac Bonneville engine problems
31 complaints (24% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 31
- of this car's complaints
- 24%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe2
- Engine: gasoline2
- Engine2
- Cooling system2
- Exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Pontiac Bonneville engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Engine compartment fire
By letter dated march 12, 2008, general motors corp. (gm) has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (identified by the federal safety agency recall number 08v‑118) to address a defect in approximately 207,542 model year (my) 1997-2003 buick regal gs and pontiac grand prix gtp vehicles equipped with the l67 supercharged version of gm's 3800 series ii v6 engine.the recalled regal gs vehicles were built from august 1996 to june 2003 and the grand prix gtp from march 1996 through january 2003.according to gm, oil may escape past the valve cover gasket on the front cylinder bank (cylinders 1-3-5) and deposit onto hot exhaust system components.under certain conditions, it is possible for this oil to ignite a small pilot flame, which may spread to the adjacent plastic spark plug wire channel, the spark plug wires themselves, the plastic engine cover, and other under hood components.reports indicate this most often occurs on higher-mileage vehicles shortly after the vehicle has been driven and then parked.typically, the fire was discovered within 5 to 15 minutes after the vehicle was parked.during this time window, under hood temperatures may become elevated.such elevated temperatures combined with a lack of airflow through the engine compartment may permit a small pilot flame to propagate and ignite other fuel sources.to correct the safety defect, gm will install an improved design front valve cover gasket and spark plug wire retainer.this remedy will be suppliedfree of charge for all recalled vehicles.until sufficient parts become available to repair all of the affected vehicles, gm strongly recommends that owners observe the following important precautions: (1) they strongly recommend that owners do not park their vehicle in a garage, carport, or other structure; (2) if owners notice a burning odor, they should have their dealer inspect the vehicle - the dealer will inspect the vehicle without charge; and (3) use premium fuel (91 octane or higher) in the vehicle as recommended in the vehicle's owner manual.the action taken by gm is sufficient to resolve the issues raised by this investigation.the subject fire incident rate on the c-, g-, and h-platform subject vehicles is low.the agency will continue to monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.accordingly, this investigation is closed.see document file for additional information regarding this resume.
EA07008
What 2001 Pontiac Bonneville owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. The contact stated that the vehicle leaked oil out of the valve cover gasket and the spark plug wire retainer causing a misfire. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted but failed to properly accelerate while driving. The contact stated that there were fumes inside of the vehicle which caused eye irritation. The contact stated that the TPMS, check engine, service engine, seat belt, and air bags warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, after refueling, the fuel gauge failed to provide an accurate fuel reading. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the spark plug retainer and valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 03v238000 (fuel system, gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 264,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 pontiac bonneville. While driving out of the driveway, the engine made an abnormal banging sound and the vehicle caught fire. The engine blew up and produced a thick cloud of smoke. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was totaled. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was unknown.
Valve cover gaskets leaking oil can get on exhaust manifold causing an engine fire.
Tl* the contact owned a 2001 pontiac bonneville. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire and exploded when the ignition key was inserted. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
I had left my lights on and battery went dead. Went to jump the vehicle and charge the battery. Cables connected correctly. When I went to start the vehicle, I heard a loud explosion noise like a back fire but saw a flame then smoke out of engine. The engine hood was closed since the battery is located under the back seat or this could have been fatal or a serious injury. The flame must have been extinguished by the fluids? When we opened the hood after a short period, we found that their was some type of explosion in the engine. The vehicle was stationary and in my driveway
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact attempted to engage the brakes and the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and repaired. The type of repairs were unknown and the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000. Updated 11/12/14
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 pontiac bonneville. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited an abnormal noise when first started and caught on fire. The fire department was called and assisted with extinguishing the fire. There were no injuries. After the fire was extinguished, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the fuel pressure regulator, upper intake manifold, fuel injectors, fuel line, master cylinder, alternator, engine wiring harness, coolant reservoir, accelerator cable, and several other components would need to be replaced. The cause of the fire was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 86,700.
We had a lot of snow and I live on a slight hill. Went to start the car that was covered in snow to move the car on the other side of the street facing down hill. I turned the key to start the car and heard it pop or backfire which it had never done before. I tried again to start the car and now it sounded like the battery was dead (which I knew it could not have been). The next thing I knew, a neighbor ripped open my driver door and was pulling me out of the car saying "your car is on fire". My neighbors called 911 for the fire department who came and put the fire out but the car was totaled! I am fortunate that the neighbors heard the pop, came outside, saw the flames under the car, and I was not hurt. This happened with the car parked right in front of my house! Still unbelievable and very frightening!
When I drive my car it shuts down on me while driving and I have to wait at least 20 mins before it starts back up and sometimes it smells like something is burning.
Questions about the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville engine
Does the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville have engine problems?
Owners have filed 31 complaints about the engine of the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville, 24% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2001 Pontiac Bonneville engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Pontiac Bonneville have bad engine?
The Pontiac Bonneville model years with the most engine complaints are 1998 (200 complaints), 1999 (60 complaints) and 1995 (56 complaints).
Other 2001 Pontiac Bonneville problems
Steering 31Transmission 17Electrical 16Visibility 15Fuel system 14Airbags 11Brakes 9Body 8Seats 3Suspension 3Driver assistance 2Tires 2Acceleration 1Locks 1
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