2000 Pontiac Bonneville: common problems

Owners of the 2000 Pontiac Bonneville filed 214 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and steering. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 214
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Visibility 27% of all complaints
2 Steering 22% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 17% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
7 Suspension 5% of all complaints
8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Visibility: 58 complaints (27% of all).
Steering: 47 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 37 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 32 complaints (15% of all).
Powertrain: 18 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 6 complaints
3.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cylnamed in 6 complaints
automatic, 4-speed

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 214 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

windows, sunroof59 · 28%
smoke, burning smell, fire26 · 12%
knocking, grinding or other noise20 · 9%
vibration15 · 7%
jerking, harsh shifts9 · 4%
steering or power steering problems9 · 4%
A/C or heater8 · 4%
stalls while driving7 · 3%
warning lights, check engine7 · 3%
hesitation when accelerating4 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Visibility	58	0
Steering	47	1
Engine and cooling	37	1
Electrical system	32	0
Powertrain	18	0
Service brakes	16	0
Suspension	11	0
Fuel system	10	0
Structure	10	0
Equipment	6	0
Air bags	5	2
Engine	5	0
Seats	5	0
Tires	5	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The low track system malfunctioned, and vehicle caught fire. As a result the vehicle was a total loss. Dealer notified. Please provide additional information. Ph
Engine and cooling · crash · 2003-02-06 · NHTSA complaint #10006666
Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision with a lincoln town car at a 10-15 mph impact, and both air bags did not deploy. Vehicle taken to dealer for repairs. Feel free to provide any further details on this matter.
Air bags · crash · 2001-01-22 · NHTSA complaint #878716
Auto "t-boned" on drivers side, guess impact at 30 mph, side airbags did not deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2000-12-18 · NHTSA complaint #737836
Hard cold starting can cause and caused my first experience with the excess fuel smell. Yesterday and today driving I am getting the fuel in the passenger cabin smell. I can only hope that this is a fuel regulator issue. And I will put on a fresh air filter to reduce erroneous enrichment.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2018-12-22 · NHTSA complaint #11163083
The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer however, an independent mechanic came to review the vehicle was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired.
Engine · 2017-03-28 · NHTSA complaint #10968984
I have owned this car for a year and after I got it the security system locked me down so the car will not start. The first incident I was driving down the road and my security light started flashing then the car quit. I pulled over as fast as I could and played with the gear lever and key and got the car restarted.
Electrical system · 2015-07-15 · NHTSA complaint #10734313
Looses power steering so its hard to move over lanes on the expressway, we have found you need to immediately put on emergency flashers, shift car into neutral and turn the key.
Steering · 2015-03-20 · NHTSA complaint #10700689
While driving 20 mph, the vehicle jerked and hesitated to accelerate. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. In addition, the traction control and the driver side door electrical switch for the locks and windows failed. The failures occurred on numerous occasions.
Electrical system · 2014-09-19 · NHTSA complaint #10637661

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

200010
200117
200235
200320
200447
200522
200618
200714
20087
20094
20102
20113
20122
20132
20146
20152
20171
20182

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,905 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Bonneville has 71 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 214, above average.

What to check before buying

Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Pontiac Bonneville?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, steering, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 214. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (28%), smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), knocking, grinding or other noise (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Pontiac Bonneville?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2000 Pontiac Bonneville from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2000 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.