AI Damage2004 Pontiac Bonneville: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Pontiac Bonneville filed 28 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 28
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 39% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 29% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 7% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (39% of all).
- Steering: 8 complaints (29% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (11% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (7% 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 cyl
- 3.8 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- 4.6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 28 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 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 contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The failure occurred numerous of times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.
About 20 miles later the smell lingered and we noticed smoke began filling car. Pulled over to see what was going on and my wife noticed smoke coming out from back seat. I took the seat off and discovered there was a fire going on in there. Pulled back seat out onto ground and put that fire out.
The contact stated that the steering wheel would intermittently exhibit a clunking sound. Additionally, the steering wheel would seize for a few moments before independently resuming normal function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the failure was unable to be duplicated.
In jan 2009 @ 72k miles on the car service engine light comes on and shortly after the trans. Would bang into gear. Per gm dealer it had codes p0756 and p2763 calling for replacement of shift solenoid. In sept. 2010 @ 108k miles the exact same issue and code, replaced the same part.
Steering wheel clunked & felt detached---car taken to gm dealership where it was found to have quote a "broken steering column." steering column part was replaced, part #26087952 column as 6,518. Cost was $1516.58. Car was delivered on 3/15/05 and has only 40,662 + miles.
The contact stated that the air bag default warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired and the manufacturer was not contacted . The failure mileage was 82,000.
The passenger window sticks, the trunk stays full of water, the passenger side floor pan fills up with water once every 4 months, the coolant temperature gauge stopped working, the tachometer stopped working, the speedometer stopped working, and most concerning the steering joint in the steering column is bad.
2004 pontiac bonneville speedometer, fuel gauge and temp gauge have all malfunctioned. Web research has shown that this has become a common problem in gm vehicles, but gm does not acknowledge the problem.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,081 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 19% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Bonneville has 71 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 28, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Bonneville 19783 sources
- Bonneville 19863 sources
- Bonneville 198719 sources
- Bonneville 198817 sources
- Bonneville 198928 sources
- Bonneville 199039 sources
- Bonneville 199122 sources
- Bonneville 1992113 sources
- Bonneville 1993138 sources
- Bonneville 199488 sources
- Bonneville 1995244 sources
- Bonneville 1996150 sources
- Bonneville 1997147 sources
- Bonneville 1998277 sources
- Bonneville 1999143 sources
- Bonneville 2000214 sources
- Bonneville 2001129 sources
- Bonneville 200289 sources
- Bonneville 200354 sources
- Bonneville 200527 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Pontiac Bonneville?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, steering, powertrain. Total complaints: 28. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (11%), fuel system, fuel smell (7%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.