Total Complaints
20 filings
PONTIAC BONNEVILLE · model year
1988 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
20 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988PONTIACBONNEVILLE carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1988 BONNEVILLE is electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator with 4 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump (2) and unknown or other (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1988 BONNEVILLE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
20
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 4 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030718SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. ALL OF THE SEAT BELTS WILL NOT CLICK IN OR HOLD THROUGH THE RETRACTOR. *AK
20010723ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
PRIOR ALTERNATOR LASTED LEST THAN 15K MILES. I GET STRANDED EVERY TIME THE ALTERNATOR FAILS (NOW FOR THE FIFTH TIME). THIS IS DANGEROUS AND COULD LEAD TO MY INJURY OR EVEN DEATH, DEPENDING ON WHERE I AM THE NEXT TIME THE ALTERNATOR FAILS, INCLUDING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
20010723ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
THE ALTERNATOR ON MY 1988 BONNEVILLE SSE HAS FAILED FIVE TIMES SINCE NEW, THE LAST TIME AFTER ONLY LESS THAN 18K MILES AND LESS THAN 2 YEARS, EACH TIME STRANDING ME. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL BONNEVILLES FROM 1987 THROUGH MID-1992 MODEL YEAR HAVE VERY HIGH FAILURE RATES ON ALTNERNATORS, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE ALTERNATORS WERE TOO SMALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL LOAD ON THE BONNEVILLE. THIS REPRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE OWNERS OF THESE BONNEVILLES, INCLUDING ME, BECAUSE WHEN THE ALTERNATOR FAILS, IT STRANDS THE OWNER. A RECALL IS CLEARLY INDICATED, SINCE THERE ARE MILLIONS OF THESE CARS STILL ON THE ROAD.*AK
20010712CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
THIS WAS MY FIRST BONNEVILLE THE BRAKES WENT OUT SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING ON BOTH CARS. THIS 1988 BONNEVILLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS BECAUSE DAMAGES ADDED UP TO MORE THAN THE CAR WAS WORTH. *AK
20000531UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
19980815EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
AIR CONDITIONING ELECTRONIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL.
19980323STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
A-FRAME THAT MOUNTED TO VEHICLE HAD RUSTED, CAUSING ENGINE TO FALL OUT BACKWARDS SUDDENDLY. ALSO CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING. NO WARNING. *AK
19971110CrashSEAT BELTS
AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT; DURING IMPACT AT 30 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
19961029POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION PUMP SHAFT SHEARED OFF DUE TO LONG TERM DETERIORATION. *AK
19960624VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
PLASTIC DEFROSTER GRILLE ON DASHBOARD HARDENS WITH AGE WHEN EXPOSED TO UV RAYS, CAUSING GRILLE TO DEFORM/ POOR DEFROSTING/POOR VISIBILITY. *SD
19960513CrashFireSUSPENSION:FRONT
DRIVING VEHICLE, SWERVED VEHICLE TO MISS ANIMAL IN STREET, LANDED IN REVINE, VEHICLE STUCK BETWEN 2 TREES, DRIVER PINNED/TRAPPED, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
19951003STEERING:RACK AND PINION
WHEN MAKING A TURN SLOPPY STEERING. DUE TO RACK DESIGN. TT
19950921FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL PUMP FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. *AK
19950921ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
19950921ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL.
19950921UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON/OFF.
19950906ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
THE CARS COMPUTER SHUT THE CAR DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND LOST ALL THE POWER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950817FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
PURCHASE CAR USED HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP FIVE TIMES HAD CAR FOR THREE YEARS. TT
19950206ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ALTERNATOR; BEEN REPLACE ABOUT THREE AND CAR WOULDN'T START. TT
19950113STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
UNABLE TO OPEN LEFT REAR DOOR, DEALER CLAIMS THAT THERE IS NO PART IN THE U.S. OR CANADA TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. TT
Compare 1988PONTIACBONNEVILLE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE have?▼
The 1988 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE has 20 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1988 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.