Total Complaints
45 filings
PONTIAC BONNEVILLE · model year
1990 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE
45 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990PONTIACBONNEVILLE carries 45 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 1 fire, 5 injuries, 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 1990 BONNEVILLE is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 16 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (2) and latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch (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 1990 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.
45
Complaints
4
Crashes
1
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 16 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 2 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031226LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
AREA AROUND PLATE THAT HOLD HOOD LATCH PIN IN PLACE CORRODED, CRACKED AND FAILED.*AK
Mileage: 117,000
20021211SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT BELTS NOT STAYING LOCKED AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN MOTION. MR
20021108SEAT BELTS:FRONT
CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT SEAT BUCKLE DID NOT LATCH PROPERLY. MR *JB
Mileage: 163,000
20020109FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
ALL FUEL LINES HAVE BEEN REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LEAK FUEL AFTER THE REPAIRS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
20010907VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
ACCLERATOR STUCK.
20010503EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
THE LIGHTS ON THIS MODEL, AND I HAVE SEEN MANY, HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE LENS. AS THEY AGED, THEY FADE AND BECOME VERY WHITE AND WEATHERED. IN THE DAYTIME IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE BRAKE LIGHTS FOR THE PERSONS BEHIND THE CAR. I NOTICED THIS MYSELF BEHIND ONE. WHEN I WENT FOR INSPECTION, I WAS ASKED IF THE LIGHTS WERE OUT, THEN IT WAS REALIZED THAT THEY DO WORK. AT NIGHT THEY ARE MORE VISABLE. PONTIAC SHOUD REPLACE THE LENSES ON THESE CARS. THE LE AND SE MODELS DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THEY LOOK FINE, AND BRITE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK
20010419CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
SUSPECT RELATED CAMPAIGN FOR ABS HYDRALIC VALVE BLOCK (INTERMITTENT PULL IS WHEEL LOCKOUT). *AK
20010312SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE ON A TWO WAY STREET, BRAKES GOT HARD AND CAR WOULD NOT STOP. CONSUMER HAD TO KEEP PUMPING ON BRAKES UNTIL IT STARTED TO SLOW DOWN.*AK THE ABS FAILED TEICE AND THE CONSUMER FEELS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHCILE. *YH
20010118SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM HAS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. IT WAS NEVER FIXED AND WAS HARD TO DUPLICATE. THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL BE LOCKED OUT UNDER A PANIC STOP BUT THE ABS FAILS TO KICK IN AND THE CAR IS ESSENTIALLY BRAKELESS. OTHERS HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY DIED OR SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURY BECAUSE WHEN THIS OCCURS THE CAR IS A MISSLE. *AK
20001025TIRES
FIRESTONE LEMANS TIRE P215 65 R15 EXPERIENCED BLOW OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER SEVERAL TIMES AND INJURING 2 CONSUMERS. (ATTORNEY STEVEN BUDAJ FOR CLIENT). *SLC
20001024TIRES
FIRESTONE LEMANS TIRE P215 65 R15 EXPERIENCED BLOW OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER SEVERAL TIMES AND INJURING 2 CONSUMERS. (ATTORNEY STEVEN BUDAJ FOR CLIENT). *SLC
20000607FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
A VEHICLE FIRE ORIGINATED IN ALTERATOR WIRING HARNESS AFTER PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. STATE FARM INSURANCE ASKED CONSUMER TO NOTIFY NHTSA. *AK *ML
20000319SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHEN ABS SYSTEM FAILED I HAD NO BRAKING, I AM ABOUT TO REPLACE THE THIRD ABS SYSTEM. *AK
19990909SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BUCKLE THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SEAT BELT IT WON'T LATCH. THERE IS NO CATCHING AND THE BUTTON HAS COLLAPSED. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. *AK
19990908ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CAR STALLS--BRAKES AND STEERING ARE LOST. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *TR
19990817SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
SEATBACK LATCH COLLAPSED. *AK
19990528CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE PEDAL BECAME FROZEN, WOULD NOT MOVE OR GO DOWN IN POSITION TO BRAKE, CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKES, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE DEFECT. *AK
19990111LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
DOOR LOCKS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.
19990111SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTI LOCK BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.
19990104SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
BRAKE PEDAL SUDDENLY IS VERY HARD TO PUSH AND WILL BARELY STOP CAR. SEAT BELT DO NOT TIGHTEN TO HOLD YOU FROM BEING THROWN, THEY ARE VERY LOOSE.
Compare 1990PONTIACBONNEVILLE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE have?▼
The 1990 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE has 45 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 1 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 16 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH.
Is the 1990 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.