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Pontiac Bonneville Electrical System Battery Safety Report | May 01, 2000
Reported on May 01, 2000
| THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL OR SIMILARLY CONFIGURED BATTERY CABLE SYSTEM. THE POST BREAKS OFF INSIDE THE BATTERY AS A RESULT OF VIBRATIONS AND THE WEIGHT OF THE CABLE. THE CONSUMER MUST BUY A NEW BATTERY AS A RESULT. FURTHERMORE, THE BATTERY BOLT FREEZES INSIDE THE CABLE REQUIRING IT TO BE CUT OUT DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT GENERATED ATHTHE CONNECTION. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIAN I SPOKE WITH AT BENTLEY PONTIAC AT THE TIME I TOOK IT IN. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO GET IT REPAIRED. WHEN I PICKED MY VEHICLE UP, I NOTICED ANOTHER BONNEVILLE GETTING IT'S BATTERY REPLACED FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM - THE POSITIVE TERMINAL POST HAD BROKEN OFF AND THE BOLT WAS FROZEN TO THE POSITIVE CABLE CONNECTION. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A FIX TO THIS PROBLEM AND THAT GM SHOULD REIMBURSE OWNER'S FOR ANY COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DESIGN FLAW. IT PRESENTS A DANGER TO VEHICLES DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE IT COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN SUDDEN POWER LOSS AND COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. I WAS LUCKY MY INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MY GARAGE. I SHOULOD HAVE REPORTED THIS EARLIER. HOWEVER, WHILE CLEANING UP MY COMPUTER FILES, I RECALLED THAT I HAD NOT REPORTED THIS INCIDENT. I HAVE OWNED A NUMBER OF VEHICLES FOR MANY YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS TYPE PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERY/BATTEY CABLE ON ANY OF THEM. HAVE OTHER SUCH INCIDENTS BEEN REPORTED OR DOES GM HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM FROM MAINTENANCE ACTIONS AT THEIR DEALERS? | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Bonneville |
| Manufactured by: | General Motors LLC |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Was a crash reported? | |
| Was an injury reported? | 0 person(s) were injured. |
| Was a death reported? | 0 person(s) died. |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | MADISON AL |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 1G2HX52K2VH |
| Mileage: | |
| Speed: | 0 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | |
| Vehicle type: | FWD |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS N/A. |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
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