NHTSA Complaint #10056533 — 1998 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE

THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR LEAKED GASOLINE; ALLOWING FUEL TO ENTER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THROUGH A VACUUM LINE. A SPARK IGNITED THE EXCESS FUEL CAUSING AN EXPLOSION AND RUPTURING THE MANIFOLD. THE BLAST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME SO HARD THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD BEEN REAR-ENDED. SMOKE BELLOWED OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, BUT LUCKILY IT DIDN'T BURN. IT HAPPENED AS I WAS ENTERING AN INTERSECTION AND WE NEARLY MISSED BEING BROADSIDED. THE CAR LOST BOTH POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WHEN IT EXPLODED AND WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE THIS IT HAD BEEN TAKEN IN FOR REPAIRS BECAUSE IT WAS STALLING OUT, DIFFICULT TO START AND THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES HAD BEEN FAILING. A NEW VACUUM HOSE WAS INSTALLED. IT HAD BEEN REPAIRED THE YEAR BEFORE BECAUSE IT LEAKED ANTIFREEZE INTO THE ENGINE, DAMAGING IT EXTENSIVELY. IT IS THE SECOND BONNEVILLE I OWN THAT HAS DONE THIS. IT IS THE THIRD DAMAGED ENGINE THAT FITS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BUICK RECALL- GM #03054. GM VEHICLES EQUIPED WITH 3800 V6 ENGINES. *AK