NHTSA Complaint #10069769 — 1997 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE

I PAID THE STATED AMOUNT TO REPLACE A COMPONENT REFERRED TO ME AS A "PLENNUM". THE SYMPTOM MY CAR WAS HAVING WAS, IT WAS OVERHEATING. IT IS MADE OF PLASTIC AND IS MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE 3800 ENGINE. LITTLE DID I KNOW, THAT THE DAMAGE HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE. THE FAILED PART HAD LEAKED COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE. A WEEK AND A HALF AFTER HAVING THE PLENNUM REPLACED, MY CAR BROKE DOWN. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE FROM THE PLENNUM HAD CAUSED PREMATURE FAILURE OF A "ROD BEARING" IN THE ENGINE. THE COOLANT I'M TOLD ATE AWAY THE BEARING LUBRICANT. I AM TOLD MY ONLY OPTION AT THIS POINT IS AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I AM NOT A CAR MECHANIC BY ANY MEANS AND SUSPECTED NOTHING, AND WAS TOLD NOTHING. I UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT MAN MADE PRODUCTS WEAR OUT AND NEED REPLACING. THIS TO ME SEEMS TO BE A POOR ENGINEERING FLAW THAT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX. I DID NOT INCLUDE THE $2000.00 ENGINE REPLACEMENT IN MY TOTAL REPAIR COST ABOVE. THE PLASTIC PLENNUM PART, BY THE WAY, WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER PLASTIC PART. I TOLD THE DRIVER THAT WAS RETURNING ME HOME WHILE THE PLENNUM WAS BEING REPLACED, THAT I WAS INTENDING TO TRADE MY BONNEVILLE IN ON A MONTANA MINIVAN THIS SUMMER. HIS REPLY TO ME WAS THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE MONTANA, AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE 3800 ENGINE. IT SEMS CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM HERE THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED.