NHTSA Complaint #10133989 — 2000 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE

ALLOW ME TO STATE MY CASE. I PURCHASED A HIGHLY TOUTED 2000 BONNEVILLE [XXX]. THIS CAR WAS A GM MASTER ASE CERTIFIED MECHANICS INSPECTED VEHICLE. IT WAS ADVERTISED AS "GM QUALITY CERTIFIED TROUBLE FREE", "NO WORRY VEHICLE". I DROVE 400 MILES TO PICK IT UP AND WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO A LONG PLEASANT OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE. THE GM 3800 ENGINE HAS BEEN CALLED "BULLETPROOF", "ONE OF THE BEST ENGINES OF THE 21ST CENTURY". AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4000 MILES OF USE, THE ENGINE SUSTAINED A CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE. THE PONTIAC DEALER INSPECTED MY VEHICLE AND I WAS INFORMED IT WAS GOING TO NEED A NEW CRANKSHAFT! THE MAIN #3 JOURNAL BEARING HAD SPUN AND IT WAS GOING TO NEED A NEW CRANKSHAFT AT A COST OF $3500. MY OTHER OPTION WAS TO INSTALL A NEW GM 3800 ENGINE, WITH A 100,000 MILE WARRANTY, FOR $5500. THIS BREAKDOWN HAD TO BE AN INHERENT DEFECT IN THE CRANKSHAFT OR BEARING FOR THIS TO HAVE HAPPENED. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO GUARANTY YOUR ENGINE FOR 100,000 MILES, WHY IS IT UNREASONABLE FOR ME TO EXPECT AT LEAST THAT MUCH SERVICE OUT OF MY ENGINE?? I HAVE OWNED A BONNEVILLE BEFORE AND IT WAS FINE, MY FATHER OWNS A MONTANA, MY BROTHER OWNS A GRAND PRIX. WE HAVE ALWAYS CONSIDERED GM TO BE THE NAME TO BEAT!! I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE RIGHT THING FOR GM TO DO WOULD BE TO, AT LEAST, ABSORB PART OF THIS EXPENSE. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NEVER HAVE SUSTAINED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN IT'S YOUNG LIFE. EVEN HYUNDAI AND KIA, KOREAN MANUFACTURED CHEAP VEHICLES, CARRY A 100,000 MILE ENGINE GUARANTY! CHRYSLER HAS A 70,000 MILE ENGINE GUARANTY. WHY MUST THE BIGGEST US MANUFACTURER NOT BE WILLING TO STANDBY IT'S PRODUCT? UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)