PontiacBonneville1993Overview/pontiac/bonneville/1993/base/

1993 Pontiac Bonneville

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1993 Bonneville.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1993 Pontiac Bonneville is a passenger car equipped with an automatic four-speed transmission and EPA fuel-economy ratings of 15 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined. Owner records show 160 complaints—most frequently citing the hydraulic service brake system—alongside a single recall, placing this model year in the middle of the 1990–2005 generation’s reliability curve. That complaint total sits well below the 299 reported for 1998 yet significantly above the 27 logged for 2005, indicating moderate reliability for this specific vintage.

Model year200520042003200220012000199919981993

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

EPA fuel economy15/23/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175
Engine air filter19259030
Fuel filter25121468
Spark plug19354417
Front wiper blades25689175 discontinued · alt 10283602
Thermostat24505924 alt 25535214

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length200.8 in
Overall width73.6 in
Overall height55.5 in
Wheelbase111 in
Curb weight3362 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined15 / 23 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume109 cu ft
Cargo volume18 cu ft
Recommended fuelPremium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Bonneville of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.1–7.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.10 sec — 1995 SE Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1995SE Sedan 3.8L Supercharger V67.10 sec15.40 sec225 hpFWD
1996SE Sedan 3.8L Supercharger V67.70 sec15.80 sec225 hpFWD
1998SE Sedan 3.8L V67.30 sec15.50 sec205 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Supercharger Assembly (inspect fluid condition) · Thermostatically Controlled Air Cleaner Assembly (inspect)
Every 60,000 miPCV System (inspect)
Every 100,000 miTransmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1993 Pontiac Bonneville is not listed in the year-by-year federal record, but its top complaint data — 38 hydraulic service brake complaints, 18 engine and cooling complaints, 17 electrical complaints, and 13 powertrain complaints, alongside 16 crash complaints and 12 fire complaints — suggests it sits squarely within the generation's rising problem arc. Complaints climbed sharply from 1990 (44) through 1992 (132), then dipped in 1994 (107) before surging to 257 in 1995, indicating that the early-to-mid 1990s were a period of escalating and unresolved issues across this platform. The 1993 model falls between the 1992 peak in recalls and investigations (3 recalls, 3 investigations) and the relatively quiet 1994 (0 recalls, 0 investigations), which could suggest either a transitional improvement year or simply a gap in the federal record. The elevated brake and fire complaint counts for the target year are particularly noteworthy given that the surrounding years show brake and engine cooling problems persisting across the generation. **Takeaway:** The 1993 Bonneville's complaint profile is concerning, especially the fire and crash figures, and while it may represent a slight lull between the 1992 and 1995 spikes, the data does not support calling this a good year to buy — proceed with caution and insist on a thorough pre-purchase inspection focused on the brake and electrical systems.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
27
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
160
Owner complaints
16 involved a crash · 12 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 160 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic38
Engine & Engine Cooling18
Electrical System17
Power Train13
Structure10
Seat Belts8
Air Bags7
Vehicle Speed Control7

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 27 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
1300890092013-09-01Engine And Engine CoolingExpanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
990730030A2001-04-01Power TrainOWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES…
9909410042000-01-01Air BagsINFORMATION REGARDING SWITCHES TO TURN OFF AND ON FRONTAL AIR BAGS FOR PASSENGER CARS AND…
9909400042000-01-01SeatsGENERAL MOTORS BEGAN PROVIDING CHILD RESTRAIN SEAT TOP TETHER HARDWARE PACKAGES TO…
990866002A2000-01-01Latches/Locks/LinkagesTHIS BULLETIN INFORMS DEALERSHIPS ABOUT THE TRAP RESISTANT REAR COMPARTMENT (TRUNK) KIT…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Bonneville. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 1993 Bonneville have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Bonneville get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 23 highway / 18 combined mpg.