Pontiac Sunfire Complaints (1998)

120 consumer complaints on file.

#708084June 30, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
STALLS INTERMITTENTLY. MANUFACTURER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. BEEN I TO DEALER 4 TIMES. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#836907May 25, 1999
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
ACCELERATOR STOPS WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING, AT ANY GIVEN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WON'T CUT OFF, BUT THERE IS NO POWER TO ACCELERATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. SOMETIME ACCELERATION COMES BACK AFTER THE GAS PEDAL HAS BEEN RELEASED AND REAPPLIED. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#609057February 1, 1999
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
HORN RELAY FAILED. YH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702322January 18, 1999
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
CAR IS HAZARDOUS AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833525January 14, 1999
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
CONSUMER WAS IN A FRONT END ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED NO DAMAGE TO NEITHER VEHICLE GOING ABOUT 10 MPH AND THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND SHATTERED THE WINDSHIELD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#833369January 11, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH VEHICLE STALLED AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#832518December 22, 1998
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS VIBRATION WHICH MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#701456December 18, 1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE DOESN'T START ALL THE TIME, I'VE HAD IT IN 3 TIMES TO BE CHECKED, THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#700819November 22, 1998
AIR BAGS
VEHICLE WAS RENTED FROM ENTERPRISE. VEHICLE DRIVEN ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WHEN IT RAN OVER SOME DEBRIS FROM PRIOR ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD. DEBRIS STRUCK UNDERCARRAIGE AND THE AIRBAGS ON BOTH SIDES DEPLOYED. INJURY CAUSED TO PASSENGER WHO WAS LOOKING IN THE GLOVE BOX AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ALL OCCUPANTS HAD SEAT BELTS ON AT THE TIME. CAR VELOCITY AT TIME OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS 70 MPH. AFTER BAG DEPLOYMENT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED BY DRIVER WHOSE VISON WAS BADLY OBSTRUCTED BY THE AIRBAG. NO DAMAGE EXCEPT TO UNDERCARRAIGE AND INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS DONE. BELIEVE THIS ISN'T THE WAY AN AIR BAG IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. I REPORTED THIS TO YOU EARLIER ON A NON STANDARD FORM AND WHEN I REVIEWED YOUR COMPLAINT LIST I DIDN'T SEE IT SO I AM RESUBMITTING IT ON YOUR OWN FORM. I WAS A SECTION HEAD OF SYSTEM SAFETY AT NWC CHINA LAKE FOR 5 YEARS AND MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION IS THAT A SINGLE POINT FAILURE CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AND THAT THE CAUSE IS VERY CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCELEROMETER SYSTEM. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH INTO IT AND HAVE FOUND ACCELEROMETER PROBLEMS NOT ONLY ON THIS MODEL BUT OTHERS. MATTERS OF THE ACCELEROMETER DELAMINATING UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS AND THE PROBLEM OF STICTION IN THE ACCELEROMETER ELEMENTS ARE JUST TWO ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED WITH ACCELEROMETERS PUT INTO AUTOMOBILES BY INDUSTRY. COMPOUND THAT WITH AN INCOMPLETE TEST/INSPECTION AND YOU HAVE A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. I TOOK THE MATTER UP WITH THE CURRENT HEAD OF SYTEM SAFETY AT NWC, KEN CHIRKIS, AND HE AGREES. IN ADDITION HE SUGGESTED THAT WE INFORM SATO OUR TRAVEL PEOPLE ABOUT THE HAZZARD SINCE THE GOVERNMENT RENTS THIS STYLE OF VEHICLE EXTENSIVELY AND THE 'FIX' IMPLEMENTED FOR THE 96 & 97 MODELS APPARENT DOES'T WORK FOR THE 98. THE NAVY HAS A REQUIREMENT THAT FOR SAFETY FEATURES A FAILURE RATE OF 1X10E-6. THIS ONE FAILURE ALONE WOULD ELIMINATE THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER IT'S ALSO COMBINED WITH ANOTHER
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#542278October 27, 1998
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION DESIGN ALLOWS FOR THE VEHICLE TO ROLL WHEN RELEASING BRAKE PEDAL ON INCLINES. TRANSMISSION REPLACED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR, HOWEVER CONTINUES TO ROLL.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#542315October 27, 1998
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT
THE DESIGN OF THE HEAD REST CAUSES A BLIND SPOT AND WILL NOT STAY WHEN RAISED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781222October 14, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE BRAKING FOR A STOP ON TWO OCCASIONS,DEALER CLAIM THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL CABLE ON AN AFTERMARKET CRUISE CONTROL THEY INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF DELIVERY.*ET
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#781223October 14, 1998
STEERING:COLUMN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE AND TILT STEERING MECHANISM HAS SLIPPED OUT OF POSITION WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#780668October 3, 1998
STRUCTURE:BODY
CONSIDERABLY LEAKY; LEAVING OUTRAGEOUS MILDEW SMELLS; CONSTITUTES A SAFETY PROBLEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#828222September 25, 1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40MPH. HAD VEHICLE TOWED 4 TIMES TO DEALER FOR ENGINE. NO REASON FOUND FOR STALLING. PROBLEM NOT DUPLICATED. SPEED WOULD VARY WHEN STALLING OCCURRED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#539130August 20, 1998
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
AFTER AIR CONDITIONER IS CUT OFF THE SPEEDOMETER GETS FOGGED UP.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#826281August 5, 1998
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE WILL IDLE AND WON'T MOVE, AND SUDDENLY TAKE OFF. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#538928July 26, 1998
SUSPENSION
THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION MAKES A DULL CLUNKING SOUND WHEN DRIVEN ON GRAVEL ROAD SURFACES. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER, OTHER NEW SUNBIRDS WERE TESTED AND SAME PROBLEM WAS FOUND.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#825253July 9, 1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING VEHICLE HESITATION AT RANDOM WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING USED. VEHICLE BEEN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP MORE THAN THREE TIMES AND CONDITION CANNOT BE CORRECTED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#823604May 26, 1998
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 65 TO 70MPH AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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