Pontiac Sunfire Complaints (1997)

190 consumer complaints on file.

#10055237January 16, 2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE DASH. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10052893January 12, 2004
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MY BROTHER OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH ONLY 47,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ENGINE SEIZED (NEEDING ENGINE REPLACED ESTIMATED COST $3,500). I UNDERSTAND THE CAR IS ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD BUT THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN MINIMAL MILES. GM DEALERSHIP DID A DIAGNOSIS COSTING US $289 AND CONCLUDED PER THE INVOICE: PERFORM TEAR DOWN ON ENGINE - REMOVE VALVE COVER AND FOUND VALVE SPRING ON #2 CYLINDER BROKEN - REMOVE CYLINDER HEAD AND FOUND HEAD OF VALVE HAD GONE THROUGH TOP OF PISTON AND SCORED CYLINDER WALL. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED US COST OF THE FOLLOWING: $3,250 FOR A BRAND NEW ONE WITH A 3 YEAR/75,000 MILE WARRANTY OR $1,400 FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 88,000 MILES ON IT (NO WARRANTY) OR $1,600 FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 62,000 MILES ON IT (NO WARRANTY). NOW, I SCRATCH MY HEAD AND WONDER HOW GM JUSTIFIES US PAYING ALMOST $1,500 OF A USED ENGINE WITH MORE MILES ON THE ENGINE THAN THE ENGINE WE ALREADY HAVE AT 47,000 MILES THAT DOES NOT WORK. AFTER THREE WEEKS WE HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED A REPUTABLE AUTO SERVICE FOR $1,089. THE AUTO SERVICE SUGGESTED TAKING PHOTOS OF A PART IN THE ENGINE NOTED ABOVE TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE AUTO SERVICE SAID THIS PART SHOULD NEVER HAVE BROKEN ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 47,000 MILES. WE INFORMED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PICTURES BUT GM HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I THOUGHT GM MIGHT LOOK FURTHER INTO INVESTIGATION OF THE DEFECTIVE PART BUT NO. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. IS THIS A REALISTIC EXPECTATION TO HAVE THIS COSTLY REPAIR AT 47,000 MILES? CAN WE DO ANYTHING ELSE? *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10053691January 8, 2004
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER A YEAR AGO FOR RECALL REPAIRS ON THE LOWER PINION BEARING. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STICKING WHEN TURNING LEFT. CONSUMER FELT LUCKY NO OTHER VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE OTHER LANE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10051991December 23, 2003
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THE CONSUMER COULD HEAR A LOUD POPPING NOISE WHICH CAME FROM THE FRONT END. THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO JERKED AWAY FROM THE CONSUMER. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM HAS YET TO BE DETERMINE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10050327December 10, 2003
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 35 MPH. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10026967October 27, 2003
STEERING
WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOCKED AND THE CONSUMER HIT A POLE. DRIVER FEELS VERY LUCKY THAT THE STEERING WHEEL DIDN'T LOCK WHILE AT A HIGH SPEED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *SCC *JB
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10043399October 22, 2003
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
I HAVE A 97 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. IT HAS A FAULTY FUEL INJECTOR WHICH LEAKS ALL OVER MY ENGINE. THE FUMES BLOW INTO MY VENTS AND IS HARD TO BEAR. I ALSO HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN AND DON'T WANT THEM EVEN IN THE CAR BUT IT IS ALL I HAVE TO DRIVE. I CALLED DEALERS AND THEY SAID IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SAFETY OR ANY RECALL, BUT THE CAR IS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND IN GREAT MECHANICAL SHAPE. IT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF SO I DO NOT SEE WHY THE FUEL INJECTOR SHOULD BE FAULTY ALREADY. I FEEL AS THOUGH GM WONT HELP ME AT ALL. THIS IS APART THAT SHOULD NOT BE BAD SO SOON. THANKS. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10041633October 11, 2003
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT PARK PROPERLY. IMPAIR VISION WHEN IN MIDDLE OF WINDSHIELD. *LA
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10040266September 22, 2003
STEERING:COLUMN
WHILE BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE STEERING WHEEL KEPT SPINNING. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL KEPT SPINNING. MECHANIC HAS REPLACED STEERING RACK AND STEERING COLUMN.*MR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10025512July 7, 2003
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK, SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DRUM
PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKES, BRAKES WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOT STOP MY CAR. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10026436June 17, 2003
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION, THE CONSUMER HAD THE RACK AND PINION REPLACED, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT AND THE DEALER REFUSED. *MR PH *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10021293June 9, 2003
SUSPENSION:REAR
UNKNOWN REAR SUSPENSION COMPONENT FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE REAR AXLE AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED, SO THAT THE ORIGINAL BROKEN COMPONENT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON LEVEL GROUND AT ABOUT 60 MPH. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND DID NOT ENGAGE THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM, YET THE REAR END OF THE CAR SWERVED WILDLY, WHICH CAUSED THE CAR TO HIT A HIGH CURB, SEVERELY DAMAGING THE RIGHT REAR TIRE, AXLE, AND SUSPENSION.*AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10017355April 28, 2003
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT TURN LEFT, AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION. THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS BINDED AND LEAKED AT THE STEERING SHAFT, ALSO THE PRESSURE HOSE LEAKED. LATER, RECALL#02V286000 WAS ISSUED, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO THE TECHNICIAN NOT SPECIFYING (LOWER PINION BEARING SEPARATION), WHICH WAS NOT THE ACTUAL CAUSE. MR SCC *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10017225April 21, 2003
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
THE VEHICLES ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE AUTO THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE WHICH PREVENTED THE CONSUMER FROM STARTING THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES. *NLM PH
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10017257April 21, 2003
STEERING
WHILE THE DRIVER MADE A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FALL INTO A DITCH. *NLM
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10011759April 2, 2003
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
THE CONSUMER DIDN'T RECEIVE RECALL REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE DEALER NOT HAVING THE TOOL. (RECALL #02V286000/STEERING RACK AND PINION) THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE TURNING LEFT. THE CONSUMER HAS DEMANDED REIMBURSEMENT OF THE VEHICLE AT BLUE BOOK VALUE AND THE TOWING FEE. MR SCC
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10011332March 19, 2003
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
CONSUMER DISSATISFIED WITH RECALL REPAIRS OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM. HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR A WEEK BECAUSE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PART FOR THE RECALL. *SC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10011947March 18, 2003
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE HEAD LIGHTS TURNED OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10011948March 18, 2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
THE VEHICLE HORN DOES NOT WORK. DEALER NOTIFIED. *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10009730March 17, 2003
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING GEAR DEFECT RECALL TO REPLACE THE LOWER PINION BEARING. DEALER NEEDED TO HAVE VEHICLE FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS IN ORDER TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS. RECALL STATED REPAIRS WOULD TAKE FROM 30 MINUTES TO 2-1/2 HOURS. CONSUMER FOUND DEALER'S REPAIR TIME FRAME UNACCEPTABLE. *TT *NLM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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