DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WAS LOOSE AND THE DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL WITH STEERING WHEEL. FIRST BROKE LAST YEAR, AND THE OWNER HAD IT REPAIRED ON MARCH 10, 2004. A MONTH OR TWO MONTHS LATER THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN BROKE AGAIN. CURRENTLY, IT BROKE F A THIRD TIME. THE FIRST TIME THE OWNER HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE. THE SECOND TIME WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THE THIRD TIME THE OWNER WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT AGAIN. THE COST WAS AROUND $200.00. NO ONE HAS ANY IDEA ON WHY THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE. THE DEALER DID THE REPAIRS. THE OWNER HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR THE PAST YEAR. THE OWNER WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REPAIRS LAST THIS TIME BEFORE SHE PAID FOR THEM. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE THIS. THE CAR IS ACTUALLY A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. *AK
1997 Pontiac Sunbird
Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front › Wheel Bearing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steering › Column | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
What owners reported
Newest filingsTHE VEHICLE WHEEL BEARING WERE ON RECALL BUT THE DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL. *NLM
NO DEFECT. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE HAD HIS SEAT BELT ON, THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND HIS HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD WITH FORCE, BUT WAS NOT INJURED. THE CONSUMER HAS A CONCERN ABOUT THE AREA WHERE HE HIT HIS HEAD IN THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH WAS THE ONLY AREA WHERE THE GLASS HAD COME OUT. SCC
SECOND TIMES THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT 30 TO 40MPH AND THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR THERE IS ALSO A LOUD BANGING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.
Reading this record
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.