Pontiac Sunfire Years to Avoid, Problems & Recalls

Which Pontiac Sunfire years should you avoid?

Going by 1,142 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Pontiac Sunfire years to avoid are 1999, 1996 and 1997.

19992.2× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (4 fires, 9 crashes, 2 deaths).
1996201 complaints, 2.2× a typical Sunfire year, most often about the electrical system.
1997190 complaints, 2.0× a typical Sunfire year, most often about the steering.

How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →

Year	Complaints	Recalls	Fires	Crashes	Most reported	Status
2005	68	1	—	—	Electrical System	Routine
2004	32	2	1	3	Electrical System	Routine
2003	72	2	1	4	Electrical System	Routine
2002	82	2	3	8	Electrical System	Fatalities reported
2001	66	3	2	8	Electrical System	Fatalities reported
2000	96	3	5	13	Electrical System	Fatalities reported
1999Avoid	93	5	4	9	Unknown or Other	Fatalities reported
1998	120	7	1	11	Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline	Fatalities reported
1997Avoid	190	9	8	29	Steering › Rack and Pinion	Routine
1996Avoid	201	10	11	30	Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine	Above average
1995	119	7	11	11	Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine	Routine
1994	2	0	—	—	Power Train › Automatic Transmission	Routine
1991	1	0	1	—	Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine	Routine

Year

Complaints

Relative volume

Recalls

Fires

Crashes

Most reported

Status

2005

—

Electrical System

Routine