1996 Pontiac Sunfire complaints

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CHECK ENGINE AND CHECK ENGINE GAUGE LIGHT APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFROMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE VEHICLE. TS

CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER RECALL WAS DONE,THE ENGINE LIGHT AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. MR

CONSUMER STATES: WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF 35 MPH WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO ADD. MR

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN INTO AN INTERSECTION. ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT HER HIT ON AND HER DUAL AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM.

THE MULTI-FUNTION SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS/CRUISE/ MALFUNTIONS CAUSING YOUR HIGH AND LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS NOT TO TURN ON.*AK

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR A RECALL ON IGNITION CIRCUIT. DEALER REPLACED RELAY HARNESS AND IGNITION SWITCH. ON AUGUST 18TH IGNTION LOCKED UP AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE WAITING FOR RECALL 02V070000 PARTS, IGNITION SWITCH CAUSED VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE.*AK.*JB

VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER BEING TURNED OFF 1 MINUTE. VEHICLE RESTARTED INVOLUNTARILY WHEN KEY WAS TURNED TO LOCK POSITION. VEHICLE REPEATED THE SAME. IT WAS DRIVEN FOR 7 MINUTES, AND AFTER IT WAS TURNED OFF IT FAILED TO RESTART. RECALLED NHTSA 02-V-070-000/ MANUFACTURERS RECALL 02008 CONCERNING IGNITION. RESPONDED FOR APPOINTMENT. *AK *YH

THE AIRBAGS HAVE FAILED TO DEPLOY ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND I HAVE STATEMENTS PROVING THEY SHOULD OF. THE FUEL INJECTORS DAMAGED IN THE ACCIDENT WERE FIXED BY NEWBY AUTO 2 WEEKS LATER THEY WERE BROKEN AGAIN THEY REFUSED TO REDO THEM SAYING IT WASN'T THE SAME ONE THEY FIXED. THEY ALSO REFUSED TO ADD AN AIRBAG CHECK ONTO THE ESTIMATE SAYING THERE WASNT ENOUGH DAMAGE TO DEPLOY THEM I HAVE TWO OTHER ESTIMATES TOTALLING MY CAR THEY REFUSED TO LOOK AT THEM AND INSISTED IT WAS OK AND THEY WOULD FIX IT UNFORTUALLY THEY DID NOT AND IT HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS SINCE. NEWBY AUTO A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP WAS LOCATED IN RICHFIELD UTAH AT THE TIME THEY HAD MY CAR THEY ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS IN RICHFIELD.

WHEN TURNING ON IGNITION THERE'S A CLICKING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED BATTERY. TWO MONTHS LATER, CLICKING STARTED AGAIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE WILL NOT START SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES IT DOES. TOOK DEALER, DEALER STATED HAD TO TURN SWITCH OFF AND ON UNTIL IT CATCHED. WHEN HEARING A CLICK VEHICLE STARTED. CURRENTLY, AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND VEHICLE LOSES POWER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH VEHICLE LOST POWER IMMEDIATELY DUE TO HEAD GASKET BLOWING. INSIDE COMPARTMENT FILLED WITH STEAM AND PIPES AND HOSES BURSTED. VEHICLE WAS IN FOR RECALL SEPTEMBER 2001. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK

CONSUMER TRIED TO START VEHICLE,BUT IT WOULD NOT START. CONSUMER TRIED AGAIN, AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM IGNITION AREA, ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. 10-15 MINUTES LATER, VEHICLE STARTED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION, CONSUMER SHUT OFF ENGINE AGAIN. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, RECALL LETTER WAS RECEIVED AFTER THIS INCIDENT. *AK

CONSUMER RECIEVED RECALL NOTICE P00010 PERTAINING TO THE HEAD GASKET. CONSUMER HAD REPAIRS DONE AT ANOTHER FACILITY AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT OF MONIES PAID. *JG

FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATBACKS DON'T HOLD PROPERLY. WHEN APPLYING BRAKES SEATBACK WILL FLY FORWARD, AND WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

CONSUMERS SON TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE, WHICH WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE KEY SWITCH CONTINUED TO TRY STARTING RESULTING IN AN IGNITION FIRE. TAKEN TO DEALER AND REPAIRED. CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE(02V070000) ABOUT THE IGNITION SWITCH DEFECT. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE REIMBURSEMENT OF MONIES PAID. *JG

NHTSA RECALL 02-V-070-000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 02008 WHILE GOING 55-60MPH BLACK SMOKE WAS COMING FROM EXHAUST AND VEHICLE STALLED. GUAGES ON DASHBOARD READ NORMAL. GENERAL MOTORS INDICATED THAT PROBLEM HAD TO BE REPAIRED TO DETERMINE CAUSE. CONSUMER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT TOTALED VEHICLE.*AK

ENGINE QUIT WHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHT. ENGINE QUIT THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY WHILE DRIVING.

ENGINE QUIT WHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHT. ENGINE QUIT THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY WHILE DRIVING.

ENGINE QUIT WHILE WAITING AT STOP LIGHT. ENGINE QUIT THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY WHILE DRIVING.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

VEHICLE IS LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE ONTO THE GROUND, CAUSING HEADGASKET TO FAIL. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

I READ IN THE SUNDAY MARCH 3, 2002 CHICAGO TRIBUNE, ABOUT THE L8 REPORTS TO DATE ALLEGING A STEERING COLUMN FIRE IN PONTIAC SUN FIRES. I WISH TO REPORT THE SAME INCIDENT FOR MY L996 SUN FIRE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER.*AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AT 40MPH, UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 40MPH IN FOG AND RAN OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. CRASHED FRONT END FIRST, AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

THROUGH MY EXPERIENCE, AND READING THE POSTINGS OF MANY OTHER OWNERS OF SUNFIRES, I HAVE NOTICED A LARGE NUMBER OF REPORTS OF INACCURATE FUEL GAUGES. MY EXPERIENCES ARE IT WILL JUMP ABOUT A QUARTER OF A TANK WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND THEN GO DOWN NORMALLY FROM THERE, BUT WHEN I START THE CAR AGAIN, IT WILL BE WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT, SOMETIMES, THE GAUGE WILL JUMP, AND ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER DROP AT AN ALARMING RATE. THEN THERE ARE TIMES THAT IT OPERATES NORMALLY. I DON'T WANT TO BE STRANDED BY AN INNACURATE FUEL GAUGE. I KNOW THEY AREN'T CALIBRATED EXACTLY, BUT IT STILL SHOULDN'T JUMP ALL OVER LIKE IT IS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.*AK

I AM FILLING THIS OUT BECASE I AM TRYING TO FIND THE INFORMATION ON THE HEAD GASKET REALL ON MY CAR. THE HEAD GASKET HAS BLOWN AGAIN, AND I BELIEVE I AM STILL COVERED. *AK

ENGINE RUNS HOT AT THE VERY TOP OF THE GAUGE JUST BEFORE THE OVER-HEATING MARK ON THE GAUGE. LOSING COOLANT. CAR SOME TIMES HAS TROUBLE STARTING AND BACK-FIRES. WATER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 43,000 MILES AS IT HAD A HOLE IN IT AND WAS LEAKING. OIL LEAKS IN SEVERAL PLACES, OIL COMING OUT OF EXHAUST PIPE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. REPLACED GASKET BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE DUE LEAKS. CURRENTLY, THE CLUTCH STICKS INTERMITTENTLY AND I SOMETIMES CAN'T GET THE TRANSMISSION TO GO INTO REVERSE. HAD TO REPLACE HIGH-PRESSURE POWER STEERING PUMP DUE TO LEAKS. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CURRENTLY HAS A PROBLEM WHEREBY I CAN'T TURN ON THE CAR ALARM, THE SENSOR ALARMS DON'T FUNCTION RIGHT, DRIVERS-SIDE WINDOW ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AND I'VE BURNED-OUT ABOUT 5 FUES IN SIX MONTHS. DRIVER'S LEATHER SEATS RIPPED AT THE SEWED RIBBING AT AROUND 15,000. THE TRUNK HYDRAULIC LIFT PUMPS STOPPED WORKING AT 25,000 MILES, AND THE TRUNK-LID WOULDN'T STAY UP AND IT'S A HEAVY TRUNK LID TO HOLD OPEN AND TRY TO PUT SOMETHING IT AT THE SAME TIME. BACK-UP LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AT 10,000 MILES. DRIVER'S-SIDE SEATBELT IS TWISTED, AND THE SEAT CASING HOLDER FOR THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT BROKE-OFF. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A RATTLE IN THE RIGHT REAR TRUNK AREA?*AK

DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT IS DIMMED. LIGHT GOES OFF AND ON WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK *YH

I HAVE HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN I AM ACCELERATING ON GAS PEDAL,IT WILL STICK, CAUSING HIGHER ACCCELERATION. MORE THAN A COUPLE OCCASIONS...AND CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF AT THE TIME!!!!!!!!!*AK

AT THE END OF JUNE (2001) MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT SHUT. I HAD THE LOCK REPLACED. THIS MONTH (08/2001) MY PASSANGER SIDE DOOR LOCK IS NOT WORKING. MY DOOR CAN NOT BE SHUT . I HAVE TO REPLACE THE LOCK.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH DRIVER'S AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT PROVOCATION/CRASH. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE. *AK IT WAS A ROUGH ROAD WITH POT HOLES, AND THE CONSUMER BELIEVES IT WAS A NORMAL ROAD CONDITON WHEN THE AIR BAG EXPLODED. *YH

WHILE DRIVING AN UNSUAL NOISE OCCURRED DUE TO FAILURE OF ONE OF THE LIFTERS WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO CRAMSHAFT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

RIGHT AXLE BROKE OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION JERKING THE CAR HARSHLY TO THE RIGHT AND INTO A CURB,FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS PUSHED BACK TO WHERE THE FRONT RIGHT CLIP AND THE DOOR JAM MEET. *AK

TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH NO WARNING AT ALL.*AK

THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL (NO MAKE/MODEL OF THE TIRE PROVIDED) (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS

ON SIX OCCASIONS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A SHORTED COIL SHELL.AT 6225 MILES AT CLASSIC PONTIAC BECAUSE OF ENGINE LIGHT WARNING AT 23033 ATCLASSIC I WAS TOWED TO SHOP TO REPLACE A SHORTED COIL SHELL.AT 23051 I WAS TOWED TO PARK PONTIAC NOW KNOWN AS ROSLYN AUTO GROUP WHERE I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE 1996 PONTIAC SUNFIRE., TO GET TO THE THE LATEST AND MOST TROUBLING INCIDENT I WAS OPERATING MY CAR IN N.Y. CITY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF THE WALDOF ASTORIA HOTEL ON PARK AVE ACCOMPANIED BY DAUGHTER WHO I WAS TAKING TO MT. SINANI HOSP. FOR TREATMENT.THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING IT FLASHED ABOUT TWENTY TIMES I THEN HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND AND LOST POWER TO A 10 MILE AN HOUR SPEED.THIS WAS A SERVERE SAFTEY PROBLEM FOR MYSELF MY DAUGHTERS ,OTHER MOTORIST AND THEGENERAL PUBLIC AT LARGE OTHER CARS AND TRUCKS HAD TO EXECUTE EVASSIVE MANUEVERS TO AVOID HITTING MY DISABLED CAR I WAS ABLE TO DIRECT MY CAR TO A SAFE SIDE STREET.THIS CAR IS A TIME BOMB BECAUSEOF GENERAL MOTORS INABILITY TO RESOLVE MY PERSISTANT AND INHERIENT PROBLEM THAT HAS CAUSED THIS AUTO TO BE TOWED TO THEIR REPAIR SHOPS THREE TIMES AS WELL AS DRIVEN IN 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM I AM STILL PAYING OFF THIS CAR AND THE DEALER HAS INFORMED ME MY LAST BILL INCLUDING TOWING WHICH CAME TO $500.00 IS MY RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE CARS CURRENT MILIAGE. ASIDE FROM THAT THIS CAR IS A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE BY ME NOTIFING YOU OF THIS CONDITION I AM HOPING THAT IF MYSELF OR ANYONE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC SUFFERS

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION, CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

STEERING GETS LOCKED UP WHEN TURNING CORNERS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. DEALER IS UNCERTAIN, THEY CAN'T START REPLACING PARTS . THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.*AK

WATER PUMP LEAKING HALF GALLON OR MORE OF FLUID EVERYDAY, CAUSING LOW COOLANT LIGHT TO COME ON. LOCAL DEALER WANTED 7 HOURS AND $600.00 DOLLARS OR MORE TO FIX. CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AT ACCORDIAN-LIKE SHOCK ABSORBER AT HIGH SPEED. WAS UPSET TO LEARN THAT REPLACEMENT PART WAS DEALER-ONLY ITEM AND COST $420.00 DOLLARS PLUS $40.00 DOLLAR CORE CHARGE. WHEEL STUDS (THREE)ON PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL FAILED DURING HIGHWAY TRIP IN JUNE OF 1999. TWO MORE FAILED DURING AUGUST OF 2000. HAVE BEEN TOLD, COULD BE OVERTIGHTENING ISSUE, BUT HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEM WITH REMAINING STUDS ON OTHER WHEELS. THIS COULD BE VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. INTERIOR DOME LIGHT HAS INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTION WHICH CAUSES LIGHT TO REMAIN LIT INDEFINITELY. HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. HAD TO TURN LIGHT OFF BY PULLING DOME LIGHT FUSE OR DISCONNECTING BATTERY EACH TIME. *AK

IN THE MORNING WHEN MOVING THE PAWL FROM PARK TO DRIVE, AND WHEN TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, VEHICLE WILL FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY HAD BUMPED IT ON THE REAR. TAKEN TO A TECHNICIAN WHO SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS WITH THE POWER CONTROL MODULE. *AK

VEHICLE HAD A GAS ODOR. FOR PAST WEEK ODOR BECAME VERY STRONG. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, WHO FOUND THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR IN THE #2 CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. SPARK FROM CYLINDER COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE. AS PER DEALER, THIS WAS A "FIRE HAZARD, " AND WOULD NOT START ENGINE. MANFACTURER HAS ADVISED CONSUMER THAT REPAIRS WILL NOT BE COVERED. *AK

COOLANT SEEPING FROM ENGINE AREA. SUSPECT DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. NOTICED PROBLEM ON AUGUST 8, 2000 AFTER COMING BACK TO PARKED CAR IN TWO HOURS. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE CAR HAS NEVER OVERHEATED.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER. *MJS

STRUT BEARING PLATE: SHOULD NOT BE FAULTY ON A 1996, CAN CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P195R6515 )

THE FIRST FAILURE - 8 MONTH AFTER THE PURCHASE. 2ND AND 3RD - WITHIN 6 MONTHS APART. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START ON FIVE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ALSO, VEHICLE WOULD STOP WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE AND NOT RESTART. *AK *ML

AT 72,000 MILES THE HEAD GASKET BLEW AND THE HEAD WAS CRACKED. ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE SINCE FEBRUARY 1999. ALL PREVIOUS RECALLS ON VEHICLE WERE NOT HANDLED BY DEALER BEFORE PURCHASE. THIS INFORMATION WAS DISCOVERED SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. INFORMATION OBTAINED DETERMINED THAT GM RECALLED THE QUAD 4 ENGINE FOR PREVIOUS VEHICLES 1992-93 DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINES. GMC REFUSES TO ACCEPT BLAME. THE REPAIRS OF THE ENGINE WILL COST $2,650.00 DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. *AK

FRONT CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH SIDES CRACKED AND ALMOST FELL OFF, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK