Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Pontiac Sunfire submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
MY WRECK HAPPENED IN 2006. THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND CRUSHED MY FACE I HAD TO HAVE TITANIUM PLATES PUT IN MY FACE CRASHED MY LEGS BROKE MANY BONES.
NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH MY CAR I AM ONLY LISTING THE ONES WHICH HAVE HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE 1..TRANSMISSION FAILURE, TRANSMISSION FAILED 3 TIMES FIRST TIME WHILE TRAVELING 35MPH CAR CAME TO A DEAD STOP TIRES LOCKED UP, CAR WOULD NOT EVEN ROLL, CAUSING NEAR ACCIDENT. 2...WINDOW MOTORS FAILED TWICE ON EACH EACH DOOR OF MY 4 DOOR CAR 3...HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED 3 TIMES CAUSING DANGEROUS SITUATION AT NIGHT 4...SEVERE WATER LEAK IN TRUNK AREA , WATER GETTING IN THROUGH FENDER WELL OR TRUNK UNDERBODY, CAUSED SO MUCH TO PUDDLE UP A MUSHROOM STARTED GROWING FROM BACK SEAT,... WATER PUDDLED UNDERNEATH CARPET IN SPARE TIRE AREA SO IT WAS NOT VISIBLE TO NAKED EYE, BUT WAS SLOSHING BACK AND FORTH WITH EVERY STOP AND GO OF VEHICLE STILL TO THIS DAY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PINPOINT EXACT LOCATION WATER IS GETTING IN ALTHOUGH IT FOR SURE IS FROM UNDERBODY 5... OTHER DEFECTS INCLUDE RADIO DISPLAY LIGHTS FAIL ON 2 RADIOS, SEATBELTS AND STEERING WHEEL BECOME TOO HOT IN SUMMER BRAKE PADS WEAR UNEVENLY,,,, FUEL PUMPS GO OUT OFTEN. *TR
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
WAS TOWING ANOTHER VEHICLE BEHIND THE MOTOR HOME WHEN THE FRAME OF VEHICLE STARTED TO RIP APART NEAR TOWING BAR. HAD BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC WELDED PART BACK TOGETHER. DISTRICT MANAGER WAS SUPPOSE TO COME CHECK. HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING YET. *AK
LEFT FRONT AND REAR DOOR LATCHES BROKEN, COMINGAROUND A CORNER TWO SEPERATE TIMES PROBLEMS WITH THE DEALER TO REPLACE PART ALSO
I WAS ON VACATION IN WV. WHEN I SLOWED TO TURN A CORNER I FELT A THUMP UNDER THE CAR AND THE CAR LURCHED TO THE RIGHT. STEERING FELT AS IF THERE WAS A FLAT TIRE. HAD TO PULL HARD RIGHT TO STRAIGHTEN CAR THEN LOST STEERING CONTROL ALTOGETHER. I OBSERVED THAT THE LEFT WHEEL SEEMED TO BE SLIDING OUTWARD WHILE THE RIGHT WHEEL REMAINED VERTICAL.. AT MECHANIC'S THE FOLLOWING DAY WE DISCOVERED THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD RUSTED SO BADLY THAT THE LEFT WHEEL ASSEMBLY HAD FALLEN THROUGH IT. THE STEEL OF THE FRAME HAS RUSTED IN LAYERS - PAPER THIN LAYERS WITH HEAVY CORROSION ON ALL EDGES. I AM APALLED! I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD TO REPLACE THE MUFFLER YET AND THE FRAME RUSTS THROUGH? VERY SCARY.
ANTI LOCK BRAKES ACTIUATE TOO QUICKLY AND EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES ALMOST RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS.
CONVERTIBLE TOP LEAKS.
ROOF LEAKS OVER DRIVER'S SIDE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .