1997 Pontiac Sunfire Exterior lighting Problems

I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY HEADLIGHTS NOT LONG AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. ONLY THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WORK ON THE CAR. NOW RECENTLY, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. SO THEN I HAVE NO LIGHTS. I KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN. I TURN THE SWITCH A LITTLE HARDER AND THE LIGHTS COME ON. BUT, ONCE I LET GO. THEY GO BACK TO DRL'S. MY BRIGHTS DO NOT WORK AS WELL. TO HAVE MORE THAN DRL'S. I HAVE TO SETTLE FOR THEM FOR HOLD THE SWITCH BACK TO HAVE REGULAR LIGHTS AND BRIGHTS. I THINK THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO MYSELF AND FAMILY AND TO OTHERS ON THE ROAD IF MY LIGHTS GO OUT AND SOMEONE ENDS UP HITTING ME. ESPECIALLY SINCE MY CAR IS BLACK ALSO. *JB

NHTSA ID

10107755

Incident

Nov 17, 2004

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEADLIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND REPLACED IT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10103380

Incident

Nov 25, 2004

HEADLIGHTS ONLY WORK ON HIGH BEAM WITH REDUCED LIGHT, POSSIBLY THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT BRIGHTNESS. THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING, THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATES THEY ARE WORKING. THE BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE FUSES APPEAR TO BE OKAY. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10080590

Incident

Jun 1, 2004

Mileage

95,000 mi

THE HEAD LIGHT/SIGNAL SWITCH DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE HEAD LIGHTS WONT COME ON OR GO OFF WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNALS. *JB

NHTSA ID

10058359

Incident

Feb 17, 2004

Mileage

160,000 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE VEHICLE ARE SO DIM, I CANNOT DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE I AM DRIVING WITH FLASHLIGHTS. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC AT SUNLAND PONTIAC DEALERSHIP, EL PASO, TX THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I TOLD THEM THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO DIM ON MY VEHICLE. I TOLD THEM I WANTED NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WITH BRIGHTER BULBS OR HIGHER WATTAGE. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY NEW HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY THAT CONTAINED BRIGHTER BULB, OR HIGHER WATTAGE, AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. I COMPLAINED EVERY TIME I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR MAINTENACE. INCIDENT DATE IS APPROXIMATE DATE. THEY WILL HAVE IT ON RECORD. ALSO, I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION SWITCH AGAIN. IT IS VERY HARD TO TURN TO START THE CAR. YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT IN A CERTAIN POSITION FOR IT TO START, SOMETIMES IT WILL STAR, AND SOMETIMES IT WON'T. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS. I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR, EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW IN 1997. I FILLED OUT A FORM AND SENT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GMAC ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING AND THEY NEVER RESPONDED TO MY COMPLAINTS. I CAN E-MAIL YOU A COPY OF THE COMPLAINT FORM I SENT TO THEM. THE MOST DISTURBING DEFECT ABOUT THE CAR IS THAT YOU CAN SEE THE LOOSE WIRING BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL CONNECTED TO THE DASH. THE MECHANIC WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR TOLD ME THAT ALL OF THE 1997 5 SPEED SUNFIRES CAME LIKE THAT FROM THE MANUFACTURE. SO, THEY PUT IN A PIECE OF BLACK FOAM, SO I WOULD NO LONGER SEE THE WIRING. THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD. IF I HAD KNOW THEN, WHAT I KNOW NOW, I WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CAR BACK TO THEM, AND DEMANDED MY $3,000 DOWN PAYMENT BACK. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME TO CORRECT THE DEFECTS AND PROBLEMS THAT I AM HAVING WITH THIS CAR. THANK YOU.*AK

NHTSA ID

10056448

Incident

Jun 14, 2003

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE HEAD LIGHTS TURNED OFF. DEALER NOTIFIED. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10011947

Incident

Feb 17, 2003

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN THE EVENING HOURS AND LIGHTS FAILED. THE LIGHTS QUIT WORKING AND FOUND OUT BY PUTTING SOMETHING BEHIND THE DIMMER SWITCH THAT THE LIGHTS WOULD COME BACK ON. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE SWITCH IN APRIL 2000 HOWEVER IN DEC 2000 THE SAME SWITCH HAS FAILED AGAIN. I HAVE CONTACTED PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO THE MILEAGE IT WAS MY RESPOSIBILITY TO REPAIR. DUE TO THE FACT THAT I PAID APPROXIMATELY $170.00 IN APRIL 2000 I FEEL THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE ABLE TO AID IN GETTING THIS REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE TO ME.

NHTSA ID

738120

Incident

Apr 15, 2000

THE REAR HAZARD LIGHTS ARE INOPERABLE. A RECAL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON EARLIER MAKES AND MODELS, HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

852327

TIRES COMPLETEY EXPLODED AND EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE RIMS, AND SINCE THE THIRD TIME I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES. I HAD TO HAVE A COMPLETE SET OF BRAKES PUT ON, WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR. I AM NOW HAVING TO FACE PAYING OVER $1000 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION, THE HEADLIGHTS HAD PROBLEMS NOT EVEN A MONTH AFTER I GOT THE CAR. THE RADIATOR HAD A WHOLE IN IT FROM A SCREW THAT CAME LOOSE FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND IT WAS SHOT BACK UP INTO THE RADIATOR, THEY GOODWILLED THIS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID

707363

Incident

Mar 1, 1998

TURN SIGNALS STOP WORKING WHEN HAZARD BUTTON IS PARTICALLY ENGAGED.

NHTSA ID

700257

Incident

Nov 1, 1998