1997 Pontiac Sunfire Steering Problems

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE WAS EMITTING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSING THE WIRES TO MELT TOGETHER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED. AS A RESULT, THE STEERING COLUMN AND WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

10607304

Incident

Jun 25, 2014

Mileage

200,000 mi

HEARD AND FELT A LOUD THUD SOUND FROM STEERING AREA DRIVING HOME. POWER STEERING FEELS LIKE IT IS GONE WHEN TURNING LEFT, BUT TURNS EASIER WHEN TURNING RIGHT AT LOW SPEEDS. STEERING WHEEL BECOMES OFF CENTERED AT TIMES. ALMOST FEELS AS IF I MIGHT LOOSE CONTROL OF FRONT TIRES DURING TURNS OR AT HIGHER SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10449288

Incident

Feb 24, 2012

Mileage

91,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE COUPE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN LEFT AT ALL. THERE WAS NO DIFFICULTY MAKING RIGHT TURNS. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL FOR THE RACK AND PINION. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

NHTSA ID

10241864

Incident

Dec 10, 2007

Mileage

130,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V286000 (STEERING:RACK AND PINION) AND REPAIRED AT 135,000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, HE COULD NO LONGER MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN RIGHT AUTOMATICALLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LOWER BEARING WAS DESTROYED AND THE COVER FOR THE BEARING WAS MISSING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS THE EXACT SAME FAILURE AS STATED IN THE RECALL. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCED NO STEERING FAILURE UNTIL THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. GM STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 176,193 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

NHTSA ID

10223014

Incident

Mar 3, 2008

Mileage

165,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE IDLING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD TURN TO THE RIGHT, BUT NOT TO THE LEFT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND IS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V286000 (STEERING: RACK AND PINION) DOES NOT APPLY TO HER VIN. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 160,406 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,402. UPDATED 03/05/08. *LJ

NHTSA ID

10212130

Incident

Dec 16, 2007

Mileage

160,402 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED ABOUT SAFETY RECALL # 02V286000 REGARDING RACK AND PINION STEERING. THIS VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE STEERING WHEEL WASA DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WHEN TURNING LEFT AT ANY SPEED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 121,337, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,250.*AK

NHTSA ID

10187093

Incident

Apr 5, 2007

Mileage

121,250 mi

RECEIVED 02V286000) FOR DEFECTIVE STEERING. I COULD NOT SAFELY DRIVE CAR. PONTIAC TOLD ME IF THE PART THEY REPLACEDWAS ALSO DEFECTIVE THEY WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO FIX IT PAST 3 MONTHS OR 3,000 MILES. THAT DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. IF THEY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART SHOULDN'T THEY HAVE TO FIX IT? *AK

NHTSA ID

10186002

Incident

Jan 7, 2007

Mileage

121,010 mi

TILT STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK INTO PLACE ALLOWING STEERING WHEEL TO MOVE FREELY UP AND TO THE LEFT. DANGEROUS FOR STEERING DURING NORMAL DRIVING AND IN PARTICULAR IF EVASIVE SAFETY MANEUVERS ARE NEEDED. FIXED AT REPAIR SHOP BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE PIVOT UNIT MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A VERY HIGH COST. *NM

NHTSA ID

10177064

Incident

Dec 1, 2006

Mileage

70,000 mi

MY NAME IS [XXX], MY DAUGHTER, [XXX] BOUGHT A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IN ABOUT 2/06 SHE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE STEERING THE CAR. THE STEERING WAS MUCH HARDER IN ONE DIRECTION, AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER ASSIST. FINALLY IN MAY 06, SHE BROUGHT IT TO ME AND I LOOKED AT YOUR WEBSITE AND FOUND A RECALL DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEMS SHE IS HAVING WITH THE CAR. I TOLD HER TO TAKE IT TO A GM DEALER AND THEY SHOULD FIX IT FOR FREE. SHE TOOK THE CAR TO 'GRAND PONTIAC' IN THORTON CO., AND AFTER 3 DAYS, THEY CALLED HER AND TOLD HER THE CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND GAVE HER A VERBAL ESTIMATE OF 2100.00, OR GAVE HER AN OPTION TO TRADE IT IN ON ANOTHER CAR. I THEN GOT INVOLVED, AND WAS TOLD THE SAME, I REQUESTED AN ESTIMATE AND WAS FAXED A HAND WRITTEN UNREADABLE PIECE OF NOTHING. 2 DAYS LATER, THE SERVICE MGR.([XXX]) AT GRAND PONTIAC CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE CAR WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, BUT THE GM AREA VEHICLE MANAGER ([XXX]) WOULD NOT APPROVE THE REPAIR. [XXX] THEN TOLD ME TO CALL PONTIAC CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I DID THAT ON 6/14/06, AND GAVE THEM THE STORY. ON 6/15, A GM REP NAMED [XXX] CALLED ME AND SAID THE CAR WAS NOT COVERED GOING BY THE VIN. I TOLD HER THAT RICK DUNCAN SAID IT WAS, AND THAT NHTSA SHOWED IT TO BE. SHE CALLED [XXX], AND CALLED ME BACK AND SAID SHE WOULD HAVE TO DO FURTHER RESEARCH AND CALL BACK. NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 02V286000, BULLITIN# 02049 THE CAR IS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE, 4 DR, 2.2, AUTO. 99634.99K MILES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND HELP US IF POSSIBLE. MY KID NEEDS HER CAR BADLY, AND IT LOOKS LIKE GM JUST DOESN'T WANT TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10159944

Incident

Jun 15, 2006

Mileage

99,000 mi

RECALL ON PINION BEARING IN 1997 SUNFIRE. *BF THE CONSUMER RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL AFTER THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *JB RECALL# 02V286000

NHTSA ID

10097336

Incident

Dec 11, 2002

RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILED. AS A RESULT, STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. *AK

NHTSA ID

10063258

Incident

Mar 11, 2004

Mileage

87,000 mi

VEHICLE MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN TURNING. DEALER DETERMINED THAT RACK AND PINION HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE VEHICLE ALSO LOST POWER STEERING WHEN MAKING RIGHT TURNS. INITIALLY THE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE RACK AND PINION. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURE WANTED THE DEALER TO RECHECK THE VEHICLE AT WHICH TIME THE DEALER CHANGED THEIR MIND AND SAID THAT THE TIE ROD WAS THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THEY CHANGED THEIR MINDS TO GET OUT OF PERFORMING THE RECALL FOR FREE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10053962

Incident

Feb 16, 2003

Mileage

34,579 mi

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER A YEAR AGO FOR RECALL REPAIRS ON THE LOWER PINION BEARING. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STICKING WHEN TURNING LEFT. CONSUMER FELT LUCKY NO OTHER VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE OTHER LANE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10053691

WHEN TURNING TO THE LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOCKED AND THE CONSUMER HIT A POLE. DRIVER FEELS VERY LUCKY THAT THE STEERING WHEEL DIDN'T LOCK WHILE AT A HIGH SPEED. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10026967

Incident

Oct 3, 2003

Mileage

54,446 mi

WHILE BACKING OUT OF PARKING SPACE STEERING WHEEL KEPT SPINNING. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL KEPT SPINNING. MECHANIC HAS REPLACED STEERING RACK AND STEERING COLUMN.*MR

NHTSA ID

10040266

Incident

Aug 28, 2003

PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION, THE CONSUMER HAD THE RACK AND PINION REPLACED, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT AND THE DEALER REFUSED. *MR PH *JB

NHTSA ID

10026436

THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT TURN LEFT, AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION. THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS BINDED AND LEAKED AT THE STEERING SHAFT, ALSO THE PRESSURE HOSE LEAKED. LATER, RECALL#02V286000 WAS ISSUED, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT DUE TO THE TECHNICIAN NOT SPECIFYING (LOWER PINION BEARING SEPARATION), WHICH WAS NOT THE ACTUAL CAUSE. MR SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10017355

Incident

Sep 6, 2002

WHILE THE DRIVER MADE A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FALL INTO A DITCH. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10017257

THE CONSUMER DIDN'T RECEIVE RECALL REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE DEALER NOT HAVING THE TOOL. (RECALL #02V286000/STEERING RACK AND PINION) THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE TURNING LEFT. THE CONSUMER HAS DEMANDED REIMBURSEMENT OF THE VEHICLE AT BLUE BOOK VALUE AND THE TOWING FEE. MR SCC

NHTSA ID

10011759

Incident

Feb 24, 2003

CONSUMER DISSATISFIED WITH RECALL REPAIRS OF POWER STEERING SYSTEM. HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR A WEEK BECAUSE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE PART FOR THE RECALL. *SC

NHTSA ID

10011332

POWER STEERING GEAR DEFECT RECALL TO REPLACE THE LOWER PINION BEARING. DEALER NEEDED TO HAVE VEHICLE FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS IN ORDER TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS. RECALL STATED REPAIRS WOULD TAKE FROM 30 MINUTES TO 2-1/2 HOURS. CONSUMER FOUND DEALER'S REPAIR TIME FRAME UNACCEPTABLE. *TT *NLM

NHTSA ID

10009730

I AM FURIOUS ABOUT THE WAY THE RECALL SERVICE HAS BEEN HANDLED ON MY 97 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER PONTIAC. I SCHEDULED FOR THE RECALL SERVICE (RACK & PINION/BEARINGS) TO BE REPLACED ON MY VEHICLE. AFTER MY CAR HAD BEEN AT THE DEALER ALL DAY, I WAS TOLD LATE THAT AFTERNOON THAT THE RECALL PART NEEDED TO SERVICE MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE IN FOR 1 TO 2 WEEKS (CLOSER TO 2 WEEKS). I WAS ALSO TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT IT WAS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, DUE TO DANGER REASONS THAT I DID NOT OPERATE THIS VEHICLE, BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED IN THE RECALL AREA. THEY EVEN SAID, THAT MOST OF THE BEARING BALLS WERE GONE OR DAMAGED. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW IF THEY COULD RELEASE MY VEHICLE BACK TO ME IN THIS CONDITION. AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION, THE PONTIAC DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE A LOANER OR RENTAL VEHICLE TO ME. THIS IS INSANE. THIS SHOULD BE AGAINST THE LAW. THEY SENT OUT RECALL NOTICES THAT STATED THAT WE HAVE CARS SERVICED BY THE DEALER ASAP, BUT THEY WON'T FULLY STAND BY THERE PRODUCT ENOUGH TO MAKE THE CUSTOMER SAFE AND SATISFIED. I WILL NOT ALLOW MY CHILDREN NOR MYSELF TO BE ENDANGERED DUE TO THE FAULT THEY THESE CARS ARE NOT SAFE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10008377

Incident

Mar 3, 2003

Mileage

72,000 mi

THE RACK AND PINION FAILED, WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO TURN.*JB

NHTSA ID

10009498

Incident

Sep 11, 2002

Mileage

113,527 mi

AFTER RECALL 02V286000 REGARDING THE RACK AND PINION WAS PERFORMED, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10008692

Incident

Feb 15, 2003

CONSUMER WAS INFORMED NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE REGARDING THE RECALL FOR THE STEERING RACK AND PINION.*JB

NHTSA ID

10007424

Incident

Feb 11, 2003