Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Pontiac Sunfire submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 22 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
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN AND THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WITH START FLASHING WILL START AGAIN AND BUT SHUT DOWN AGAIN I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND HAD IT AT A DEALER THEY REPLACED THE ECU THE GAUGES AND THE IGNITION THEY REPLACED THE ECU 3 TIMES WITH NO AVAIL THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ALL 4 OF MY PONTIACS
BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS, HAZARD LIGHTS, AND REAR DEFROSTER ALL STOPPED FUNCTIONING. PROBLEM INITIALLY HAPPENED ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, BUT NOW IS PERSISTENT AND NONE OF THESE ITEMS FUNCTION POSING A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD.
1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE GT ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM WON'T DISENGAGE, CAR IS DEAD. (WHEN THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM IS TRIGGERED, THE FUEL PUMP IS SHUT OFF) IT MAY HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED BY USING A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL KEY. FOLLOWING MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS (TURN ON IIGNITION FOR 10 MIN, TURN OFF AND TURN ON AGAIN) DOESN'T WORK. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THAT THERE ARE 1000S OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH SUNFIRE AND OTHER GM CARS. I WOULD LIKE GM TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND REPAIR THE FAULTY SYSTEM. *TR
VEHICLE WAS BLOWING 30 AMP FUSE GOING TO REAR DEFOGGER GRID. FOUND MELTED INSULATION ON 12 VOLT LINE AND GROUND RESULTING IN SHORT CIRCUIT. DEFOGGER GRID STILL DRAWING ENOUGH CURRENT TO MELT INSULATION OF 12 VOLT LINE. DISCONNECTED REAR DEFOGGER GRID TO PREVENT POSSIBLE FIRE IN DASH. *TR
WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN OCTOBER OF 2000 IT HAD TO KEEP GOING BACK TO THE DEALER FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS BECAUSE THE ENGINE IN THE CAR KEPT CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING AROUND 55-60 MPH. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY AFTER THE 3RD MONTH THEY FOUND THE MAIN COMPUTER WAS BAD. THAT WAS REPLACED. IT RAN FINE UNTIL THE NEXT WINTER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & CAR KEPT STALLING WHEN AT STOP SIGNS/LIGHTS. TOOK TO DEALER HAD DIAGNOSTIC RAN WHICH READ FAULTY GAS CAP, TPS SENSOR.... I REPLACED THEM MYSELF. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT TILL THE NEXT DAY. TOOK CAR BACK IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC WHICH READ FAULTY GAS CAP, TPS SENSOR,EGR ,COIL PACKS,GAS TANK SENSOR.....HAD DEALER WORK ON IT.... THEY COULD NOT SEE WHY ALL THIS STUFF WAS POPPING UP ....HAD IT ALL REPLACED. REPLACING IT DID NOT WORK. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER!!! I CHECKED CAR OVER & FOUND IF YOU WIGGLED THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS CONNECTIONS THE CAR RAN FINE & ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT! TOOK TO DEALER TO HAVE WIRING FIXED. THEY TOOK ALL THE WIRING APART & CLEANED EVERYTHING. THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM IN THE WIRING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON NEXT DAY.TOOK TO DEALER AGAIN FINALLY THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY..... WEATHER WAS NICE AGAIN & HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH CAR.... NOW THAT WINTER IS HERE AGAIN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN , DIAGNOSTIC STATED TPS SENSOR WAS BAD... I AGAIN REPLACED IT & CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT FOR A COUPLE HOURS & IS BACK ON AGAIN & CAR STALLS WHEN STOPPING & TRYING TO GO ....CAR IS AT DEALER RIGHT NOW AGAIN. THE WHOLE TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR STALLING.................... HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS FROM 2000 TO NOW & STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. *AK
I TOOK MY SUNFIRE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SPECIFIED IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND AM NOW HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY STARTER. THE STARTER I HAVE IS NOT EVEN ONE YEAR OLD - I AM SURE THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE RECENT RECALL WORK DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP.
THE IGNITION SWITCH FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. TWO MONTHS LATER A RECALL WAS ISSUED AND PART REPAIRED, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. THE CONSUMER IWAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL CATCH FIRE. *AK
RECALL NO. 04V036000, IGNITION SWITCH: THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THE RECALL BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS SALVAGED.*AK SINCE THE DEALER REFUSED REPAIR, VEHICLE DOESN'T START AND CAN NO LONGER BE DRIVEN. *LA
I TOOK MY 98 SUNFIRE IN FOR SERVICE ON A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH. TWO DAYS LATER I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY STARTER. THE DEALER SUGGESTED A $400 REPLACEMENT OF MY STARTER AND AN $855 REPLACEMENT OF MY FLY WHEEL. IT SEEMS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THIS PROBLEM ISN'T RELATED TO THEIR WORK ON MY CAR DURING THE RECALL WORK.*AK
I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON 06/1999 BRAND NEW WITH ONLY 122 MILES. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS IT DIDN'T START. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION. THEY COULDN'T FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT? ABOUT TWO DAYS LATER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE GAS TANK HAD SUGAR IN IT??? SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THEY FIXED IT I HAD TO PAY $500.00. WHICH I FEEL WAS A DISCREPANCY ON THEIR DIAGNOSIS?? ON 06/00 THE VEHICLE AGAIN WOULD NOT START AND THIS TIME THEY ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS MY BATTERY? A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR KEPT TUGGING AND JERKING. I DROVE IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN.THEIR DIAGNOSIS THIS TIME WAS: ENGINE CUTS OUT UNDER LOAD; PLUG WIRES ARE DEFECTIVE;PER TECH BULLETIN#00032.THAT SAME DAY MY STERIO CD PLAYER GAVE OUT! IT KEPT READING ERROR CODE, AND MY CARPET CAME LOOSE FROM THE PASSENGERS SIDE? ON 08/00 THE CAR BEGAN TO STALL AGAIN, IT WAS PULLING BACK AND FORTH,IT LEFT ME STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT! THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALER SHIP.THEY FIGUREF OUT THAT IT WAS A WIRING TO MOTOR BROKEN CODE P0507, IAC MOTOR. ON 09/00 MY RADIO AGAIN WENT OUT;HAD TO BE SENT OUT FOR REPAIR? ON 03/01 THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. I TOOK IT AGAIN TO THE DEALER SHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE INTAKE AIR TEMP SENSOR. I DECLINED THE DEALERS SERVICE SINCE I HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THEIR WORK PERFORMANCE. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE FIXED THE PROBLEMS THAT IT HAD; FUEL INJECTION, VALVE COVER, SERP V-BELT, WHL CYLINDES L/R, TEMP SENSOR @ A COST OF $450.00. NOW I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS TURNING ON AND THE VEHICLE IS STALLING AND SHAKING. I TOOK IT TO THE SAME LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT IN THE SYSTEM IT CAME UP AS THE AIR TEMP SENSOR. WHEN HE TESTED THE SENSOR, IT CAME UP AS WORKING PROPERLY. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS??? BY THE WAY MY STERIO AND CARPET ARE STILL DEFECTIVE BUT NOW I FEEL LIKE, WHY COMPLAIN?? DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THIS MATTER?*AK
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE NEW MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 02008CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH, BUT IT IS EXPIRIENCING THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM THAT RECALL STATES. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN PARK STEERING COLUMN CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND COULD HAD CAUSED INJURIES TO CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
WHILE TRYING TO START VEHICLE AND WITHOUT WARNING STEERING COMPONENT STARTED TO SMOKE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERS, MECHANIC INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IGNITION SWITCH HAD MELTED , NO ENTRY FOR KEY.*AK
WAS TRAVELING 25MPH AND HAD STARTED SMELLING BURNING PLASTIC. ODOR WOULD COME FROM AN D THROUGH THE VENTS. HAD NO CAUSE OF PROBLEM. VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP.*AK
UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION SWITCH IF STEERING COLUMN IS NOT TILTED OR POSITION IN A CERTAIN WAY. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER.*AK
I THINK YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN YOU HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD CAR SEEMS TO BE FALLING APART FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I ORIGINALLY OWNED MY CAR FOR 3 MONTHS WHEN THE TEMP. GAUGE ZEROED OUT FROM A SHORTED OUT FUSE. THE NEXT PROBLEM WAS ODOMETER WENT BLANK AND SHOWED ME SYMBOLS IN 05/1999, AND THE ELECTRICAL CLUSTER WAS REPLACED. LATER IN 09/1999, MY COOLANT SYSTEM BUSTED AFTER A VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT CARS ARE OKAY TO REACH THE RED LINE BEFORE IT WILL OVERHEAT. MOST OF THE COOLANT SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AND TESTS DONE. I DID NOT TRUST THE WORK, AND TOOK IT TO ANOTHER GMC DEALER, TO FIND THAT THE COOLANT TEMP. SENSOR NEEDED REPLACED, JUST 2 DAYS LATER. NOW IN 08/2000, MY ODOMETER IS SHOWING THE SAME OLD SYMBOLS, DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. MY PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, AND I AM UNAWARE OF IT. ALSO, SOME DEALERSHIPS DON'T CARE TO FIND THE BAD THINGS, WHEN IT IS WARRANTY WORK. WYATT JOHNSON DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A PEOPLE SAVING PEOPLE ESTABLISHMENT, IF YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM TO FIND THEIR CARS MISTAKES.
MY RADIO'S LCD LIGHTING IS BLURRED AND NOT PROPERLY LIT WITH FULL DIGITS. IT BLINKS AS THOUGH THERE IS A SHORT. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES ALREADY. THE SPEAKERS ALSO PLAY INCONSISTANTLY EVEN WHEN BALANCE IS SHOWN AS EQUAL SETTING. CD'S WILL SKIP FOR NO REASON. THE CAR WILL NOT START ON FIRST ATTEMPT AFTER DRIVING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME OR IF IT IS EXTREMELY HOT OUTSIDE. IN TRAFFIC, THE CAR WANTS TO OVERHEAT. THE NEEDLE WILL RISE TO WARNING MARK AND CAR RUNS ROUGH. SOMETIMES A BURNING ODOR IS DETECTED. THE LEFT SIDE FRONT WHEEL SOUNDS LIKE METAL ON METAL GRINDING. CAR FEELS WOBBLY.
WHEN STARTING OUT, VEHICLE STARTS BUT WHEN YOU PUSH THE ACCELERATOR IT STALLS, WHEN YOU TRY TO RESTART IT KEEPS TURNING, IT WON'T CATCH. IT HAS ALSO HESITATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND 60 MPH. IT HAS DONE THIS 15-20 TIMES AND BEEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 7 TIMES. THEY SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, ONCE THEY UPDATED MY COMPUTER, ANOTHER TIME THEY REPLACED MY COMPUTER, BUT IT STILL STALLS AND HESITATES. *AK
SEAT BELTS HAVE NEVER FIT PROPERLY.ENGAGE NECK AREA RATHER THAN SHOULDER AREA OF ANY SIZE ADULT(WE ARE AVERAGE 5"8")-PARKING BRAKE REPAIRED IN FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP AS MAKING STRANGE TWANGING NOISES.PROBLEM RETURNED RECENTLY (DEFECTIVE DESIGN?) AND WHEN CHANGING TIRES RECENTLY WE REALISED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL WOULD SPIN WITH BRAKE "ON"----THE STEREO DISPLAY FAILS CONSISTANTLY IN HOT WEATHER.GM REMAN WAIT LIST IS EXCESSIVE(AT LEAST 6 MONTHS) FOR ADMITTED DEFECT BY DEALER PERSONNEL. *AK
HORN RELAY FAILED. YH
CAR IS HAZARDOUS AND UNSAFE TO DRIVE
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 15 MPH VEHICLE STALLED AND BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. *AK
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
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