Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. 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. 14 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
APPARENTLY, THEIR IS A KNOWN ISSUE W/THE 98 PONTIAC SUNFIRE STEERING RACK AND PINION GEAR MAKING IT FEEL LIKE THEIR IS A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING, EVEN THOUGH THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS WORKING PROPERLY. I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN JANUARY OF 2011 OFF A LITTLE OLD LADY, WHO KEPT IT IN A GARAGE AND BARELY DROVE IT, THE CAR ONLY HAD 51,000 MILES ON IT. SHE ADVISED THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY RECALLS, SO SHE DIDN'T TAKE IT IN FOR ANY OF THE RECALL REPAIRS. I HAVE CHECK THE NHTSA WEBSITE AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER REPUTABLE SITES AND HAVE FOUND THEIR HAVE BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, UPON CALLING PONTIACS RECALL HOTLINE, THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THESE RECALLS ON YOUR WEBSITE NEVER EXISTED FOR MY 98 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND WENT ON TO SAY THAT YOU CAN BELIEVE EVERY THING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET (HOW FUNNY, YOUR AVERAGE MORON COULD HAVE FIGURED THAT OUT). BUT REGARDLESS, IT APPEARS THAT PONTIAC IS SAYING THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX THESE RECALLS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND LET ME KNOW IF MY CONCERNS ARE LEGITIMATE. I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR A REPAIR, WHEN THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED UNDER THEIR RECALL. THANKS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 15 MPH, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN LEFT. THE CONTACT VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT HAD TO REVERSE AND REPOSITION THE VEHICLE TO MAKE THE TURN. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER WHO REFERRED HIM TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED RECALL 02V286000 (STEERING: RACK AND PINION) BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN A DAY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 97,000.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS AGO, WHEN TURNING LEFT, A POP WAS HEARD IN THE STEERING COLUMN. SINCE THAT TIME, THE STEERING HAS BEEN HARDER TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE RACK AND PINION AND POWER STEERING HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
A CLICKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS TWICE, AND RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE GREASED, OTHERWISE THE CONSUMER COULD LOSE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. *AK THE NOISE WAS THE SOUND OF METAL ON METAL. GM WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB
NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 02V286000; GENERAL MOTORS ISSUED A STEERING ASSEMBLY RECALL. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. BUT AT CERTAIN TIMES THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN MAKING TURNS, MAKING THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT, AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.*AK VEHICLE POWER STEERING PERFORMS LIKE IT HAS NO POWER STERING , JUST LIKE RECALL DESCRIBES. DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE ACTION CAUSE VIN IS NOT IN LOT OF #'S RECALLED. *BF
MY CAR MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE WHENEVER I TURN TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. THE FIRST TIME I HAD THE REPAIR WAS IN 2002 AT A PONTIAC DEALERSHIP AND WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED AND I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY ONLY GUARANTEE WORK DONE FOR A YEAR, WHICH LEAVES ME TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED GMC AND THEY WILL NOT HELP COVER ANY CHARGES, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I WILL NEED THIS SAME PROBLEM FIXED. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS "SHAFT" PROBLEM SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF EITHER BY THE DEALERSHIP OR GMC. BY READING THE OTHER REPORTS HERE, IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. SO WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL? WHY AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAYMENT WHEN IT'S A MANUFACTURER ISSUE?
THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY STEERING COLUMN. WHEN I TURN MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, IT MAKES A BUMPING NOISE. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE WHEEL IS TURNED TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. NOW IT HAS GONE OUT AND THE RECALLS R THE SAME BUT THEY SAY IT DOES NOT COVER MY CAR I NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE FIXED. *AK
THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY STEERING COLUMN. WHEN I TURN MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, IT MAKES A BUMPING NOISE. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE WHEEL IS TURNED TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT. IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS KNOCKING.*AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH ITS STEERING AS STATED IN RECALL 02 V 286 000. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
ON 9/5/02 MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH TOTALLY DESTROYED IT. ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED WHEN I WAS SLOWLY MAKING A LEFT TURN, SUDDENLY I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER MAKING IT VERY HARD TO MANEUVER CAR DUE TO HIGH RESISTANCE. I WAS GOING SOUTH, AND WHEN I STARTED TO MAKE LEFT TURN, NORTH BOUND WAS FREE AND CLEAR, BUT BECAUSE THE LENGTH OF TIME I SPENT TRYING TO CONTROL MY VEHICLE, ANOTHER CAR GOING NORTH APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION WHERE I WAS AND COULD NOT AVOID HITTING THE OTHER CAR CAUSING THE CRASH. I SPENT MY ENTIRE SAVINGS TO PURCHASE THIS CAR FROM A PONTIAC DEALER, AND THIS ACCIDENT THAT LEFT ME WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION, CAUSED THE LOST OF MY JOB AND MANY OTHER HARDSHIPS. THEN ON JANUARY 2003, PONTIAC DECIDES TO SEND ME A RECALL LETTER, WHICH WAS TOO LATE FOR ME. MY QUESTION IS WHAT TOOK PONTIAC SUCH A LONG TIME TO ISSUE THE RECALL NOTICE? IF THEY HAD DONE IT EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASE THIS USED VEHICLE IN 2002. FOUR YEARS IS A LONG TIME AND I AM SURE THERE MUST HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS, HOPE THEY WERE AS LUCKY AS ME WHO IS ALIVE TO TELL THE STORY. NOW FOR MY RIGHTS..... WHAT ARE THEY IN THIS SITUATION? AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS "MINOR MISTAKE OF GM" LEFT ME WITHOUT CAR, WITHOUT SAVINGS AND WITHOUT A JOB. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD COMPENSATE ME WITH AN EQUAL CAR OR THE EQUIVALENT FOR ME TO PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR, IT IS ONLY FAIR. IF THE PROBLEM WAS MADE PUBLIC IN 1999 OR 2000 I WOULD NOT BE IN THIS PREDICAMENT. PLEASE PRESENT MY COMPLAINT TO THE MANUFACTURER AND ADVISE ME ON HOW TO PROCEED IN ORDER TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE DAMAGES THIS "MINOR DEFECT" HAD CAUSED ME. I DESPERATELY NEED A CAR TO BE ABLE TO GET TO A JOB. PLEASE HELP ME! THANK YOU. (BY THE WAY, IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIND YOU) (DON'T KNOW WHAT EOM MEANS, I CHECKED NO, BUT DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER). *NLM
RECALL #02-V-286-000 THE RECALL REGARDING THE RACK AND PINION FAILED, AFTER THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED.*JB
FIRST THIS CLICKING/POPPING SOUND STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN YOU TURN IT AT LOW SPEED. THE MECHANIC SAID ITS THE INNER TIE RODS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. BUT TO REPLACE THEM YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING ASSEMBLY BECAUSE THERE MADE AS ONE PIECE. THEN ONE MONTH AGO THE CAR STARTED SHACKING AT IDLE SPEED. IF YOU ARE IN DRIVE OR NUETRUEL AT A STOP LIGHT STANDING STILL YOU COULD FEEL IT SHACKING A LITTLE. THE DEALER SAID IT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM ELECTRIC PROBLEMS TO COIL PROBLEMS. BUT JUST YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 60MPH WHEN I SAW SMOKE BEHIND MY CAR. I GOT ON THE SHOULDER AND SAW SMOKE COMMING OUT OF THE ENGINE. THEN I TRIED STARTING THE CAR BUT IT WON'T START. SO I HAD IT TOWED TO MY HOUSE. AT MY HOUSE I CHECKED THE ENGINE WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND FOUND A BIG HOLE (3-4 IN DIAMETER) IN THE ENGINE BY THE DIPSTICK. IT SEEMS THAT SOMETHING GOT LOOSE IN THE ENGINE THAT MADE THE CAR SHACKING AND WHEN IT GOT LOSE IT JUST FLEW OUT. LUCKLY IT DIDN'T WHEN TRU THE HOOD. IF ANYONE COULD HELP ME PLEASE IN FINDING MAYBE THERES LIKE A SERVICE BULLETIN OR A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEMS. ALSO I WILL NEVER BUY ANY STUPID PONTIACS AND WON'T RECCOMEND ONE FOR ANYONE. *AK
STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE AND TILT STEERING MECHANISM HAS SLIPPED OUT OF POSITION WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH.
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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