Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 25 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 TRAVELING VEHICLE SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. AFTER GETTING BACK ON THE ROAD VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SHUT DOWN. HOWEVER, IT RESTARTED. AFTER ARRIVING HOME THE VEHICLE WAS STILL DEFECTIVE.*AK
PONTIAC SUNFIRE 2000 WILL BE DRIVING THE CARS, IT STALLS OUT, THEN RESTARTS WITHOUT TURNING THE KEY. HAVE TALKED TO THE PONTIAC DEALER. BRINGING IT IN ON 12/20/2004 FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM RELATED TO A COLLAPSED FUEL STRAINER THATWILL CAOST IN THE AREA OF $200 TO REPAIR. ODI ACTION NO. PE02-66 WAS FILED IN 2002, NEEDS TO BE PUSHED FORWARD TO HOLD PONTIAC ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR POOR DESIGN. SEE (HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_42762.HTML) FOR FURTHER CONFIRMATION.
THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN ON ITS ON. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATE. THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED. *JB THERE WAS LEAKING BOILING UNDER THE DASH ON BOTH SIDES. *SC
WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT 60 MPH VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. T WHEN DRIVING 30 MILES OR LESS VEHICLE WAS FINE. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY PUT IT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE, SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT A HIGH SPEED. *AK
VEHICLE BROKE DOWN, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. *MR THE ENGINE MELTED HOSES AND OTHER PARTS DUE TO THE GASKET BLOWING OUT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE DASHBOARD FAILED TO SIGNAL THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC *JB
PROBLEMS WITH 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE ENGINE. *MR THE VEHICLE WOULD CRANK SOMETIMES BUT NOT START. ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO CRANK AND STALLED IN THE PROCESS. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE STARTER HAD GONE OUT, MAYBE THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, OR THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDER RING WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS A BURNT COOLANT SMELL AND THE VALVE COVER GASKET RUPTURED LEAKING OIL. *SC *JB
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE DRIVER LOST POWER STEERING. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CAR HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SINCE DAY ONE. BRAKES CHATTER, OVERHEATING, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, CD PLAYER AND SPEAKERS DID NOT WORK. NOW IT STALLS WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. STALLS AT 70 MPH GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. HAS STALLED WHILE DRIVING 3 OR 4 TIMES IN THE PAST TWO DAYS. CHECKED OUT AT SERVICE STATION ON COMPUTER, AND SHOWS NO PROBLEMS. HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS HERE ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. BAD FUEL PUMP OR SOMETHING IS CAUSING CAR TO STALL. THEN IT TAKES FROM 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO START AGAIN. SOME DAYS IT JUST WON'T START AT ALL. HAVE HAD CAR CHECKED MANY TIMES, AND NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM. ANYONE THAT CAN HELP HERE??? I THINK GMC OWES MANY, MANY CONSUMERS AN EXPLANATION AND REPAIR OF THIS VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM! *PH
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A KNOCKING NOISE. *JB THERE WAS NOT WARNING. (ENGINE OR OIL LIGHT) THE VEHICLE WASN'T LOW OF OIL AND WAS CHANGED REGULARLY. THE VEHICLE NEVER MADE A KNOCKING NOISE BEFORE. SCC
I OWN A 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING AT 60-65 MPH. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE PONTIAC DEALER, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, ALSO LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO DROVE THE CAR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BUT IT DID NOT SHUT OFF. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE FAST LANE AND THE CAR JUST DECELERATED AND STOPPED.*JB
I HAVE A PROBLEM AND I DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO FOR ANSWERS ON MY CAR. I HAVE A 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE...WE HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH IT TILL I TOOK IT IN LAST WEEK FOR INSPECTION. THEY TOLD ME IT NEEDED, BRAKES AND ROTORS AND 2 NEW TIRES.......THEN THE DAY I GOT IT, IT LEFT ME STRANDED ALONG THE ROAD, THE TEMP GAUGE KEPT GOING PASSED 265 AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND I HAD TO LET THE CAR SIT. I CALLED THE GARAGE WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AT AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM.....THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR THE LAST 4 DAYS, DRIVING TO FIND A PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THEY NOTICED ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING BUT HAD NO IDEA WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM. NOW TODAY THEY JUST CALLED BACK AND TOLD ME, MY WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT WENT OUT ON IT AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM...IS THIS SOUND NORMAL TO YOU GUYS????? IT WAS RUNNING TERRIFIC UNTIL THE INSPECTION...I PAID OVER 1200 SO FAR. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME OUT WITH THIS?
WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH VEHICLE WOULD STALL, AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO CONTROL VEHICLE. *AK
NOTICED THE COOLANT LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND OFF. ADDED SOME EVEN THO IT SAID NOT BEFORE 5 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. CAR DID NOT HEAT UP ON LONG TRIP FROM NM TO CA. DEALER SAID MAYBE IT WAS THE COMPUTER CHIP. AFTER CHECKING IT WAS TOLD THE BOTTOM HOSE ON RADIATOR HAD A LEAK CAUSE BY LOOSE MOTOR MOUNT AND DOGBONE. THEY FIXED IT FOR $187.00 AND WANTED ANOTHER $700.00 TO FIX MOTOR MOUNT AND DB. I HAD CHECKED BY ANOTHER MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WRONG WITH MM OR DB. I FEEL I WAS TAKEN. I NOTICED NO LEAK IN OVER 3 WEEKS BEFORE DEALER HAD THE CAR. I FEEL THEIR PRESSURE TEST BURST THE HOSE.
CONSUMER STATES WARNING FOR COOLANT ILLUMINATED. NEXT DAY VEHICLE STARTED LEAKING COLLANT OVERNIGHT. WHILE THE DEALER VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
RADIATOR CAME APART AT THE LOWER CONNECTION BETWEEN ALUMINUM AND PLASTIC/ALL FLUID CAME OUT AND OVERHEATED. DT
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STALLS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASION AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *MR
CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR, THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION.*JB
EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED DUE TO IT GETTING HOT MELTING THE CARPET AND PAINT INSIDE TRUNK, FUMES FILLED INTERIOR OF VEHICLE AT THIS TIME EXHAUST SYSTEM IS RUNNING JUST AS HOT AGAIN, DEALER STATED FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE HAS BAD GAS MILEAGE, STARTER MOTOR SEIZED AND FAILED, POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING, COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM LEFT FRONT AND BACK OF THE VEHICLE, REPLACED RADIATOR, HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR AT IDLE, TRUNK LEAKS, HEAD LAMP IS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, GLOVE BOX WILL NOT CLOSE, MUFFLER FELL OFF, KEY COMES OUT OF IGNITION WITH VEHICLE RUNNING, TRANSMISSION HAS NO REVERSE, THERE WAS BRAKE PULSATION AT HIGH SPEED OR WHEN STOPPING, BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, SPEAKERS INOPERATIVE, SEAT SPRING FAILED, SUSPECTED MOTOR OIL SMELL AND REPLACED THERMOSTAT, HORN WAS INOPERATIVE, POWER AND GROUNDS DISTRIBUTION REPLACED, WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN ALL THE WAY, FOUND WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED, HAZARD LAMPS AND TURN SIGNAL WERE INOPERATIVE, REPLACED BLOWN FUSE, CIGARETTE LIGHTER INOPERATIVE, REPLACED BLOWN FUSE, TRACTION CONTROL INOPERATIVE, ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, A/C HOSE LEAKING, REPLACED EVAPORATOR, HARD TO START AND ROUGH IDLE, ENGINE MAKE RATTLING NOISE AND QUIT RUNNING, REPLACED HEAD CYLINDER AND 02 SENSOR, VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT, OVERFLOW BOTTLE MELTED AND 42 GOODYEAR TIRES BLEW OUT, ALSO THE HVAC WAS INOPERATIVE. *YD
VEHICLE STALLED TWICE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS AT ABOUT 45 MPH. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 4-5 TIMES,COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE. DEALER REPLACED BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR. CONSUMER REFUSED TO DRIVE VEHICLE. *AK
THE ENGINE CRANKS BUT WILL NOT START, VEHICLE HAS ALSO STALLED TWICE WHILE DRIVING, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN REPAIR SHOP ON SIX OCCASIONS AND PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED.*JB
THIS IS JUST A FEW OF THE MANY PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED FROM TIME OF PURCHASE. ANY TIME I'D TURN ON AIR/HEAT/DEFROST ENTIRE CAR WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY ENOUGH TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. DEALERSHIP FOUND BOTH PROBLEMS AND SO FAR ARE CORRECTED. HAD TO BRING OUT ANOTHER MODEL IDENTICAL TO MY TO FIND THE ALL THE PROBLEMS. ALSO HAD LEFT REAR SPEAKER REPLACED TWICE, GOT STRANDED DUE TO "GENERATOR LOW VOLTAGE" LIGHT NOT COMING ON WHEN MY BATTERY CABLE BOLT WAS STRIPPED OUT. HAD TO HAVE BRAKES REBURNISHED AT 913 MILES DUE TO SQUEALING AND AM CURRENTLY TAKING IT IN FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES BEING ENGAGED AT ALL TIMES.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED, AND ON DAILY BASIS. TAKEN VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES TO DEALER, CANNOT REMEDY SITUATION. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT PRIOR TO VEHICLE STALLING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT USED TO ILLUMINATE AND THEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WOULD QUIT, HOWEVER NOW, VEHICLE WILL STALL WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THIS HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY WHERE IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. *SLC
AFTER LEAVING GARAGE NOTICED FLUID ON FLOOR. WAS TRAVELING 40MPH WHEN VEHICLE STALLED OUT. PRIOR TO STALLING, COOLANT LIGHT HAD CAME ON WHICH WAS ONLY WARNING SIGNAL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO DEALERSHIP.*AK
ENHANCED TRACTION FAILURE, TOLD IT WAS DUE TO OXYGEN SENSOR FAILURE BY DEALERSHIP. PAINT FLAKING OFF, RAIL DUST IN PAINT. PART OF FACTORY GROUND EFFECTS FALLING OFF. RADIO RESETS STATIONS WHEN CAR IS OFF, DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THERE IS NO PROBLEM. HEADLINER HAS BEEN FIXED 3 TIMES BECAUSE IT WAS FALLING, STILL NOT RIGHT. TRUNK LID NOT LINING UP AND DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THEY CAN NOT FIX.
A FEW DAYS AFTER WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WE NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE MADE A "GRINDING, ROUGH" NOISE WHEN PUT INTO PARK. THERE IS ALSO A VIBRATION THAT CAN BE FELT INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALER LOOKED AT THE CAR HE SAID IT HAD A "MISS" AND HE PULLED UP INFORMATION IN HIS COMPUTER AND NOTED THAT WE WERE THE 16TH PEOPLE TO COMPLAIN OF THE SAME PROBLEM. HE PULLED A CAR OFF THE LOT AND COMPARED IT TO OURS. IT DID THE SAME THING. HE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME WE TOOK IT IN FOR THIS PROBLEM THEY HOOKED THE CAR UP TO THE COMPUTER AND SAID IT WAS WITHIN SPECS. AGAIN, WE WERE TOLD NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. WE PURCHASED A NEW VEHICLE IN HOPES THAT THERE WOULD BE LITTLE PROBLEMS WITH IT. THIS PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE WILL RUN INTO BIGGER, EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS. PLEASE HELP! *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
Data on this page last refreshed .