RoadVitals

2001 Pontiac Sunfire Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
14
Latest Nov 5, 2014
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
21%
of 66 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

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 2001 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.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesEngineOther / unspecified
Filed Nov 5, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE ENGINE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

NHTSA ID
10652659
Incident
Jul 9, 2014
Mileage
82,000 mi
EngineOther / unspecified
Filed Oct 2, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND THE TRACTION WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

NHTSA ID
10640748
Incident
Oct 1, 2014
Mileage
98,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 6, 2008

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO CHANGE THE TIMING CHAIN ON MY CAR IN THE PAST TWO YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10237233
Incident
Jan 11, 2006
Mileage
67,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 28, 2006

TIMING CHAIN GUIDES WENT OUT AFTER ONLY 50,000 MILES. MY MECHANIC SAID THIS IS THE THIRD ONE HE'S DONE LIKE THIS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10174605
Incident
Nov 22, 2006
Mileage
49,000 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 25, 2005

MY CAR HAS MADE A TICKING NOISE SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT WAS CAUSING THE NOISE, FOR ME NOT TO WORRY. 63,000 MILES LATER, I DO NOT HAVE A CAR ANYMORE, THE ENGINE BLEW UP. *JB

NHTSA ID
10143668
Incident
Aug 20, 2005
Mileage
63,000 mi
ElectricalEngine
Filed Feb 23, 2005

THE TRACTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE, BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10112939
Incident
Feb 5, 2005
Mileage
144,600 mi
Engine
Filed Nov 8, 2004

THE ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10099645
Incident
Nov 8, 2004
Engine
Filed Aug 24, 2004

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT HOME. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE INSPECTED AND REPAIRED. *AK THE CONSUMER TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE FIVE TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN STARTED ON THE SIXTH TRY AND DRIVEN IN FOR SERVICE. *TC *JB

NHTSA ID
10089669
Incident
Aug 24, 2004
Engine
Filed Aug 26, 2003

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT FUEL PUMP PROBLEMS. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACE, BUT VEHICLE HAD NO WARRANTY, AND CONSUMER WAS NOT ABLE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. *AK

NHTSA ID
10037689
Engine
Filed Nov 22, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE ENGINE FAIL AND LOST POWER AND IT WAS HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED TS

NHTSA ID
8023205
Incident
Nov 8, 2002
Engine
Filed Aug 19, 2002

WHEN BRAKING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE STALLS AND BECOMES BE HARD TO CONTROL. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK THE VEHICLE DOES NOT START SOMETIMES. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL STALLED. *YH

NHTSA ID
8016648
Incident
Aug 16, 2002
Engine
Filed Jul 9, 2002

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL STALL, RESULTING IN LOSS OF PROPER STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN CHECKED BY DEALER.*AK

NHTSA ID
8013561
Incident
Dec 1, 2001
Engine
Filed Feb 4, 2002

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE WILL AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF. ALL LIGHTS WILL GO OUT EXCEPT DASHBOARD LIGHTS. CONSUMER HAS TO WAIT AT LEAST 3-4 MINTUES BEFORE RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID
8003488
Incident
Jun 22, 2001
Engine
Filed Jan 9, 2002

ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS VEHICLE TRACK OFF LIGHT WOULD COME ON, AND VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS , AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
8001875
Incident
Jan 8, 2001

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Electrical21Brakes10

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .