Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Visibility 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.
10
Latest Feb 26, 2009
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.
12%
of 82 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.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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 visibility
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
ElectricalEngineInterior & seats+1 more
Filed Feb 26, 2009
THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. SINCE IT'S PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD MANY ISSUES. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT LESS THAN 20,000 (IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THOUGH). MY POWER WINDOWS HAVE ALL STOPPED WORKING AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED (I'VE HAD TO BUY 7 DIFFERENT ONES), MY CIGARETTE LIGHTER FUSE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEMS WITH MY HEADLIGHTS AND THEY HAVE HAD SHORTS AND THE WIRING HAS NEEDED REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES, AND LAST FINALLY MY SWITCH ON MY DRIVER DOOR THAT TURNS THE DOME LIGHT ON AND THE RADIO OFF HAS NEEDED CHANGED 3 TIMES NOW! WE HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AND I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS CAR TO ANYONE!! *TR
NHTSA ID
10260055
Incident
Jan 2, 2009
Visibility
Filed Dec 24, 2008
WINDOW MOTORS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER INTRUSION CAUSING PREMATURE FAILURE. *TR
NHTSA ID
10252759
Incident
Feb 15, 2005
Mileage
29,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Nov 10, 2008
PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR STOPPED WORKING. DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR WORKING SLOWLY. UPON REPLACING THE BAD MOTOR I NOTICED THERE WAS NO ASSIST SPRING ON THE WINDOW LIFTING ASSEMBLY ON EITHER DOOR. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SPOT FOR ONE ON BOTH ASSEMBLIES. ASSEMBLIES THAT I HAD WORKED ON IN THE PAST INCLUDED THESE SPRINGS. I HAD THOUGHT THAT THE ASSIST SPRINGS WERE THERE TO HELP THE MOTOR IN LIFTING THE WINDOW. ESPECIALLY IN A TWO DOOR WITH LARGER WINDOWS. *TR
NHTSA ID
10248389
Incident
Jul 15, 2008
Mileage
55,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 17, 2008
MY WINDOW MOTORS STARTED GOING OUT OR LOSING POWER THE SHOP COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM THE FINALLY STOPPED WORKING IN OCT OF 2007 A FRIEND HAS THE SAME CAR AND HER DID THE SAME THING AFTER REPLACING THE MOTORS IN THE WINDOWS 8 MONTHS LATER ONE OF THE MOTORS STARTED ACTING THE SAME WAY AGAIN MY FRIEND HAD TO REPLACE HER S ALSO IS THERE A DEFECT WITH THE MOTORS. *TR
NHTSA ID
10245759
Incident
Oct 29, 2007
Visibility
Filed Apr 9, 2007
CHECKED OUT THIS SITE BEFORE I DECIDED TO POST THIS AND SAW SOMEONE ELSE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, AND FRANKLY, I REALLY THOUGHT I WOULD FIND MORE PEOPLE WITH THE COMPLAINT. I BOUGHT THE 2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH 22000 MILES ON IT. UPON PURCHASE I NOTICED THAT OUT OF THE 5 SETTINGS FOR THE BLOWERS THE FIRST ONE DIDN'T WORK. HONESTLY, I DIDN'T CARE THAT MUCH AT THAT POINT- ALL THE OTHERS WORKED, SO NO BIGGIE. THROUGH OUT THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SLOWLY ONE BY ONE ALL THE OTHERS STOPPED WORKING TOO, EXCEPT THE HIGHEST BLOWER. BASICALLY, I WAS EITHER ON HIGH OR NOT ONE AT ALL. STILL, AT THIS POINT, I COULD NOT COMPLAIN THAT MUCH. BUT WHEN I MENTIONED THE PROBLEM TO BOTH MY MOTHER AND A FRIEND THEY BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. MY MOM'S CAR, A GRAND AM, WAS DOWN TO 3 SETTINGS, AND MY FRIENDS VEHICLE, A PONTIAC, WAS ON THE LAST SETTING TOO. WHEN THIS WINTER BEGAN I FIGURED I SHOULD BREAK DOWN AND GET IT LOOKED AT. THE NICE MAN AT THE PONTIAC DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME IT WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD CHUNK OF CHANGE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THOUGH HE OPTED AGAINST TELLING ME WHAT EXACALLY THE PROBLEM IS, AND I NEGLECTED TO ASK. BUT AFTER HEARING OTHER COMPLAINS I STARTED TO WONDER IF IT WAS A PONTIAC THING. AND THOUGH IT MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED A 'SAFTY' ISSUE, IF NOT FIXED IT PROBABLY COULD BECOME ONE. *AK
NHTSA ID
10187412
Incident
Aug 1, 2004
Exterior lightingVisibility
Filed May 24, 2005
CONSUMER STATES: BLINKERS MALFUNCTIONED, WHEN TURNING ON BLINKERS AT TIMES THEY WILL NOT WORK AT ALL. THEN, OTHER TIMES, THEY WILL WORK AND BLINK 2 OR 3 TIMES, THEN QUIT. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON WITHOUT TOUCHING THEM. HAPPENED NO MATTER WHAT THE SPEED. DEALER DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO LOOK AT VEHICLE, AND NOT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
NHTSA ID
10122040
Incident
Apr 30, 2005
Mileage
100,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Apr 15, 2004
I HAVE A 2002 SUNFIRE THAT I PURCHASED ON FEBRUARY 28, 2002, AND IT HAS ALREADY BEEN IN TO BE WORKED ON SEVERAL TIMES. BOTH WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, THE PASSENGER SEAT HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BROKEN SUPPORT IN THE BACK, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER FUSE HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND THE TRUNK LATCH HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE TRUNK WOULD NOT SHUT. RUNS GOOD BUT HAS HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY HESITATE BEFORE BUYING ANOTHER PONTIAC.*AK
NHTSA ID
10066261
Incident
Apr 12, 2004
BrakesElectricalVisibility
Filed Oct 2, 2003
WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BRAKES MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND EXCESSIVE FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO STOP VEHICLE. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE ROTORS CONTINUOUSLY CRACKING. DEALERSHIP RESURFACED AND REPLACED THE ROTORS. ALSO WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR AT A COMPLETE STOP, VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. DEALERSHIP REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER CHIP. IN ADDITION, POWER WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONED. THEY WOULD ENGAGE BY THEMSELVES AND SLIDE UP/DOWN, AND STICK IN EITHER POSITION. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE MOTOR, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
NHTSA ID
10042152
Mileage
5,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 31, 2003
Fire reported1 injury reported
BLOWER FOR HEATER/AIRCONDITIONER BLEW AFTER HITTING SMALL BUMP ON 5/26/03; FUSE REPLACED;SAME PROBLEM AFTER HITTING POTHOLE ON 6/21/03 WITH A BURNING PLASTIC SMELL NOTED ON 6/22/03; BROUGHT TO DEALER ON 6/23/03 AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT THE FUSE IT WAS THE BLOWER WITH PART ON ORDER; RETURNED TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT A PURPLE AND WHITE WIRE "MELTED' AND "WAS CUT BACK" AND THAT A WIRE ON THE RADIO WAS NOT "POSITIONED INCORRECTLY" WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE "SHORT"; SINCE THEN THE FLOOR VENT BLOWS WARM TO HOT AIR WITHOUT THE BLOWER ON WITH ENOUGH INTENSITY TO BURN MY RIGHT FOOT. ALSO,WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON WITH THE INDICATOR ON THE FATHEREST COLD SECTION WARM-HOT AIR STILL BLOWS THROUGH THE FRONT FLOOR VENT; WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID IT WAS A TWISTED/DISCONNECTED HOSE/TUBE; PROBLEM STILL EXIST. ALSO, ON 5/26/03 A SMALL GROWLING NOISE WAS NOTED; THIS NOISE CONTINUES INTERMITTENTLY WHEN COMING TO A QUICK STOP AND HAS PROGRESSIVELY BECOME LOUDER AND LONGER; THE WINDSHIELD WIPER HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED WITH OUT FURTHER VISIBILITY PROBLEMS. DEALER VISITS: 5/27/03, 5/28/03, 5/31/03 6/23/03,6/24/03, 6/25/03, 7/7/03, 7/16/03, 7/22/03, 7/25/03; 8/1/03, 8/6/03, 8/15/03, 8/25/03/AND 8/28/03. *AK
NHTSA ID
10036936
Incident
May 26, 2003
Mileage
187 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 5, 2002
THE REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED AND THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE REAR WINDSHIELD WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY. *YH UPDATED *JB
NHTSA ID
565969
Incident
Apr 28, 2002
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