1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE Complaints

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS VIBRATION WHICH MAY CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ENGINE DOESN'T START ALL THE TIME, I'VE HAD IT IN 3 TIMES TO BE CHECKED, THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.

VEHICLE WAS RENTED FROM ENTERPRISE. VEHICLE DRIVEN ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT WHEN IT RAN OVER SOME DEBRIS FROM PRIOR ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD. DEBRIS STRUCK UNDERCARRAIGE AND THE AIRBAGS ON BOTH SIDES DEPLOYED. INJURY CAUSED TO PASSENGER WHO WAS LOOKING IN THE GLOVE BOX AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ALL OCCUPANTS HAD SEAT BELTS ON AT THE TIME. CAR VELOCITY AT TIME OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT WAS 70 MPH. AFTER BAG DEPLOYMENT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOPPED BY DRIVER WHOSE VISON WAS BADLY OBSTRUCTED BY THE AIRBAG. NO DAMAGE EXCEPT TO UNDERCARRAIGE AND INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS DONE. BELIEVE THIS ISN'T THE WAY AN AIR BAG IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. I REPORTED THIS TO YOU EARLIER ON A NON STANDARD FORM AND WHEN I REVIEWED YOUR COMPLAINT LIST I DIDN'T SEE IT SO I AM RESUBMITTING IT ON YOUR OWN FORM. I WAS A SECTION HEAD OF SYSTEM SAFETY AT NWC CHINA LAKE FOR 5 YEARS AND MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION IS THAT A SINGLE POINT FAILURE CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY AND THAT THE CAUSE IS VERY CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCELEROMETER SYSTEM. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH INTO IT AND HAVE FOUND ACCELEROMETER PROBLEMS NOT ONLY ON THIS MODEL BUT OTHERS. MATTERS OF THE ACCELEROMETER DELAMINATING UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS AND THE PROBLEM OF STICTION IN THE ACCELEROMETER ELEMENTS ARE JUST TWO ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED WITH ACCELEROMETERS PUT INTO AUTOMOBILES BY INDUSTRY. COMPOUND THAT WITH AN INCOMPLETE TEST/INSPECTION AND YOU HAVE A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. I TOOK THE MATTER UP WITH THE CURRENT HEAD OF SYTEM SAFETY AT NWC, KEN CHIRKIS, AND HE AGREES. IN ADDITION HE SUGGESTED THAT WE INFORM SATO OUR TRAVEL PEOPLE ABOUT THE HAZZARD SINCE THE GOVERNMENT RENTS THIS STYLE OF VEHICLE EXTENSIVELY AND THE 'FIX' IMPLEMENTED FOR THE 96 & 97 MODELS APPARENT DOES'T WORK FOR THE 98. THE NAVY HAS A REQUIREMENT THAT FOR SAFETY FEATURES A FAILURE RATE OF 1X10E-6. THIS ONE FAILURE ALONE WOULD ELIMINATE THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER IT'S ALSO COMBINED WITH ANOTHER

TRANSMISSION DESIGN ALLOWS FOR THE VEHICLE TO ROLL WHEN RELEASING BRAKE PEDAL ON INCLINES. TRANSMISSION REPLACED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR, HOWEVER CONTINUES TO ROLL.

STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE AND TILT STEERING MECHANISM HAS SLIPPED OUT OF POSITION WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ACCELERATOR STUCK WHILE BRAKING FOR A STOP ON TWO OCCASIONS,DEALER CLAIM THE PROBLEM WAS A FAULTY CRUISE CONTROL CABLE ON AN AFTERMARKET CRUISE CONTROL THEY INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF DELIVERY.*ET

CONSIDERABLY LEAKY; LEAVING OUTRAGEOUS MILDEW SMELLS; CONSTITUTES A SAFETY PROBLEM.

VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40MPH. HAD VEHICLE TOWED 4 TIMES TO DEALER FOR ENGINE. NO REASON FOUND FOR STALLING. PROBLEM NOT DUPLICATED. SPEED WOULD VARY WHEN STALLING OCCURRED. *AK

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE WILL IDLE AND WON'T MOVE, AND SUDDENLY TAKE OFF. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION MAKES A DULL CLUNKING SOUND WHEN DRIVEN ON GRAVEL ROAD SURFACES. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER, OTHER NEW SUNBIRDS WERE TESTED AND SAME PROBLEM WAS FOUND.