1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING IGNITION FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES AND PLACED ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. THE FUEL PUMP AND IGNITION SWITCH WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS PRESENTLY AT THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 46,741 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED ABOUT SAFETY RECALL # 02V286000 REGARDING RACK AND PINION STEERING. THIS VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE STEERING WHEEL WASA DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WHEN TURNING LEFT AT ANY SPEED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 121,337, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,250.*AK

RECEIVED 02V286000) FOR DEFECTIVE STEERING. I COULD NOT SAFELY DRIVE CAR. PONTIAC TOLD ME IF THE PART THEY REPLACEDWAS ALSO DEFECTIVE THEY WERE NOT OBLIGATED TO FIX IT PAST 3 MONTHS OR 3,000 MILES. THAT DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. IF THEY REPLACED THE ORIGINAL DEFECTIVE PART WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART SHOULDN'T THEY HAVE TO FIX IT? *AK

1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH A SAFETY RECALL PROBLEM**CC THE VEHICLES IGNITION SWITCH WAS RECALLED. THE CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH TWICE PRIOR TO RECALL NOTIFICATION. THE CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT FOR EITHER REPAIR. *NM

TILT STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT LOCK INTO PLACE ALLOWING STEERING WHEEL TO MOVE FREELY UP AND TO THE LEFT. DANGEROUS FOR STEERING DURING NORMAL DRIVING AND IN PARTICULAR IF EVASIVE SAFETY MANEUVERS ARE NEEDED. FIXED AT REPAIR SHOP BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE PIVOT UNIT MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A VERY HIGH COST. *NM

PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2001. THE '97 SUNFIRE WAS PRETTY RELIABLE VEHICLE, I HAD GOT REPAIRS OCCASIONALLY FOR THIS AND THAT. HOWEVER, I NEVER KNEW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO THE VEHICLE UNTIL THIS PAST JUNE THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN. AFTER GETTING THE CAR TOWED AND CONSULTING A MECHANIC, WHO ADVISED ME THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BURNED UP THE IGNITION WIRES AND IT WOULD COST ME 5-6 HUNDRED TO REPAIR. I WOULD APPRECIATE MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PROBLEM AND IF THE RECALL IS STILL IN EFFECT. *JB

MY NAME IS [XXX], MY DAUGHTER, [XXX] BOUGHT A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IN ABOUT 2/06 SHE STARTED HAVING TROUBLE STEERING THE CAR. THE STEERING WAS MUCH HARDER IN ONE DIRECTION, AS IF THERE WERE NO POWER ASSIST. FINALLY IN MAY 06, SHE BROUGHT IT TO ME AND I LOOKED AT YOUR WEBSITE AND FOUND A RECALL DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEMS SHE IS HAVING WITH THE CAR. I TOLD HER TO TAKE IT TO A GM DEALER AND THEY SHOULD FIX IT FOR FREE. SHE TOOK THE CAR TO 'GRAND PONTIAC' IN THORTON CO., AND AFTER 3 DAYS, THEY CALLED HER AND TOLD HER THE CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL AND GAVE HER A VERBAL ESTIMATE OF 2100.00, OR GAVE HER AN OPTION TO TRADE IT IN ON ANOTHER CAR. I THEN GOT INVOLVED, AND WAS TOLD THE SAME, I REQUESTED AN ESTIMATE AND WAS FAXED A HAND WRITTEN UNREADABLE PIECE OF NOTHING. 2 DAYS LATER, THE SERVICE MGR.([XXX]) AT GRAND PONTIAC CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE CAR WAS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL, BUT THE GM AREA VEHICLE MANAGER ([XXX]) WOULD NOT APPROVE THE REPAIR. [XXX] THEN TOLD ME TO CALL PONTIAC CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I DID THAT ON 6/14/06, AND GAVE THEM THE STORY. ON 6/15, A GM REP NAMED [XXX] CALLED ME AND SAID THE CAR WAS NOT COVERED GOING BY THE VIN. I TOLD HER THAT RICK DUNCAN SAID IT WAS, AND THAT NHTSA SHOWED IT TO BE. SHE CALLED [XXX], AND CALLED ME BACK AND SAID SHE WOULD HAVE TO DO FURTHER RESEARCH AND CALL BACK. NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 02V286000, BULLITIN# 02049 THE CAR IS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE, 4 DR, 2.2, AUTO. 99634.99K MILES. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND HELP US IF POSSIBLE. MY KID NEEDS HER CAR BADLY, AND IT LOOKS LIKE GM JUST DOESN'T WANT TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT IMPACT OF ANY KIND, OR WARNING. *NM

1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE FAILED TO START. TURNED IGNITION OFF REMOVED KEY, CAR STEERING COLUMN BURST INTO FLAMES WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. *JB

AS OF 2 DAYS AGO(4-11-05) SOMEONE CAME TO LOOK AT MY CAR,FOR POSSIBLE PURCHASE, AND TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, UPON RETURNING SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T GET THE DRIVERS WINDOW TO ROLL UP. HAVING POWER WINDOWS, I CHECKED THE FUSE, THE PASSENGER WINDOW GOES UP AND DOWN JUST FINE, BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE ROLLS UP IN SPURTS, I HIT THE BUTTON, IT ACTS LIKE IT'S GOING UP JUST FINE, AND JUST STOPS. I TALKED TO ANOTHER OWNER OF A SUNFIRE, AND HE SAID THAT HE KNEW OF A BIG COMPLAINT ABOUT THE POWER WINDOW PULLING TOO MUCH POWER AND BASICALLY WEARING THE MOTOR OUT. THAT WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT I HAVE NOTICED. I WENT AHEAD AND CHANGED THE FUSE JUST IN CASE AND CHECKED THE WIRING FOR ANY SURGES, NOTICED NOTHING FURTHER, BUT STILL HAVE PROBLEM W/WINDOW. *AK