1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE Complaints

LOST BRAKES IN MY 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WHEN BRAKING ON AN EXPRESSWAY EXIT RAMP. THIS WAS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION, BUT WAS ABLE TO AVERT A COLLISION. THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE (HYDRAULIC) CORRODED THROUGH AND CAUSED A LARGE LEAK, LEAVING MARGINAL BRAKES.*TR

I OWN A 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE DAYTIME LIGHTS STAYING ON EVEN WHEN THE SWITCH IS TURNED TO HAVE THE NIGHT TIME HEADLIGHTS ON. IT GOES BACK AND FORTH FROM DAY TO NIGHT LIGHTS AND WILL NOT STAY ON NIGHT WHEN DRIVING. *TR

1998 SUNFIRE BEGAN TO MAKE CLUNKING NOISES ON FRONT RIGHT SIDE. UPON VISUAL INVESTIGATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FRAME COMPONENT WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND SEPARATED. THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCE. I HAVE SENT DIGITAL FILES TO YOUR WEBMASTER EMAIL TO SHOW EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED AS I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL IMMEDIATELY , AS THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY MATTER. *TR

COOLANT HAD BEEN LEAKING FOR OVER 3 MONTHS OFF AND ON. PUT IN STOP LEAK FOR A TEMP FIX. HOWEVER DEXCOOL CONTINUED TO EAT AWAY AT MY COOLANT SYSTEM. CAR HAS OVERHEATED ON MANY OCCASIONS. FINALLY ABLE TO USE JB WELD TO FIX LEAK . *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS AGO, WHEN TURNING LEFT, A POP WAS HEARD IN THE STEERING COLUMN. SINCE THAT TIME, THE STEERING HAS BEEN HARDER TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE RACK AND PINION AND POWER STEERING HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE MAKING A RIGHT TURN 30 MPH WHEN ALL WHEEL LUG BOLTS BROKE ON RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AND WHEEL CAME OFF. WHEEL GOT STUCK UNDER CAR. NO STEERING AND BRAKING WAS LIMITED. CAR WENT OFF THE ROAD. WITH THE HELP OF THE REAR EMERGENCY BRAKE THE CAR WAS STOPPED. FORTUNATELY NO INJURIES. DAMAGE TO DISK BRAKE, LARGE DENT IN FENDER AND BUMPER. NHTSA RECALL 97V219000 INDICATES SIMILAR PROBLEM FOR 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHEEL HOLES WERE PERFECTLY ROUND INDICATING THE WHEEL NUTS WERE NOT LOOSE. CAR FRONT WHEELS HAD BEEN SERVICED 6 MONTHS EARLIER FOR NEW BRAKES. WHEN I CALLED PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737 THEY INDICATED THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS CAR INVOLVING WHEEL LUG BOLTS AND SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *NM

I OWN A 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE FAILURE IS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. .. THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WORK FINE, BUT AT NIGHT, WHEN I TWIST THE LEVER TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON, ONLY MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS STAY ON AND MY HEADLIGHTS REMAIN AT ABOUT 1/2 BRIGHTNESS AND THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS INDICATOR STAYS ON. (IN OTHERWORDS, NO CHANGE IN THE BEAMS...) BUT THEN WHEN I EVER SO SLIGHTLY PULL THE LEVER BACK TO GO TO FLASH MY HEADLIGHTS, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS INDICATOR DISAPPEARS AND MY HEADLIGHTS BRIGHTEN TO "NORMAL, NIGHTTIME BRIGHTNESS, THEN IF I PULL LEVER BACK TOWARDS ME EVEN FARTHER, THE HIGHBEAMS COME ON)... BUT THE PROBLEM IS... THE LEVER WON'T STAY ON EITHER NIGHTTIME OR HIGH BEAM MODES AT ALL. ONCE I LET GO OF THE LEVER IT RETURNS TO DAYTIME RUNNINGLIGHTS, EVEN WITH THE LEVER TWISTED ALL THE WAY TO HAVE THE HEADLIGHTS ON.... I STILL ONLY GET THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DRL)... . ON OCCASION THE HEADLIGHTS WORK OK TO BEGIN WITH, BUT AS I AM DRIVING THE "NORMAL" LIGHTS CLICK BACK OFF AND ITS ONLY THE DRL THAT ARE ON. ITS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE NIGHTIME TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT ON WHEN THE DRL ARE ONLY ON. I ALSO HAVE A FRIEND WITH A 97 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND SHE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HER DRL/ AND HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE NOT YET CORRECTED THE PROBLEM, AND I HAVE RESEARCHED IT ON THE INTERNET AND OTHERS SEEM TO BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.

A CLICKING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS TWICE, AND RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE GREASED, OTHERWISE THE CONSUMER COULD LOSE STEERING WHILE DRIVING. *AK THE NOISE WAS THE SOUND OF METAL ON METAL. GM WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB

NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 02V286000; GENERAL MOTORS ISSUED A STEERING ASSEMBLY RECALL. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. BUT AT CERTAIN TIMES THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHEN MAKING TURNS, MAKING THE ABILITY TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT, AND INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.*AK VEHICLE POWER STEERING PERFORMS LIKE IT HAS NO POWER STERING , JUST LIKE RECALL DESCRIBES. DEALER REFUSED TO TAKE ACTION CAUSE VIN IS NOT IN LOT OF #'S RECALLED. *BF

WITHIN THE LAST 10,000 MILES FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED FOUR TIMES. EVERY 2500 TO 3000 MILES THE PUMP WILL MALFUNCTION. CONTACTED THE DEALER. HOWEVER, PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK