1996 PONTIAC SUNFIRE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AN UNSUAL NOISE OCCURRED DUE TO FAILURE OF ONE OF THE LIFTERS WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO CRAMSHAFT. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

RIGHT AXLE BROKE OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION JERKING THE CAR HARSHLY TO THE RIGHT AND INTO A CURB,FRONT RIGHT TIRE WAS PUSHED BACK TO WHERE THE FRONT RIGHT CLIP AND THE DOOR JAM MEET. *AK

THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A GUARD RAIL (NO MAKE/MODEL OF THE TIRE PROVIDED) (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS

ON SIX OCCASIONS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE A SHORTED COIL SHELL.AT 6225 MILES AT CLASSIC PONTIAC BECAUSE OF ENGINE LIGHT WARNING AT 23033 ATCLASSIC I WAS TOWED TO SHOP TO REPLACE A SHORTED COIL SHELL.AT 23051 I WAS TOWED TO PARK PONTIAC NOW KNOWN AS ROSLYN AUTO GROUP WHERE I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE 1996 PONTIAC SUNFIRE., TO GET TO THE THE LATEST AND MOST TROUBLING INCIDENT I WAS OPERATING MY CAR IN N.Y. CITY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF THE WALDOF ASTORIA HOTEL ON PARK AVE ACCOMPANIED BY DAUGHTER WHO I WAS TAKING TO MT. SINANI HOSP. FOR TREATMENT.THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING IT FLASHED ABOUT TWENTY TIMES I THEN HEARD A LOUD POP SOUND AND LOST POWER TO A 10 MILE AN HOUR SPEED.THIS WAS A SERVERE SAFTEY PROBLEM FOR MYSELF MY DAUGHTERS ,OTHER MOTORIST AND THEGENERAL PUBLIC AT LARGE OTHER CARS AND TRUCKS HAD TO EXECUTE EVASSIVE MANUEVERS TO AVOID HITTING MY DISABLED CAR I WAS ABLE TO DIRECT MY CAR TO A SAFE SIDE STREET.THIS CAR IS A TIME BOMB BECAUSEOF GENERAL MOTORS INABILITY TO RESOLVE MY PERSISTANT AND INHERIENT PROBLEM THAT HAS CAUSED THIS AUTO TO BE TOWED TO THEIR REPAIR SHOPS THREE TIMES AS WELL AS DRIVEN IN 3 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM I AM STILL PAYING OFF THIS CAR AND THE DEALER HAS INFORMED ME MY LAST BILL INCLUDING TOWING WHICH CAME TO $500.00 IS MY RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE CARS CURRENT MILIAGE. ASIDE FROM THAT THIS CAR IS A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE BY ME NOTIFING YOU OF THIS CONDITION I AM HOPING THAT IF MYSELF OR ANYONE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC SUFFERS DAMAGES OR LOSS OF LIFE GENERAL MOTORS WILL BECOME LIABLE.THANK YOU JAMES W. GRIFFIN

TRANSMISSION FAILURE, DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION, CONSUMER WANTS REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC

STEERING GETS LOCKED UP WHEN TURNING CORNERS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. DEALER IS UNCERTAIN, THEY CAN'T START REPLACING PARTS . THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.*AK

WATER PUMP LEAKING HALF GALLON OR MORE OF FLUID EVERYDAY, CAUSING LOW COOLANT LIGHT TO COME ON. LOCAL DEALER WANTED 7 HOURS AND $600.00 DOLLARS OR MORE TO FIX. CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AT ACCORDIAN-LIKE SHOCK ABSORBER AT HIGH SPEED. WAS UPSET TO LEARN THAT REPLACEMENT PART WAS DEALER-ONLY ITEM AND COST $420.00 DOLLARS PLUS $40.00 DOLLAR CORE CHARGE. WHEEL STUDS (THREE)ON PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL FAILED DURING HIGHWAY TRIP IN JUNE OF 1999. TWO MORE FAILED DURING AUGUST OF 2000. HAVE BEEN TOLD, COULD BE OVERTIGHTENING ISSUE, BUT HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEM WITH REMAINING STUDS ON OTHER WHEELS. THIS COULD BE VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. INTERIOR DOME LIGHT HAS INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTION WHICH CAUSES LIGHT TO REMAIN LIT INDEFINITELY. HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. HAD TO TURN LIGHT OFF BY PULLING DOME LIGHT FUSE OR DISCONNECTING BATTERY EACH TIME. *AK

IN THE MORNING WHEN MOVING THE PAWL FROM PARK TO DRIVE, AND WHEN TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR, VEHICLE WILL FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY HAD BUMPED IT ON THE REAR. TAKEN TO A TECHNICIAN WHO SAID THAT PROBLEM WAS WITH THE POWER CONTROL MODULE. *AK

VEHICLE HAD A GAS ODOR. FOR PAST WEEK ODOR BECAME VERY STRONG. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, WHO FOUND THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR IN THE #2 CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. SPARK FROM CYLINDER COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE. AS PER DEALER, THIS WAS A "FIRE HAZARD, " AND WOULD NOT START ENGINE. MANFACTURER HAS ADVISED CONSUMER THAT REPAIRS WILL NOT BE COVERED. *AK

COOLANT SEEPING FROM ENGINE AREA. SUSPECT DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET. NOTICED PROBLEM ON AUGUST 8, 2000 AFTER COMING BACK TO PARKED CAR IN TWO HOURS. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND THE CAR HAS NEVER OVERHEATED.