2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE, I HAD TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT IN ORDER FOR IT TO GO STRAIGHT. I THOUGHT I MIGHT NEED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT MY NEIGHBORHOOD FIRESTONE DEALER THAT NORMALLY WORKS ON MY CARS. AFTER CHECKING THE CAR, THEY CALLED ME AND SAID THE FRAME OF THE CAR WAS RUSTED OUT AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THEY GAVE ME PICTURES OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FRAME WHICH ALL READY HAD CRACKED APART DUE TO THE RUST. THEY SAID IF YOU HIT A POTHOLE OR ANYTHING IN THE ROAD THE FRAME COULD SPLIT APART AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED A BODY SHOP TO SEE IF IT COULD BE REPAIRED AND THEY SAID IT WAS TO BIG OF A JOB.. THEY RECOMMENDED JUNKING THE CAR.. THIS CAR IS IN REAL GOOD SHAPE EXCEPT FOR THIS MAJOR DEFECT. THIS HAS FORCED ME TO BUY ANOTHER CAR.. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE QUALITY OF YOUR PRODUCT. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM.

THE INNER IGNITION LOCK NEEDS TO BE CHANGED ABOUT EVERY 60,000 MILES. YOU CAN'T TURN THE KEY OVER AT ALL SO OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T START YOUR CAR. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

MY DAUGHTER LEFT HOME AND THE VEHICLE FRAME, OF THE 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE,BROKE IN TWO PARTS WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID IT BROKE DUE TO IT RUSTED INTO TWO PARTS. SHE WAS NOT INJURED BUT THE CAR OF COURSE WAS INOPERABLE. THERE WAS NO WRECK OR ACCIDENT FOR THE FRAME OF THIS VEHICLE TO DISINTEGRATE. SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IF SHE WAS TRAVELING AT MORE THAN 35 MPH AND ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND THEY GAVE THIS A GM CASE NUMBER AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT YOU CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM TO MAKE OTHER VEHICLE OWNERS AWARE OF IT. THE SHOP THAT IS REPAIRING THE VEHICLE STATED HE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING A FRAME DUE TO THE FACT THIS IS VERY COMMON IN PONTIAC SUNFIRE VEHICLES. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

BOUGHT CAR USED IN 2013. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OKAY UNTIL 9/12/14 WHEN THE THEFT SYSTEM SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER, RPMS, AND GAS INDICATORS WERE NOT READING - CAR BEGAN STALLING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT DOWN. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50 TO 55 MPH ON A BUSY STREET. AFTER CAR IS SHUT OFF FOR A TIME IT STARTS UP OKAY AND RUNS UNTIL THE SAME THING REOCCURS AFTER GOING ABOUT 20 MILES OR SO - IF CAR SHUTS DOWN WHILE MOVING IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME THING ON VARIOUS WEBSITES. APPARENTLY, THE APPROXIMATE COST TO FIX IS $400.00 - I AM ON A LIMITED INCOME AND CANNOT AFFORD. PLEASE HELP. *TR

VEHICLE DOES NOT ALWAYS START RIGHT AWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AND ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND PARKED FOR THE EVENING. IN THE MORNING WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE TRIED TO START. NEW STARTER INSTALLED AND STILL NO SUCCESS TO START. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. AFTER EVALUATION IT WAS FOUND THE TIMING CHAINS HAD BROKEN AND INFRINGED ON THE CYLINDER HEADS. VEHICLE REQUIRES REPLACEMENT ENGINE AS PER MECHANIC. INVESTIGATED OTHER CLAIMS OF THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENING AND HAVE FOUND THAT THE 2.2L ECOTEC ENGINE HAS HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OVER THE LAST 5-7 YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BECAME FRACTURED AND AS RESULT, THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

IN JANUARY OF 2006 THE TACHOMETER GAUGE STARTED JUMPING AROUND NOT READING CORRECT, BY CLICKING THE IGNITION ON AND OFF WITH THE CAR NOT RUNNING IT WOULD RE-SET. IN THE FALL OF 2012 THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED AND CONTINUES TO READ WRONG. APRIL 1ST 2013, NOW THE FUEL GAUGE HAS STARED TURNING COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND NO LONGER WORKS.

THE RPM NEEDLE WENT TOTALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE INTO THE NEEDLE OF THE SPEEDOMETER. CAN'T TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING. EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. PAINT STARTING TO CHIP IN DIFFERENT PLACES. THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT I HAD THAT THE PAINT PEELED AND GENERAL MOTORS STATES THAT IT IS TOO OLD OF A VEHICLE TO PAY TO HAVE PAINTED. THAT IS TOTALLY SAD. *TR

WHILE BRAKING THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS WORKING NORMALLY THEN SUDDENLY WENT SOFT. PUMPED BRAKES BUT PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. CAUSED CAR TO CRASH INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. FAILURE WAS CONSISTENT WITH EITHER MATER CYLINDER FAILURE OR HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE FAILURE CAUSING LOSS OF FLUID AND PRESSURE. BOTH VEHICLES WERE A TOTAL LOSS. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS WENT OFF IN SUNFIRE. NO SERIOUS INJURIES. *TR