1995 Pontiac Sunfire

THE FIRST FAILURE OF THE HEAD GASKET WAS ON AUG 12, 1996 WITH 12,453 MILES. PONTIAC WILL NOT RECALL THE 2.2 LITER (IRON) DUKE) ENGINE, NOR ARE THEY WILLING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE WARRANTY STATES IT WILL BE COVERED FOR 7YEARS/100,000 MILES, BUT WHAT HAPPEN AFTER THAT??? THE HEAD GASKETS ONLY LAST ON THE AVERAGE FOR 15 MONTHS. *AK

ANY TIME THE CAR IS STARTED, EITHER COLD OR WARM START, THE MOTOR HAS A VERY IRRATIC IDLE, COMES CLOSE TO STALLING, AND GIVES OFF VERY STRONG EXHAUST FUMES. THE PROBLEM LASTS FOR 1-3 MINUTES, DURING WHICH THE CAR IS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. UNTIL THIS TIME HAS ELAPSED, THE MOTOR IS UNRESPONSIVE TO ANY THROTTLE INPUT. IF I ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE PROBLEM WORSENS, AND EVENTUALLY STALLS. AFTER NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN REACHED, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW, AND CAN NOT SEEM TO GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER FROM GM, OR ANY OF THE LOCAL DEALERS AS TO THE CAUSE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME MODEL SUNFIRE, AND 95% OF THEM HAVE HAD OR ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY LOCAL DEALERS THAT THE PROBLEM DOES NOT SHOW UP ON ANY OF THE DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND ONLY ONE TSB ISSUED, WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOLD, DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK

THIS WAS NOT A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY TURNED OFF. IT WOULD NOT START IN THE MORNING AND ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER THE IGNITION WIRING CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE STEERING COLUMN AND DASH BOARD WERE MELTED. THE FRONT SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED IN A LARGE CIRCLE THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL. THERE WAS SMOKE DAMAGE INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND TO THE ITEMS IN THE TRUNK. THE FIRE DEPT SAID THAT IF THE WINDSHIELD WOULD HAVE BROKEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE EXPLODED. AS IT WAS, THE LACK OF OXYGEN PUT OUT THE FIRE.

IN 1995 I BOUGHT MY PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND SCINCE I HAVE HAD IT I HAVE HAD TO PUT 3 HEAD GASKETS ON IT AND ONE HEAD THE FIRST 1 WAS REPLACED AT 36,275 IN 1998 AND AT THAT TIME THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE PISTONS AND RINGS DO TO THIS PROBLEM. THE NEXT TIME WAS IN2000 WITH 64,915 MILE AT THAT IME IT WAS JUST THE HEAD GASKET THEN THE 3RD TIME THEY REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET AND THE HEAD WHICH WAS CAUSED BY REPLACING THE HEAD GASKET SO MANY TIMES THIS TIME I HAD TO. *AK

FOR MORE THAN A YEAR MY CAR HAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. FUSES BLOW. I'VE HAD HEAD GASKET REPLACED, 2 CLUTCHES INSTALLED, AND A NEW IGNITION MODULE. VARIOUS OTHER SMALL PROBLEMS. MECHANIC DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO REPAIR NEXT. THE MOST RECENT SHUT DOWN OCCURED ON HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. WAS TOWED HOME. NOW SITTING IN DRIVEWAY.

HEAD GASKET LEAKED, AND WAS REPLACED AT 87000 MILES UNDER SPECIAL POLICY #98054. AT 112,800 MILES, HEAD GASKET FAILED AGAIN, AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, THIS TIME NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL , AS THE GASKETS ARE OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE, AND GENERAL MOTORS IS VERY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN THESE VEHICLES, ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. *AK