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2002 Pontiac Sunfire

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 77.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
82Owner complaints

Model-year median: 77

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

0Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2002 Pontiac Sunfire

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 82 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Electrical System: 24 reports
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 15 reports
  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 11 reports
  • Steering: 11 reports
  • Visibility: 10 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    93
    1999    96
    2000    66
    2001    82
    2002    72
    2003    32
    2004    68
    2005
    Compare all Sunfire years →

    Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

    What owners reported most

    Electrical System
    24    Service Brakes, Hydraulic
    15    Engine And Engine Cooling
    11    Steering
    11    Visibility
    10
    All reported categories
    Power Train
    7    Exterior Lighting
    6    Air Bags
    5    Equipment
    5    Fuel System, Gasoline
    5    Structure
    5    Interior Lighting
    3    Seat Belts
    3    Tires
    3    Suspension
    2    Vehicle Speed Control
    2    Engine
    1    Fuel System, Other
    1    Latches/locks/linkages
    1    Service Brakes, Air
    1    Unknown Or Other
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    59 reports with mileage · 23 unknown

    NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

    What to inspect

    Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

    • Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

    NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

    8 crash reports3 fire reports7 injury reports

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

    15 reports
    Clear category filter
    24,000 miles · Jul 22, 2003
    Service Brakes, Hydraulic

    WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOW MY 2002 SUNFIRE TO MAKE A TURN I LOST MY BRAKES. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT RESISTANCE. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP THEN HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS CONTAMINATED BY THE WRONG BRAKE FLUID CAUSING THE SEALS TO FAIL. THE OIL CHANGE FACILITY THAT HAD LAST SERVICED…

    Read full complaint

    WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOW MY 2002 SUNFIRE TO MAKE A TURN I LOST MY BRAKES. THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT RESISTANCE. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP THEN HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS CONTAMINATED BY THE WRONG BRAKE FLUID CAUSING THE SEALS TO FAIL. THE OIL CHANGE FACILITY THAT HAD LAST SERVICED THE VEHICLE HAD NO RECORD OF TOPPING OFF THE FLUID AND INSISTS THAT IT DID NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE FLUID. WARNING LIGHT NEVER CAME ON.

    NHTSA ODI #10028899

    18,000 miles · May 17, 2003
    Service Brakes, Hydraulic

    THE BRAKES ON MY PONTIAC SUNFIRE 2002 GRINDS, AND WHEN YOU HIT A BUMP IT SOUNDS LIKE THE FRONT END IS COMING APART, I BELIEVE ITS THE BRAKE SYSTEM THAT'S CAUSING THE AWFUL NOISE, ITS EMBARRASSING THAT A NEW CAR SOUNDS LIKE A 1969 PONTIAC FIREBIRD COMING DOWN THE ROAD. *JB

    NHTSA ODI #10018835

    20,000 miles · Mar 24, 2003
    Service Brakes, HydraulicTires

    THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE HEATS UP TO THE POINT THAT THERE IS A SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER. THE BRAKES ARE LAGGING WHICH HAS CAUSED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *NLM

    NHTSA ODI #10012328

    Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2002
    Service Brakes, Hydraulic

    WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE APPLIED BRAKES, AND PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR.CONTACTED DEALER. A ROPE HAD GOTTEN AROUND THE AXLE AND BROKE BRAKE LINE, CAUSING FUEL TO RUN OUT.*AK

    NHTSA ODI #8014669

    Mileage unknown · Jul 4, 2002
    Service Brakes, HydraulicCrash

    TURNED IN DRIVEWAY AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND I WENT THRU THE GARAGE DOOR. BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND I HAD MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. I CALLED A WRECKER AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. THEY DROVE IT AND CHECKED THE FLUID, SAID THEY CHECKED THE BRAKES BUT I ASSUME THEY DID NOT GET INSIDE THE BRAKE SYSTEM…

    Read full complaint

    TURNED IN DRIVEWAY AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND I WENT THRU THE GARAGE DOOR. BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK AND I HAD MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. I CALLED A WRECKER AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. THEY DROVE IT AND CHECKED THE FLUID, SAID THEY CHECKED THE BRAKES BUT I ASSUME THEY DID NOT GET INSIDE THE BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS COULD OF HAD BEEN A LARGER PROBLEM IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND COULD NOT STOP. I KNOW MY FOOT WAS ON THE PEDDLE..PLEASE CHECK INTO THIS. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GET BACK INTO THIS CAR IT SCARES ME.*AK

    NHTSA ODI #763832

    Recall campaigns

    0

    No recalls in this snapshot.

    Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

    Defect investigations

    0

    No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.