2002 Pontiac Sunfire

MY TILT STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WOBBLES FROM SIDE TO SIDE, IT WOULD NEVER STAY LOCKED IN ONE POSITION AND WITH TIME IT STARTED TO MOVE WHILE DRIVING, PEOPLE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT, BUT IT DOESN'T LAST AND I CAN'T GET A SAFETY INSPECTION BECAUSE OF IT, THE INSPECTOR SAYS IT IS TOO DANGEROUS. IT HAS NEVER BEEN WRECKED OR DAMAGED AND WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW, IT ABOUT 123,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN I TURN TO THE LEFT ESPECIALLY, THE STEERING WHEEL FLOPS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. *TR

2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE STEERING WHEEL. OUTER COVER AND FOAM SEPARATED FROM INNER STEEL FRAME. IN AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER WITH RAPID STEERING (OR IF POWER STEERING FAILS) OUTER COVER AND FOAM CAN TEAR CAUSING LOSS OF ABILITY TO STEER CAR. FIRST FAILURE ON THIS CAR WAS IN AUGUST 13, 2004, CAR HAD 32,437 MI. AND DEALER REPLACED STEERING WHEEL UNDER WARRANTY. TECH WHO INSPECTED CAR SAID "SAFETY ISSUE". SECOND FAILURE WAS IN JULY 2010 AT 83,000 MI. DEALER AND GM WOULD NOT ADMIT TO THIS BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND ESTIMATED REPAIR COST OF $450. GM WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SO LOOSE IT HAD RADIAL AND AXIAL PLAY. THE CAR WAS HARD TO STEER BECAUSE OF THE COLLAPSED STEERING WHEEL. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEIR FINDING WAS A "WORN PART" WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN. IT WAS A PIN TYPE OF COMPONENT THAT WAS USED TO PIVOT AND MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. THE CHARGE TO FIX THE PROBLEM WAS ESTIMATED AT $729 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN HOME AND PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHERE A COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED. HOW CAN A COMPONENT BE WORN FROM ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL PARTS OF A CAR AND NOT BE CONSIDERED A DEFECT? THE FUNNIEST THING WAS WHEN THE SERVICE PERSONNEL GAVE THE KEYS TO THE MECHANIC HE SAID, "BE CAREFUL DRIVING THAT THING, IT'S DANGEROUS". DRIVING 65MPH ON AN INTERSTATE AND YOUR STEERING WHEEL COLLAPSING IS NOT ANYTHING I WOULD LIKE MY WORST ENEMY TO EXPERIENCE. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE FIRST PERSON TO BE INJURED OR DIE IN A CAR CRASH FOR THIS TO FINALLY BE A RECALL. *TR

WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY PONTIAC THAT MY SUNROOF SHOULD BE SERVICED YEARLY TO PREVENT LEAKS. I CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND WAS TOLD GM HAS NO RECOMMENDED SERVICE YET EVERYWHERE I HAVE ASKED HAS TOLD ME IT NEEDS SERVICED OR YOU WILL HAVE LEAKS. DEALER SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR ME. NOW I HAVE CLOGGED DRAIN LINES AND HAVE WATER LEAKING INTO MY TRUNK, AND THE WATER HAS DAMAGED MY BACK SPEAKERS. ALSO, I AM VERY UPSET WITH THE DESIGN OF THE SHIFTER LIGHT. I HAVE CALLED AROUND AND THE ONLY PLACE I CAN HAVE IT FIXED AT IS THE DEALER AND I AM LOOKING AT $130.00 JUST IN LABOR FOR A BAD LIGHT BULB. I THINK IT IS UNFAIR TO YOUR CUSTOMERS TO HAVE A PART, SUCH AS A LIGHT THAT WILL BURN OUT, UNREPLACEABLE BY ANYONE BUT THE DEALERS WHO THEN IN TURN CHARGE OUTRAGEOUS PRICES TO DO THE REPAIRS. SO NOW I HAVE WATER IN MY TRUNK NO BACK SPEAKERS AND CAN'T SEE WHAT GEAR I AM IN AT NIGHT ON A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD WITH 42000 MILES ON IT. I ALSO HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE LOOKS WRECKED AND I AM HAVING TO REPLACE FRONT STRUTS AND MOUNTS AS WELL AS RACK AND PINION. I NEVER WRECKED THIS VEHICLE AND NO ONE ELSE DRIVES MY CAR! *NM

MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS WEDDING, WAS NOT DRUNK ACCORDING TO THE CORONER. THE POLICE REPORT SAID HE MUST HAVE WENT OFF THE ROAD, OVERCORRECTED AND BEGAN SPINNING AND ROLLING.THE CAR WENT 469 FEET BEFORE IT CAME TO REST ON TOP OF HIM, THE REPORT SAYS HE MUST HAVE BEEN EJECTED THROUGH THE SUNROOF. MY SON WAS 34 VERY MUSCULAR. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT UNLESS THERE WAS SOMETHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE CAR THAR HE COULD NOT HAVE CONTROLLED IT. I HAVE SEEN OTHER REPORTS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME CAR. ALSO THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY THAT ALONE MIGHT HAVE SAVED MY SONS LIFE. THERE WERE TWO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CAR, BOTH HURT SERIOUSLY. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS SAME THING IS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO. I STILL HAVE THE CAR EXACTLY AS IT WAS, IN STORAGE.

SERVICE BRAKES WORE OUT PREMATURELY, AND DESTROYED THE ROTORS AND OTHER BRAKE COMPONENTS. *AK THE BRAKES SQUEALED AND MADE A GRIND NOISE, THE LEFT (DRIVER FRONT) HUB CAP RATTLED/SHAKED, WATER LEAKED IN THE BACK SEAT. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID THE METAL BRAKES DIDN'T HAVE PADS. THE FRONT END STEERING SHAKED, THE ROTOR(S) HAD WORN OUT, THE RIGHT INSIDE DOOR PANEL WAS LOOSE, THE SPEAKER HAD GONE OUT, THE POWER STEERING SQUEAKED PER INVOICE, THE AC CHIRPED, AND A WIND NOISE HAD COME FROM THE FRONT DOORS. *SCC *JB

STEERING COLUMN LOCKED ON ME WHILE I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN. I LITERALLY HAD TO PULL HARD TO THE LEFT TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER CAR OR GOING RIGHT UP INTO PARK CARS. I CALLED TO PONTIAC ROADSIDE SERVICE SO THEY CAN TOW BECAUSE THE CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP THEY TOOK IT TO SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, I REFUSE TO PICK IT UP AND DRIVE IT ANY LONGER. I HAVE CHILDREN AND THEIR LIVES ARE NOT WORTH A $12,000 CAR. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IN 4 MONTHS THAT THIS CAR HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DEFECTS. *AK