IllustrationWENT TO A GM DEALERSHIP AND THEY GREASED THE THROTTLE CABLE NO BINDS ANYWHERE. THE THROTTLE CABLE STICKS. IT'S A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. IF YOU PUSH THE CLUTCH PEDAL IN AND STOMP ON THE THROTTLE PEDAL IT RELEASE IT AND GOES BACK TO NORMAL. IT IS A 2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. *TR
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 campaignsView recall details →
0InvestigationsView 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
Compare all Sunfire years →Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
220–25K
1225–50K
750–75K
775–100K
9100–150K
2150K+
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
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
2 reportsCRUISE CONTROL HAS GONE INSANE ONE DAY WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE CRUISE CONTROL DECIDED IT NEEDED TO SWITCH ON AND THAT I SHOULD BE GOING 50+ IN A 35 MPH ZONE. THIS IS ON A 2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. IF I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH, THE ENGINE OF COURSE RACED AS HARD AS IT COULD. APPLYING THE BR…
Read full complaint
CRUISE CONTROL HAS GONE INSANE ONE DAY WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, THE CRUISE CONTROL DECIDED IT NEEDED TO SWITCH ON AND THAT I SHOULD BE GOING 50+ IN A 35 MPH ZONE. THIS IS ON A 2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. IF I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH, THE ENGINE OF COURSE RACED AS HARD AS IT COULD. APPLYING THE BRAKES FAILED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL; MANUALLY SWITCHING THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF FAILED TO DISENGAGE; EVEN TURNING THE ENGINE OFF (BY TURNING OFF THE KEY) FAILED TO DISENGAGE IT! LUCKILY, I HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, AND KEPT A COOL HEAD, SO WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE BACK UP, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS STILL ENGAGED, FOR IT WAS RACING AS HARD AS IT COULD. I TURNED IT BACK OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR A BIT, HOPING THAT ONCE IT SAT FOR A BIT, ALL WOULD BE WELL. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES I TURNED THE KEY AND IT WAS FINE, EXCEPT THAT ONCE I GOT BACK ON THE ROAD, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT COME ON WHEN I TRIED TO SWITCH IT ON. EVER SINCE, THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT COME ON WHEN I TRY TO USE IT AND OCCASIONALLY. RANDOMLY COMES ON BY ITSELF WHEN I AM NOT TRYING TO USE IT. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS COME ON BY ITSELF AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN TIMES. *JB
Recall campaigns
0No 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
0No 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.