2002 Pontiac Sunfire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER STARTING THE IGNITION, THE ABS AND ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CANISTER VAMP SOLENOID AND EVAP CANISTER WERE BOTH REPLACED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST ISSUE WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE AND ELECTRICAL ISSUES. IT SPENT 6 WEEKS IN THE SHOP THE FIRST TIME BACK IN LATE 2011 BECAUSE THE WIPERS, LIGHTS, POWER ANYTHING IN CAR WENT ON THE FRITZ AND LOCKS FAILED. NOW THE DRL LIGHTS QUIT AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THEY FAIL WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR, HIGH BEAMS QUIT, REAR LIGHT CONNECTORS ARE ROTTED AND SHORTED OUT AND THE IGNITION SWITCH IS SCREWED UP AND THAT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. IT HAS GONE INTO WEEK 7 NOW WITH NO RESULTS. I FEEL GENERAL MOTORS OWES US SOME SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY SINCE I AM FINDING OUT I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE THAT HAS HAD THE EXACT SAME ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THESE ARE SAFETY ISSUES NOT TO MENTION VERY COSTLY REPAIRS AND BEING WITHOUT OUR VEHICLE TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. OUT OF THE 70 COMPLAINTS I READ THERE ARE 20 PLUS ISSUES WITH THE SAME ELECTRICAL ISSUES I AM HAVING. WHY HAS GENERAL MOTORS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES OR AT LEAST HELP WITH THE REPAIR COSTS?? IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 13 WEEKS AND COUNTING FOR THESE ELECTRICAL ISSUES. *TR

THE DRL LIGHTS ON MY DAUGHTERS PONTIAC SUNFIRE MALFUNCTIONED AND QUIT WORKING. THE PROBLEM WITH THE DRL'S IS THAT THEY ARE WIRED INTO THE HEADLIGHTS, AND WHEN THE DRL"S SHORT OUT THEY DISABLE THE LEFT HEADLIGHT. I HAVE TRYING T TO GET IT REPAIRED BUT HAVEN'T FOUND THE PROBLEM YET. I HAVE REPLACED THE DRL RELAY, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, THE BULBS, WITH NO LUCK. *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

THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. SINCE IT'S PURCHASE WE HAVE HAD MANY ISSUES. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT LESS THAN 20,000 (IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THOUGH). MY POWER WINDOWS HAVE ALL STOPPED WORKING AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED (I'VE HAD TO BUY 7 DIFFERENT ONES), MY CIGARETTE LIGHTER FUSE HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEMS WITH MY HEADLIGHTS AND THEY HAVE HAD SHORTS AND THE WIRING HAS NEEDED REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES, AND LAST FINALLY MY SWITCH ON MY DRIVER DOOR THAT TURNS THE DOME LIGHT ON AND THE RADIO OFF HAS NEEDED CHANGED 3 TIMES NOW! WE HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR AND I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS CAR TO ANYONE!! *TR