2005 Pontiac Sunfire

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD NOT DISPLAY A READING. A FEW WEEKS LATER THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 11/13/12 *CN UPDATED 12/03/12

AT FIRST THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD FREEZE AND NOT WORK. SOMETIMES IT WOULD; HOWEVER, I DID NOT KNOW IF IT WAS ACCURATE. THEN THE FUEL GAUGE AND OTHER GAUGES WOULD RANDOMLY GO ON AND OFF. THIS CAR WAS INTENDED FOR MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, BUT I CANNOT LET HER DRIVE IT DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES. I HAVE READ ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS CAR AND MINE IS JUST LIKE THEIRS. WHEN IS GM GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS? *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER VARIES IN IT'S POSITION. IT'S SOMETIMES OK, THEN IT WILL FREEZE AT MAYBE 50 MPH, THEN GO UP TO OVER A HUNDRED MPH. NEXT TIME IT MAY FREEZE AT 20 MPH, ETC. I DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I'M GOING, AND DON'T WANT TO GET A TICKET FOR SPEEDING. I'M TRYING TO USE MY ODOMETER, BUT DISTRACTS ME TO TRY AND FIGURE IT OUT. I DON'T SEE A RECALL, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. I THINK IT'S TIME GM OWNS UP TO IT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS, NOT, AT THE OWNERS COST. MY RESEARCH SHOWS ME THAT THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS SPEEDOMETER FAILURE. I AM TOLD BY MY DEALER THAT IT IS THE CLUSTER, WHICH IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. I AM RETIRED AND LOVE THIS CAR, BUT DON'T HAVE THE MONEY MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

IN LOOKING UP WHAT THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR I HAVE FOUND THAT SEVERAL OTHER CARS SEEM BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER WORKS WHEN IT FEELS LIKE IT. MOST DAYS THE ONLY INSTRUMENT THAT IS WORKING IS THE SPEEDOMETER. GENERALLY I USE A GARMIN TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM AT THE CORRECT SPEED. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE TACHOMETER IS NO LONGER WORKING. RECENTLY I HAVE NOTICE THAT THE LIGHTS IN THE RADIO ARE NOT ALL LIGHTING UP. SEEMS THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE THAT THE DEALER SHOULD BE HANDLING FOR THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS I AM FINDING ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. *TR

WE HAVE A 2005 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH 50000 MILES ON IT. THE OTHER DAY THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED FLUCTUATING ERRATICALLY. IT IS NOW STUCK ON 50MPH. AFTER READING SEVERAL FORUMS ON THE INTERNET, IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SUNFIRE AND CAVALIER VEHICLES. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER IS DEFECTIVE ON THESE VEHICLES AND IT ALSO AFFECTS THE OTHER GAUGES. GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL DESPITE THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND IT IS A 500 TO 800 DOLLAR REPAIR BILL TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. TO ME THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. NOT KNOWING THE CORRECT SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AT ANY GIVEN TIME IS AN ISSUE. THERE ARE SEVERAL INSTANCES ON CAR COMPLAINTS.COM WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DRIVING CAUSING PANIC WHEN THEIR SPEEDOMETER STARTS JUMPING AROUND. TO ME THE CAR MANUFACTURERS ARE DEPENDING ON UNRELIABLE ELECTRONICS TO DO VITAL TASKS THAT USED TO BE DONE BY MORE RELIABLE AND SAFER MECHANICAL MEANS. EXAMPLE BEING THE TOYOTA THROTTLE PROBLEM. IT IS MY HOPE THAT IF ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ARE FILED, A FORCED GM RECALL COULD BE OBTAINED. WE ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR GM'S MISTAKES THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT BAILOUT. IT'S TIME THEY PAID FOR THEIRS. *KB

I HAVE A 2005 PONTIAC SUNFIRE 4 DOOR, VIN [XXX] . I HAVE BEEN GENERALLY HAPPY WITH THE CAR. STARTING IN EARLY DECEMBER OF 2010, MY ENTIRE INTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER STOPPED WORKING. IT STARTED WITH THE FUEL GAUGE SHOWING OUT OF THE RANGE OF THE GAUGE AND THEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED MALFUNCTIONING AND READING ARTIFICIALLY HIGH. I BROUGHT IT TO SCHERER CHEVROLET, BUICK, GMC IN KITCHENER, [XXX] WHERE I WORK. I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY HIDDEN OR SECRET WARRANTIES ON THIS AS I DIDN'T FEEL THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD GO ON A CAR. THEY SAID THERE WASN'T. THEY DID EXTEND ME A "GOODWILL" DISCOUNT BUT EVEN WITH THAT IT COST ME $635.55 PARTS AND LABOUR TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I INTEND TO WRITE TO GM CANADA AND INCLUDE COPIES OF THESE OTHER REPORTS AND TRY AND NEGOTIATE A REFUND AS I THINK THIS REPAIR SHOULD BE COVERED. *KB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-65 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO FUNCTION INCLUDING THE SPEED ODOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING EXTREMELY HOT OR COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO A FAULTY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.