7.0
pretty bad- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 8,400 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Consumer prefers to send a more detailed description of the engine failure.
- Granite City, IL, USA
Consumer states that vehicle had been shut off for about 4 hours, when suddenly the vehicle was filled with smoke. Consumer states that the vehicles steering wheel melted.
- Hallsville, TX, USA
March 24, 2003 dear sirs, I recently had a water pump failure on my 1998 Sunfire convertible. The car has had a noise from the front of the engine for about a year, I thought it was an alternator bearing. The car has been in a GM dealer twice in that time for oil changes and of all the things the dealer has tried to sell me they never said anything was wrong with the water pump. On the night of Friday, March 14th the car began leaking antifreeze and the noise increased. I live in South lyon, mi and the closest Pontiac dealer is waldecker in brighton. I attempted to telephone waldecker several times on Saturday, March 15th, but did not connect, because of a dead phone line at waldecker. I thought waldecker went out of business, since it is an Oldsmobile dealer also. I later found, from the waldecker service manager ([xxx]) and the receptionist, that they were in fact having phone problems for several days. With no other Pontiac dealers in the area, I refilled the radiator and took the car to walkers garage, the closest auto repair. The bill came to $700 parts and labor, I asked waldecker and they said it was a fair price. Having to take the exhaust manifold off, access through the front cover of the engine, gear drive off the timing chain and the location above the cv joint is a poor design for a serviceable part. Vehicle description, 1998 Sunfire convertible, currently: 42,000 miles VIN# [xxx], 2.4 liter DOHC engine. I called the Pontiac 1-800 number and a representative told me the warranty was 3 years / 36,000 miles and the work was not performed by a Pontiac dealer, so I had no recourse. I explain to no avail why the work was not done at a Pontiac dealer. I am hoping you will reconsider this. Enclosed is the bill. Please contact me even if this claim is rejected. I expect better from the number 1 automate company in the world. Sincerely, [xxx], [xxx] phone: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
- South Lyon, MI, USA
I think you have a problem when you have a 2 year old car seems to be falling apart from the inside out. I originally owned my car for 3 months when the temp. Gauge zeroed out from a shorted out fuse. The next problem was odometer went blank and showed me symbols in 05/1999, and the electrical cluster was replaced. Later in 09/1999, my coolant system busted after a visit to the dealership, where I was told that cars are okay to reach the red line before it will overheat. Most of the coolant system was replaced and tests done. I did not trust the work, and took it to another GMC dealer, to find that the coolant temp. Sensor needed replaced, just 2 days later. Now in 08/2000, my odometer is showing the same old symbols, due to an electrical problem. My problem is electrical problems are right in front of me, and I am unaware of it. Also, some dealerships don't care to find the bad things, when it is warranty work. Wyatt johnson does not seem to be a people saving people establishment, if you cannot trust them to find their cars mistakes.
- Clarksville, TN, USA
- Deerfield, OH, USA