71 of the
1,641 complaints filed about the Pontiac Sunfire
are about the glass, mirrors and wipers —
4% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1996.
71
Complaints
4%
Share of all complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers complaints by model year
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ODOMETER AND FUEL GAUGES FLUCTUATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE DRIVER'S FRONT WINDOW FAILED TO OPEN OR CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #10585529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE FUEL GAUGE SHOW DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN IT, ERRATIC SHOWS FULL THEN HALF THEN YOU OUT OF GAS. RIGHT ELECTRIC WINDOW GOES DOWN BUT ONLY GOES UP AN INCH AT A TIME, AND IT TAKES ALONG TIME.
NHTSA complaint #10436472 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH MY CAR I AM ONLY LISTING THE ONES WHICH HAVE HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE 1..TRANSMISSION FAILURE, TRANSMISSION FAILED 3 TIMES FIRST TIME WHILE TRAVELING 35MPH CAR CAME TO A DEAD STOP TIRES LOCKED UP, CAR WOULD NOT EVEN ROLL, CAUSING NEAR ACCIDENT. 2...WINDOW MOTORS FAILED TWICE ON EACH EACH DOOR OF MY 4 DOOR CAR 3...HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED 3 TIMES CAUSING DANGEROUS SITUATION AT NIGHT 4...SEVERE WATER LEAK IN TRUNK AREA , WATER GETTING IN THROUGH FENDER WELL OR TRUNK UNDERBODY, CAUSED SO MUCH TO PUDDLE UP A MUSHROOM STARTED GROWING FROM BACK SEAT,... WATER PUDDLED UNDERNEATH CARPET IN SPARE TIRE AREA SO IT WAS NOT VISIBLE TO NAKED EYE, BUT WAS SLOSHING BACK AND FORTH WITH EVERY STOP AND GO OF VEHICLE STILL TO THIS DAY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO PINPOINT EXACT LOCATION WATER IS GETTING IN ALTHOUGH IT FOR SURE IS FROM UNDERBODY 5... OTHER DEFECTS INCLUDE RADIO DISPLAY LIGHTS FAIL ON 2 RADIOS, SEATBELTS AND STEERING WHEEL BECOME TOO HOT IN SUMMER BRAKE PADS WEAR UNEVENLY,,,, FUEL PUMPS GO OUT OFTEN.
NHTSA complaint #10405944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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!!
NHTSA complaint #10260055 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR STOPPED WORKING. DRIVER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR WORKING SLOWLY. UPON REPLACING THE BAD MOTOR I NOTICED THERE WAS NO ASSIST SPRING ON THE WINDOW LIFTING ASSEMBLY ON EITHER DOOR. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SPOT FOR ONE ON BOTH ASSEMBLIES. ASSEMBLIES THAT I HAD WORKED ON IN THE PAST INCLUDED THESE SPRINGS. I HAD THOUGHT THAT THE ASSIST SPRINGS WERE THERE TO HELP THE MOTOR IN LIFTING THE WINDOW. ESPECIALLY IN A TWO DOOR WITH LARGER WINDOWS.
NHTSA complaint #10248389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY WINDOW MOTORS STARTED GOING OUT OR LOSING POWER THE SHOP COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM THE FINALLY STOPPED WORKING IN OCT OF 2007 A FRIEND HAS THE SAME CAR AND HER DID THE SAME THING AFTER REPLACING THE MOTORS IN THE WINDOWS 8 MONTHS LATER ONE OF THE MOTORS STARTED ACTING THE SAME WAY AGAIN MY FRIEND HAD TO REPLACE HER S ALSO IS THERE A DEFECT WITH THE MOTORS.
NHTSA complaint #10245759 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WITHIN A WEEK OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN OVERHEATING. IN ADDITION, THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, WIPER FLUID WAS LEAKING, AND THE MUFFLER MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE CONTACT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH THE DEALER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,050. UPDATED 10/03/08 *BF UPDATED 10/06/08.
NHTSA complaint #10240905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
IN DEC. 2005 MY DRIVER SIDE POWER WINDOW FAILED TO OPERATE - IT WILL STICK AND NOT ROLL DOWN. AFTER WHILE IT WILL ROLL UP AND DOWN AS NORMAL. I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER MCELVEEN PONTIAC, SUMMERVILLE, SC (I HAD BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE FROM THIS DEALER) AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND NO WORK WAS PERFORMED. ABOVE PROBLEM CONTINUED WITH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW INTERMITTENTLY NORMALLY HAPPENED WHEN IT WAS DRIZZLING RAINING. IN DEC. 2007 MY PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW FAILED AND IT WILL NOT ROLL UP. IT WAS DRIZZLING WHEN IT FAILED. I TOOK THE CAR TO DEALER LOU SOBH PONTIAC, DULUTH, GA ON 12/13/2007 AND GOT REPAIRED ON 12/17/2007. ACCORDING TO DEALER PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED. DEALER REPLACED THE REGULATOR ASSEMBLY. SINCE THAN BOTH WINDOWS ARE WORKING OK SO FAR. THIS CAN CAUSE ACCIDENT IF IT IS RAINING AND WINDOW FAILS TO ROLL UP OR IN THE EVENT OF POOR VISIBILITY (MORNING WITH HEAVY FOG OR FROST ON THE WINDOW) WHEN YOU WANT TO ROLL DOWN WINDOW TO SEE UPCOMING TRAFFIC BEFORE TAKING LEFT TURN. THIS FAILURE OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME WHEN MY REAR SIGNAL LIGHT FAILED. IT TURNED OUT THAT THERE WAS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND SOCKET HAD MELTED. THEREFORE, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THESE TWO INCIDENTS ARE RELATED.
NHTSA complaint #10223432 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I PURCHASED THE CAR IN OCTOBER 2003 AND THE CAR WAS GREAT. IN MARCH 2006 I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WHERE THE CAR WHEN ATTEMPTED TO START WOULD TAKE A FEW SECONDS EXTRA AND THEN START, THEN 6 MONTHS LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND THE CAR JUST CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THE CAR RESTARTED ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER. THEN IN NOVEMBER THIS STARTED HAPPENING MORE AN MORE FREQUENTLY. ONE NIGHT IN DECEMBER THE CAR CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT RESTART AT ALL. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OF THE ROAD. I WAITED AN HOUR AND STILL THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I GOT THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP SO I REPLACED THAT AND THE CAR WORKED FOR 2 DAYS AND THEN THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. HE THEN TESTED THE CAR AND SAW THERE WAS NO POWER GOING TO THE FUEL PUMP. I HAD HIM DO A TEMPORARY FIX AND RUN A LINE FROM THE BATTERY TO THE FUEL PUMP SO THE CAR WOULD STILL START. THEN EVERYTHING ELSE SLOWLY STARTED TO FAIL. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND NOW STAYS ON. ONE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND THEN THE OTHER FOLLOWED BY MY HIGH BEAM TOTALLY. MY FRONT LEFT TURN SIGNAL WENT THEN THE REAR RIGHT FOLLOWED BY THE FRONT RIGHT. MY HORN NO LONGER WORKS. I DON'T KNOW IF MY AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY IF I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER RECENTLY STOPPED WORKING AS WELL.
NHTSA complaint #10204414 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW BEGAN LOSING ABILITY TO LIFT/LOWER AFTER BEING LOWERED ONE DAY WHILE WINDOW HAD MOISTURE ON IT. TOOK IT TO GM DEALER AFTER WINDOW BECAME TOTALLY STUCK DOWN AND WAS TOLD IT WAS MOTOR. A MONTH LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WAS TOLD IT WAS REGULATOR. THREE MONTHS LATER HAPPENED AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME TO PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW. HAVE YET TO TAKE IT IN AGAIN BECAUSE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WINDOW MOTOR REGULATOR SHOULD LAST AROUND 5 YEARS. IT ALSO MAKES ME WONDER WHY THIS ONLY HAPPENED AFTER THE WINDOWS WERE OPENED/SHUT WITH MOISTURE ON THEM (DEW FROM AM. THIS DOES POSE A SAFETY HAZARD IN MY OPINION AS WE HAVE TROUBLE MAKERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO DELIGHT IN SHOOTING PAINT BALLS AT CARS AT NIGHT, AND I DON'T LIKE HAVING AN OPEN WINDOW IN WHICH IT CAN GO FLYING THROUGH AND HIT ME IN THE EYE/HEAD), AS WELL AS A GENERAL INCONVENIENCE. I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION DONE ON WHETHER OR NOT THE MOISTURE HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THESE FAILING WINDOWS. PLEASE UPDATE ON WHAT IS FOUND OUT. THANK YOU. AND I CHECKED PROPERTY DAMAGE BECAUSE OF THE MOISTURE DAMAGE THAT RESULTED TO MY VEHICLE (AND EVERYTHING IN IT) BECAUSE OF A STORM WE HAD WHILE THE WINDOW WAS STUCK DOWN. SO TO ME THAT IS PROPERTY DAMAGE.
NHTSA complaint #10196162 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CHECKED OUT THIS SITE BEFORE I DECIDED TO POST THIS AND SAW SOMEONE ELSE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, AND FRANKLY, I REALLY THOUGHT I WOULD FIND MORE PEOPLE WITH THE COMPLAINT. I BOUGHT THE 2002 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH 22000 MILES ON IT. UPON PURCHASE I NOTICED THAT OUT OF THE 5 SETTINGS FOR THE BLOWERS THE FIRST ONE DIDN'T WORK. HONESTLY, I DIDN'T CARE THAT MUCH AT THAT POINT- ALL THE OTHERS WORKED, SO NO BIGGIE. THROUGH OUT THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SLOWLY ONE BY ONE ALL THE OTHERS STOPPED WORKING TOO, EXCEPT THE HIGHEST BLOWER. BASICALLY, I WAS EITHER ON HIGH OR NOT ONE AT ALL. STILL, AT THIS POINT, I COULD NOT COMPLAIN THAT MUCH. BUT WHEN I MENTIONED THE PROBLEM TO BOTH MY MOTHER AND A FRIEND THEY BOTH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. MY MOM'S CAR, A GRAND AM, WAS DOWN TO 3 SETTINGS, AND MY FRIENDS VEHICLE, A PONTIAC, WAS ON THE LAST SETTING TOO. WHEN THIS WINTER BEGAN I FIGURED I SHOULD BREAK DOWN AND GET IT LOOKED AT. THE NICE MAN AT THE PONTIAC DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME IT WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD CHUNK OF CHANGE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, THOUGH HE OPTED AGAINST TELLING ME WHAT EXACALLY THE PROBLEM IS, AND I NEGLECTED TO ASK. BUT AFTER HEARING OTHER COMPLAINS I STARTED TO WONDER IF IT WAS A PONTIAC THING. AND THOUGH IT MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED A 'SAFTY' ISSUE, IF NOT FIXED IT PROBABLY COULD BECOME ONE.
NHTSA complaint #10187412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CONSUMER STATES: BLINKERS MALFUNCTIONED, WHEN TURNING ON BLINKERS AT TIMES THEY WILL NOT WORK AT ALL. THEN, OTHER TIMES, THEY WILL WORK AND BLINK 2 OR 3 TIMES, THEN QUIT. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON WITHOUT TOUCHING THEM. HAPPENED NO MATTER WHAT THE SPEED. DEALER DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO LOOK AT VEHICLE, AND NOT UNDER WARRANTY.
NHTSA complaint #10122040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AS OF 2 DAYS AGO(4-11-05) SOMEONE CAME TO LOOK AT MY CAR,FOR POSSIBLE PURCHASE, AND TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE, UPON RETURNING SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T GET THE DRIVERS WINDOW TO ROLL UP. HAVING POWER WINDOWS, I CHECKED THE FUSE, THE PASSENGER WINDOW GOES UP AND DOWN JUST FINE, BUT THE DRIVERS SIDE ROLLS UP IN SPURTS, I HIT THE BUTTON, IT ACTS LIKE IT'S GOING UP JUST FINE, AND JUST STOPS. I TALKED TO ANOTHER OWNER OF A SUNFIRE, AND HE SAID THAT HE KNEW OF A BIG COMPLAINT ABOUT THE POWER WINDOW PULLING TOO MUCH POWER AND BASICALLY WEARING THE MOTOR OUT. THAT WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT I HAVE NOTICED. I WENT AHEAD AND CHANGED THE FUSE JUST IN CASE AND CHECKED THE WIRING FOR ANY SURGES, NOTICED NOTHING FURTHER, BUT STILL HAVE PROBLEM W/WINDOW.
NHTSA complaint #10116848 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT PARK IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE WILL ONLY PARK CORRECTLY IF THE WIPERS HAVE BEEN RUNNING AT FULL SPEED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE SEEN AT LEAST TWO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD AND IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS PARKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER SWITCH ON THE STEERING COLUMN AND IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT/TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD SWITH TWICE BECAUSE THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WOULD COME ON (DAY OR NIGHT) INSTEAD OF THE NIGHT TIME DRIVING LIGHTS AND HIGH BEAM LIGHTS. I HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT PARKING CORRECTLY.
NHTSA complaint #10102187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
OUTSIDE MIRROR VIBRATION AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE VEHICLES ON THE SIDE AND REAR OF CAR. DEALER AND GENERAL MOTORS REFUSES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS A "NORMAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS MODEL." VEHICLE CAN NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY AT HIGHER SPEEDS.
NHTSA complaint #10082484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1.)THE "TRAC OFF" LIGHT WILL COME ON WHILE DRIVING. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE STEERING LOCKS UP AND THE VEHICLE TURNS OFF. 2.) THE FUEL GAUGE GIVES INCORRECT READING. 3.) BOTH REAR POWER WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL UP.
NHTSA complaint #10078684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I HAVE A 2002 SUNFIRE THAT I PURCHASED ON FEBRUARY 28, 2002, AND IT HAS ALREADY BEEN IN TO BE WORKED ON SEVERAL TIMES. BOTH WINDOW MOTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, THE PASSENGER SEAT HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A BROKEN SUPPORT IN THE BACK, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER FUSE HAD TO BE REPLACED, AND THE TRUNK LATCH HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE TRUNK WOULD NOT SHUT. RUNS GOOD BUT HAS HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT I WOULD DEFINITELY HESITATE BEFORE BUYING ANOTHER PONTIAC.
NHTSA complaint #10066261 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.