1997 Pontiac Sunfire problems
Owners have filed 257 complaints about the 1997 Pontiac Sunfire with NHTSA. Steering accounts for 17.1% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of electrical system at 14%.
Complaints257
Crashes35
Fires10
Injuries21
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Steering 17.1% · 44
Electrical system 14.0% · 36
Engine and engine cooling 13.2% · 34
Air bags 10.5% · 27
Service brakes, hydraulic 10.1% · 26
Suspension 5.1% · 13
Visibility 5.1% · 13
Exterior lighting 4.3% · 11
Severity
Of those complaints, 35 describe a crash, 10 describe a fire and 21 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 8 model years of the Pontiac Sunfire in this data, 1997 ranks 2nd by complaint volume — 1996 draws the most.
Filing volume has held steady, 6 in the last three years against 7 in the three before.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 96,000 miles.
In owners' own words
The steering wheel did not turn left, and was taken to the dealer who replaced the rack and pinion. The power steering rack was binded and leaked at the steering shaft, also the pressure hose leaked. Later, recall#02v286000 was issued, but the consumer was denied reimbursement due to the technician not specifying (lower pinion bearing separation), which was not the actual cause. Mr scc Steering
The contact owns a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire. The contact called about safety recall # 02v286000 regarding rack and pinion steering. This vehicle was excluded from the recall due to the vin. The steering wheel wasa difficult to maneuver when turning left at any speed. The failure occurred since january of this year. The current mileage was 121,337, and failure mileage was 121,250. Steering · reported at 121,250 miles
The consumer didn't receive recall repair on the vehicle due to the dealer not having the tool. (Recall #02v286000/steering rack and pinion) the consumer lost control of the vehicle due to a sudden loss of power steering while turning left. The consumer has demanded reimbursement of the vehicle at blue book value and the towing fee. Mr scc Steering
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…