1998 Pontiac SUNFIRE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
93 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
71,621 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: . 32 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 11 of 93 complaints (11.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 15 | 16.1% |
| Steering behavior | 14 | 15.1% |
| Engine operation | 13 | 14.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 5 | 5.4% |
| Fuel system concerns | 5 | 5.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 2 | 2.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 11 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 9 |
| Electrical System | 6 |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 6 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 5 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 5 |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 5 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 4 |
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 11; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 9; Electrical System: 6; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 6; Engine And Engine Cooling: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 5; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 5; Air Bags:Frontal: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 1 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 12 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 6 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 8 |
| 150,000 and above | 2 |
Under 25,000: 3; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 50,000 to 74,999: 12; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 2
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 61 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 12 |
| 2001 | 13 |
| 2002 | 18 |
| 2003 | 15 |
| 2004 | 13 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
2000: 12; 2001: 13; 2002: 18; 2003: 15; 2004: 13; 2005: 6; 2006: 2; 2007: 1; 2008: 2; 2009: 2; 2010: 1; 2011: 2; 2012: 2; 2015: 1; 2016: 1; 2017: 1; 2018: 1
Pattern summary
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 15 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10020534 · 2003-05-26 (May 26, 2003)
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING MY 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND HAD A COLLISION WITH ANOTHER CAR. SHE REPORTED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED AND WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR AT ALL. WE HAVE ALSO REPORTED TO THE DEALER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THAT THE GAS PEDAL GETS STUCK. THIS MAY HAVE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE COLLISION. *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 77,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10020534 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10031271 · 2003-07-28 (July 28, 2003)
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10031271 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10031628 · 2003-07-30 (July 30, 2003)
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. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10031628 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10032100 · 2003-08-05 (August 5, 2003)
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT WITH ITS STEERING AS STATED IN RECALL 02 V 286 000. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10032100 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10014345 · 2003-04-14 (April 14, 2003)
ON 9/5/02 MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH TOTALLY DESTROYED IT. ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED WHEN I WAS SLOWLY MAKING A LEFT TURN, SUDDENLY I EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER MAKING IT VERY HARD TO MANEUVER CAR DUE TO HIGH RESISTANCE. I WAS GOING SOUTH, AND WHEN I STARTED TO MAKE LEFT TURN, NORTH BOUND WAS FREE AND CLEAR, BUT BECAUSE THE LENGTH OF TIME I SPENT TRYING TO CONTROL MY VEHICLE, ANOTHER CAR GOING NORTH APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION WHERE I WAS AND COULD NOT AVOID HITTING THE OTHER CAR CAUSING THE CRASH. I SPENT MY ENTIRE SAVINGS TO PURCHASE T…
Owner-reported narrative. 51,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014345 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10029932 · 2003-08-07 (August 7, 2003)
CONSUMER WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE EGR VALVE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK WHILE DRIVING THE EGR VALVE BECAME STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO ROUGH OR STALL WITHOUT WARNING. *PH *NLM
Owner-reported narrative. 52,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10029932 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10047209 · 2003-11-19 (November 19, 2003)
I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON 06/1999 BRAND NEW WITH ONLY 122 MILES. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS IT DIDN'T START. I CALLED THE DEALER AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION. THEY COULDN'T FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT? ABOUT TWO DAYS LATER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE GAS TANK HAD SUGAR IN IT??? SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THEY FIXED IT I HAD TO PAY $500.00. WHICH I FEEL WAS A DISCREPANCY ON THEIR DIAGNOSIS?? ON 06/00 THE VEHICLE AGAIN WOULD NOT START AND THIS TIME THEY ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS MY BATTERY? A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR KEPT TUGGING AND JERKING. I DRO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10047209 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10105764 · 2005-01-04 (January 4, 2005)
WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN OCTOBER OF 2000 IT HAD TO KEEP GOING BACK TO THE DEALER FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS BECAUSE THE ENGINE IN THE CAR KEPT CUTTING OUT WHILE DRIVING AROUND 55-60 MPH. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FINALLY AFTER THE 3RD MONTH THEY FOUND THE MAIN COMPUTER WAS BAD. THAT WAS REPLACED. IT RAN FINE UNTIL THE NEXT WINTER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & CAR KEPT STALLING WHEN AT STOP SIGNS/LIGHTS. TOOK TO DEALER HAD DIAGNOSTIC RAN WHICH READ FAULTY GAS CAP, TPS SENSOR.... I REPLACED THEM MYSELF. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10105764 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10030814 · 2003-08-05 (August 5, 2003)
I'VE BEEN HAVING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH MY 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE GT. LAST MONTH I HAD A FUEL INJECTOR AND WATER HOSE GO BAD AND NEED REPLACED. THE SUCTION HOSE PUMP FOR THE AC WAS LEAKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITHIN THE PAST 3 WEEKS. IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD, THE COMPRESSOR STARTED LEAKING. I'VE HAD 2 DIFFERENT COMPRESSORS PUT IN, AND BOTH HAVE LEAKED STILL. THE 3RD COMPRESSOR IS BEING INSTALLED TODAY, SO WE'LL SEE WHETHER IT LEAKS TOO. A COMPRESSOR SHOULD REALLY LAST LONGER THAN 5 YEARS, AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE 3 COMPRESSORS IN A WEEK TRYIN…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10030814 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 761728 · 2002-05-09 (May 9, 2002)
VEHICLE STALLS MULTIPLE TIMES IN REVERSE. NORMALLY DOES THIS WHEN COLD OR HAS BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT. ALSO HAS ROUGH IDLE CONDITION. SOMETIMES VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS WHEN WET ALSO. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, EVEN WHEN THEY ALLOWED IT TO SIT OVERNIGHT. AFTER TAKING CAR FROM DEALERSHIP AND PARKING IT FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS, VEHICLE AGAIN STALLED TWO TIMES IN REVERSE, AND WAS ALSO VERY HARD TO START. ALSO, TRANSMISSION GROWLS WHEN ENGINE IS RUNNING AND PARKED ON A INCLINE. ACELLERATOR CABLE HAS STUCK 3 TIMES W…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 761728 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 768450 · 2002-10-14 (October 14, 2002)
PROBLEMS HAVE RANGED FROM ETS BUTTOM LIGHT ON, PASSANGER WINDOW FAILURE TO CLOSE (3TIMES), TRANSMISSION (4 TIMES), WATER LEAKAGE INTO THE INTERIOR DUE CONVERTIBLE TOP, ACCELERATION AND\OR DECCELERATION DRIVING DOW HILL, THE FIRST TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WAS BEFORE THE VEHICLE REACHED THE 30,000 MILES. MR
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 768450 at NHTSA ↗