2003 Pontiac SUNFIRE problems and owner complaints

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH THE TURN SIGNAL ON SIX OCCASIONS. THE TURN SIGNALS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. *AK *CB *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10022915 at NHTSA ↗

BRAKE ROTORS WARPED AFTER LESS THAN 11,000 MILES OF TRAVEL; 2003 PONTIAC-SUNFIRE PURCHASED ON APRIL 29, 2003. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A BAD BATCH OF BRAKE PARTS OR THE COMPONENT IS EITHER UNDER DESIGNED OR IMPROPERLY SPECIFIED TO WITHSTAND DAY-TO-DAY CITY DRIVING CONDITIONS. A 2001 CHEVROLET-CAVALIER THAT I PREVIOUSLY OWNED EXHIBITED THE SAME INSUFFICIENCY IN IT'S BRAKE ROTORS THAT REQUIRED SERVICING THREE TIMES IN 60,000 MILES OF DRIVING. BOTH OF THESE CARS ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TRIMS AND GM DIVISION NAME. THE COST TO R…

Owner-reported narrative. 11,681 miles reported. Look up ODI 10037291 at NHTSA ↗

THE WIRING HARNESS ON THE VEHICLE HAS FAILED THREE TIMES SINCE 2003 CAUSING FAILURE OF THE LOW AND HIGH BEAMS ON THE HEADLIGHTS AS WELL AS THE TURN SIGNALS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS BEING CAUSED BY EARLY CORROSION. THERE IS NO WARNING OF THE IMPENDING FAILURE. THE LIGHTS IMMEDIATELY GO OUT WITH NO RECOURSE UNTIL SERVICED. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION OF THIS COMMON PROBLEM, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS ADMITTED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON FAILURE. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10177874 at NHTSA ↗

FAILURE IS IN THE LEFT AND RIGHT DIM HEADLIGHTS. THE LEFT WENT OUT 1 WEEK AGO. THE SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND THERE WAS A CONSTANT CLICKING NOISE UNTIL THE LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON (SIMILAR SOUND WHEN TURN SIGNAL LAMPS GO OUT). THE BULB WAS REPLACED AND THE SERVICE LIGHT WENT OFF. THE LIGHT STILL DID NOT WORK AND THE CLICKING NOISE WAS THE SAME. THE OLD BULB DID NOT HAVE THE FILAMENT BURNT OUT. TODAY THE RIGHT BULB HAS DONE THE SAME THING. BOTH BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND STILL THE SAME RESULTS. NO HEADLIGHTS. BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS STILL WORK…

Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10189064 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRED THREE TIMES. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10048178 at NHTSA ↗

VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALL ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER EIGHT TIMES AND STILL HASN'T FOUND THE PROBLEM. *LA SINCE THE LAST CORRESPONDENCE THE CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN HER VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED IN NOVEMBER 2003 REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF A RECALL FROM THE OTHER DEALER. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10071957 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE APPLYING THE GEAR TO SHIFT AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE STARTED VIBRATING, AND THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10037656 at NHTSA ↗

1. HIGH USE OF TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE LEADS TO SEPARATION AT THE TRANSMISSION END LINK. 2. ONCE THE SHIFT CABLE LINK WEARS OUT IT FALLS DOWN AND THE TRANSMISSION CAN NO LONGER BE SHIFTED THROUGH GEAR POSITIONS FROM WITHIN THE VEHICLE. A VEHICLE CAN BE LEFT STRANDED IN ANY GEAR, DRIVE, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, OR ANY OTHER POSITION. 3. A TEMPORARY FIX IS POSSIBLE WITH A ZIP TIE, BUT IS ONLY TEMPORARY DUE TO HEAT AND WEAR ON THE ZIP TIE. AN OE REPLACEMENT FOR THE SHIFT CABLE NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED. THIS IS A HIGH FAILURE ITEM LEADING TO STRANDED…

Owner-reported narrative. 93,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10283087 at NHTSA ↗

BOUGHT A 2003 PONTIAC SUNFIRE FROM A DEALERSHIP 5 MONTHS AGO. I TOLD THE OWNER/SALESMAN I WANTED A SAFE 1ST CAR FOR MY KID. MY KID AND SOME FRIENDS WERE DRIVING,IT WAS RAINING AND THE BACK TIRES STARTED TO SLIDE,MY KID REGAINED CONTROL OF THE CAR BRIEFLY AND SAID AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND THEY ENDED UP IN A SPIN. THE CAR HIT AN OBJECT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE,SPUN AROUND AND HIT ANOTHER ON THE DRIVERS SIDE,THEN BOUNCED OFF THAT AND LANDED ACROSS A DEEP DITCH WHERE IT WAS HIT AGAIN IN THE REAR WHEN STOPPING. NO STEERING. NO BRA…

Owner-reported narrative. 123,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10598342 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM VERNON DOWN'S CASINO AND WAS MAKING A RIGHT AND WAS ABOUT TO SWITCH INTO THIRD GEAR THE RPM'S WHERE 3000 AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED ........ MAUGERI''S AUTO ON ALBANY AND BLEEKER ST. TOWED MY CAR TO HIS SHOP FIXED THE STEERING COLUMN AS A RESULT OF THE ENGINE DIEING THE WINDOW'S WONT ROLL UP AND THE INTERIOR JUST GOT SOAKED IN WET IN THE RAIN AFTER ON THE DATE OF 7/714 PAID ALMOST A GRAND FOR TOWING AND STEERING COLUMN IN THE VEHICLE . I AM A RECIPIENT OF THE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY PROGRAM AND USE THE VEHICLE TO AND FROM…

Owner-reported narrative. 12,760 miles reported. Look up ODI 10608743 at NHTSA ↗

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…

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10204414 at NHTSA ↗

FUEL PUMP WENT OUT ON 2003 GM PONTIAC SUNFIRE. LOST POWER ON HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC ONLY 65K MILES ON THE CAR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 65,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10229663 at NHTSA ↗