2000 Pontiac SUNFIRE: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
96 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
63,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2000 model year. Data snapshot: . 34 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 10 of 96 complaints (10.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 21 | 21.9% |
| Engine operation | 15 | 15.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 15 | 15.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 9 | 9.4% |
| Transmission and shifting | 8 | 8.3% |
| Steering behavior | 5 | 5.2% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 10 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 10 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 9 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 7 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 6 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | 6 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 5 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 5 |
Electrical System: 10; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 10; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling: 7; Air Bags:Frontal: 6; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump: 6; Electrical System:Ignition: 5; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 5
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 8 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 11 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 6 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 4 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 8; 50,000 to 74,999: 11; 75,000 to 99,999: 6; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 4
50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (11). 62 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 | 13 |
| 2001 | 18 |
| 2002 | 14 |
| 2003 | 14 |
| 2004 | 13 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
2000: 13; 2001: 18; 2002: 14; 2003: 14; 2004: 13; 2005: 8; 2006: 3; 2007: 3; 2009: 2; 2010: 2; 2012: 1; 2013: 2; 2017: 2; 2020: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 21 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 15 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 15 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10003173 · 2003-01-22 (January 22, 2003)
NOTICED THE COOLANT LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND OFF. ADDED SOME EVEN THO IT SAID NOT BEFORE 5 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES. CAR DID NOT HEAT UP ON LONG TRIP FROM NM TO CA. DEALER SAID MAYBE IT WAS THE COMPUTER CHIP. AFTER CHECKING IT WAS TOLD THE BOTTOM HOSE ON RADIATOR HAD A LEAK CAUSE BY LOOSE MOTOR MOUNT AND DOGBONE. THEY FIXED IT FOR $187.00 AND WANTED ANOTHER $700.00 TO FIX MOTOR MOUNT AND DB. I HAD CHECKED BY ANOTHER MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WRONG WITH MM OR DB. I FEEL I WAS TAKEN. I NOTICED NO LEAK IN OVER 3 WEEKS BEFORE DEALER HAD THE …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003173 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10004670 · 2003-01-27 (January 27, 2003)
WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH VEHICLE WOULD STALL, AND IT WOULD BE HARD TO CONTROL VEHICLE. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10004670 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10004903 · 2003-01-29 (January 29, 2003)
I HAVE A PROBLEM AND I DONT KNOW WHERE TO GO FOR ANSWERS ON MY CAR. I HAVE A 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE...WE HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH IT TILL I TOOK IT IN LAST WEEK FOR INSPECTION. THEY TOLD ME IT NEEDED, BRAKES AND ROTORS AND 2 NEW TIRES.......THEN THE DAY I GOT IT, IT LEFT ME STRANDED ALONG THE ROAD, THE TEMP GAUGE KEPT GOING PASSED 265 AND THE CHECK GAUGES LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND I HAD TO LET THE CAR SIT. I CALLED THE GARAGE WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AT AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM.....THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR THE LAST 4 DAYS, DRIVING TO FIN…
Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10004903 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10009250 · 2003-02-25 (February 25, 2003)
THE BRAKES AND THE SUSPENSION FAILED.*JB
Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009250 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10010244 · 2003-03-10 (March 10, 2003)
I OWN A 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING AT 60-65 MPH. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE PONTIAC DEALER, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, ALSO LEFT THE VEHICLE WITH ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO DROVE THE CAR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BUT IT DID NOT SHUT OFF. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE FAST LANE AND THE CAR JUST DECELERATED AND STOPPED.*JB
Owner-reported narrative. 65 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010244 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10011531 · 2003-03-12 (March 12, 2003)
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A KNOCKING NOISE. *JB THERE WAS NOT WARNING. (ENGINE OR OIL LIGHT) THE VEHICLE WASN'T LOW OF OIL AND WAS CHANGED REGULARLY. THE VEHICLE NEVER MADE A KNOCKING NOISE BEFORE. SCC
Owner-reported narrative. 97,842 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011531 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10015410 · 2003-04-08 (April 8, 2003)
THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10015410 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10020785 · 2003-05-31 (May 31, 2003)
FUEL STRAINER CLOGGED. FUEL SENDING UNIT MALFUNCTIONING. ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE READINGS. THE AUTOMOBILE HAS STALLED 4 TIMES DUE TO A CLOGGED FUEL STRAINER. I STALLED ON INTERSTATE 10 IN MS, ALONE, AND WAS STRANDED A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES IN THE PROCEEDING 3 DAYS. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM, PONTIAC SERVICE CENTER CLAIMS THEY DO NOT FIX THE PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE.
Owner-reported narrative. 86,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10020785 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
04V036000 · Electrical System:Ignition:Switch
Reported: 2004-01-27 (January 27, 2004)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.
Consequence: IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED. THE FIRE COULD SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, WHICH COULD INJURE OCCUPANTS OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO ADJOINING STRUCTURES.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND CHECK THAT YOUR CAR WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 1, 2004. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CHECK THEIR VEHICLE ONLINE BY GOING TO WWW.MYGMLINK.COM AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.
NHTSA campaign record ↗