NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,352 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 Pontiac Sunfire electrical problems

electrical problem

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1996 Pontiac Sunfire Owner Comments

problem #8

Jul 012004

Sunfire 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While on the street vehicle was in park and the key was taken out of the ignition switch. Then, vehicle caught on fire behind the steering wheel. Black smoke. And large flames appeared. Fire department show up to extinguish the fire. Dealer notified.

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #7

Aug 272003

Sunfire 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 119,813 miles
Car turns over but will not start.brought it back to dealer and they replaced the camshaft sensor. Got the car back two days later and the same thing happened. Brought back to dealer and they said it was the oem sercrity system. Took back and are still having problems starting all the time.

- Oxford, MA, USA

problem #6

Jul 102003

Sunfire 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
When the consumer attempted to start the vehicle the ignition failed to turn, when all of a sudden smoke emitted from the steering column. The consumer contacted the fire department and they disconnected the cable and battery. The key no longer turned the ignition, the car was sent to the dealership, however they refused to fix the vehicle, because they claimed that smoking of a vehicle was not under warranty. The fire department had to fax them a notice that is was a fire. Dealer notified.

- Deer Park, TX, USA

problem #5

Oct 201997

Sunfire 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Headlights go out intermittently while driving. This has been repaired numerous times, the problem is a splice in the wiring. The high beams were inoperative and the daytime running lights flashed while driving. The dealer replaced the instrument panel cluster. The vacuum actuator was sticking which caused the heater control not to blow on the setting selected. The mufflers hanger broke and the baffles were loose which caused rattling at idle.

- New Brunswick, 00, USA

problem #4

May 292003

Sunfire 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
-the horn on 1996 Pontiac Sunfire has quit working and been repaired three times. The people at the shop said that it was getting wet apparently everytime I went through water because of it being pointed downward. -the muffler has been fixed three times -there are more that I can not remeber right off hand -their is an electrical problem with the whole car. The light on the radio time and staion display has not worked since I bought it, the driver's rear door light has not come on, the passenger rear window lets down but will not let up when needed since right after I got the car, the lights in the dashboard go on and off without even being touched, while riding down the road, the widshield wipers will just come on without being turned on and then stop halfway down impairing vision, the passenger rear tail light blows all of the time, it has never stayed with a bulb that works, etc. -the valve cover gasket leaks and has leaked since I got it -the gas light will not tell you when you are running low on fuel -the radio will eat your tapes since I got the carthe transmission has been replace on the car with less than 80,000 miles on it -the rack and pinion had to be replaced a few years ago along with the complete brake system the power steering has leaked fluid and will stop turning in the middle of a turn. I have almost wrecked on it sveral times because of it and the brakes. -the air conditioning compressor works when it gets ready to if even then and has always done that.

- Dothan, AL, USA

problem #3

Mar 152003

Sunfire

  • 80,000 miles
The ets light, ABS light, and sensor for the ignition is remained on. The vehicle would not start and was taken to the dealer. The dealer had the car for a year but it still would not start.

- Shelby, MO, USA

problem #2

Sep 011999

Sunfire

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Vehicle would not start on five different occasions. Also, vehicle would stop without prior notice and not restart.

- Spokane, WA, USA

problem #1

Sep 091997

Sunfire

  • miles
Electrical system failure causing instrument and daytime running lights to fail. False deployment of air bags during service of electrical system resulting in damage to vehicle.

- Madison, TN, USA

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