NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
32 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Nov 10, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
THIS CAR HAS BEEN STALLING INTERMITANTLY. IT HAS HAPPENED ON MOST OCASSIONS WHEN MAKING A SLOW TURN (LIKE FROM A STAND STILL AND TURNING AT A LIGHT). IT HAS HAD A TUNE UP AND STILL CONTINUES TO DO THIS. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERS FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG OR RECREATE THE PROBLEM. IN MY SEARCH ON THE N…
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THIS CAR HAS BEEN STALLING INTERMITANTLY. IT HAS HAPPENED ON MOST OCASSIONS WHEN MAKING A SLOW TURN (LIKE FROM A STAND STILL AND TURNING AT A LIGHT). IT HAS HAD A TUNE UP AND STILL CONTINUES TO DO THIS. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERS FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG OR RECREATE THE PROBLEM. IN MY SEARCH ON THE NET I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS 1998 SUNFIRE OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WHEN THE ENGINE STALLS THE POWER STEARING IS AFFECTED AND THE CAR IS DANGEROUS. MY DAUGHTER HAS THIS CAR IN GA WHILE ATTENDING COLLEGE AND HAS HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS. I HOPE THIS CAN BE RESOLIVED SOON. DT
NHTSA ODI #769541
Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STARTING, TOOK SEVERAL CRANKS BEFORE ENGINE WOULD START OR NOT START AT ALL. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
NHTSA ODI #8011449
Mileage unknown · May 9, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
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 PA…
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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 WHEN I PASS VEHICLES AS WELL.*AK
NHTSA ODI #761728
Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2002
Engine And Engine CoolingSteering
FIRST THIS CLICKING/POPPING SOUND STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN YOU TURN IT AT LOW SPEED. THE MECHANIC SAID ITS THE INNER TIE RODS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. BUT TO REPLACE THEM YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING ASSEMBLY BECAUSE THERE MADE AS ONE PIECE. THEN ONE MONTH AGO THE CAR STARTED SHACKING AT IDLE SPEED.…
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FIRST THIS CLICKING/POPPING SOUND STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN YOU TURN IT AT LOW SPEED. THE MECHANIC SAID ITS THE INNER TIE RODS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. BUT TO REPLACE THEM YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING ASSEMBLY BECAUSE THERE MADE AS ONE PIECE. THEN ONE MONTH AGO THE CAR STARTED SHACKING AT IDLE SPEED. IF YOU ARE IN DRIVE OR NUETRUEL AT A STOP LIGHT STANDING STILL YOU COULD FEEL IT SHACKING A LITTLE. THE DEALER SAID IT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM ELECTRIC PROBLEMS TO COIL PROBLEMS. BUT JUST YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 60MPH WHEN I SAW SMOKE BEHIND MY CAR. I GOT ON THE SHOULDER AND SAW SMOKE COMMING OUT OF THE ENGINE. THEN I TRIED STARTING THE CAR BUT IT WON'T START. SO I HAD IT TOWED TO MY HOUSE. AT MY HOUSE I CHECKED THE ENGINE WITH A FLASHLIGHT AND FOUND A BIG HOLE (3-4 IN DIAMETER) IN THE ENGINE BY THE DIPSTICK. IT SEEMS THAT SOMETHING GOT LOOSE IN THE ENGINE THAT MADE THE CAR SHACKING AND WHEN IT GOT LOSE IT JUST FLEW OUT. LUCKLY IT DIDN'T WHEN TRU THE HOOD. IF ANYONE COULD HELP ME PLEASE IN FINDING MAYBE THERES LIKE A SERVICE BULLETIN OR A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEMS. ALSO I WILL NEVER BUY ANY STUPID PONTIACS AND WON'T RECCOMEND ONE FOR ANYONE. *AK
NHTSA ODI #757958
Mileage unknown · Jul 3, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH WENT BAD AND PUMPED ALL THE OIL OUT OF THE ENGINE RUINING IT WITHIN MINUTES WITH NO WARNING TO THE OPERATOR. THE PONTIAC DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. IF I WAS NOT PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER TELLING ME THE CAR WAS SMOKING I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN UNT…
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THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH WENT BAD AND PUMPED ALL THE OIL OUT OF THE ENGINE RUINING IT WITHIN MINUTES WITH NO WARNING TO THE OPERATOR. THE PONTIAC DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. IF I WAS NOT PULLED OVER BY A POLICE OFFICER TELLING ME THE CAR WAS SMOKING I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN UNTIL I STOPPED THAT I WAS SMOKING. I AM ALARMED PONTIAC HAS REFUSED ANY BLAME FOR ENGINEERING AN ENGINE PART TO FAIL AND RUIN THE ENGINE WITHOUT ANY PRIOR INDICATION. I HAD NO OPTION TO TRY AND PREVENT THIS PROBLEM. IT IS A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING TO HAPPEN AT 44,000 MILES AND RUIN MY ENGINE.*AK
NHTSA ODI #747703
Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
SEVERE ENGINE HESITATION AFTER ACCELERATING WITH A COLD ENGINE. *AK
NHTSA ODI #747548
Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
PROBLEM WITH CAR STALLING, HESITATING, AND IDLING ROUGLY. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND RECEIVED TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 00032. TOOK CAR IN. ONE SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. A MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. NOW, ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS LATER...SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT SEEMS TO …
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PROBLEM WITH CAR STALLING, HESITATING, AND IDLING ROUGLY. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND RECEIVED TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 00032. TOOK CAR IN. ONE SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. A MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. NOW, ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS LATER...SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT SEEMS TO BE MORE EXTREME. REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUG WIRES ON MY OWN, BUT STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR AND THE DEALERSHIP STILL HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HAVE BECOME VERY DISGUSTED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND NO LONGER WANT TO TAKE MY CAR THERE. THIS ALSO SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS TO ME BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN MY CAR MIGHT STALL OR HESISTATE. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION ON HOW I CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS IN OTHER CARS TO OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SENT OUT THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN. AND PLUS, I READ MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ON YOUR COMPLAINT PAGE. ANY ASSISTANCE WILL BE WELL APPRECIATED. THANKS.*AK( DOT NUMBER: )
NHTSA ODI #743620
Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
PROBLEM WITH CAR STALLING, HESITATING, AND IDLING ROUGLY. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND RECEIVED TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 00032. TOOK CAR IN. ONE SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. A MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. NOW, ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS LATER...SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT SEEMS TO …
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PROBLEM WITH CAR STALLING, HESITATING, AND IDLING ROUGLY. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND RECEIVED TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 00032. TOOK CAR IN. ONE SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. A MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. NOW, ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS LATER...SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT SEEMS TO BE MORE EXTREME. REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUG WIRES ON MY OWN, BUT STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR AND THE DEALERSHIP STILL HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HAVE BECOME VERY DISGUSTED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND NO LONGER WANT TO TAKE MY CAR THERE. THIS ALSO SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS TO ME BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN MY CAR MIGHT STALL OR HESISTATE. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION ON HOW I CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS IN OTHER CARS TO OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SENT OUT THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN. AND PLUS, I READ MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ON YOUR COMPLAINT PAGE. ANY ASSISTANCE WILL BE WELL APPRECIATED. THANKS.( DOT NUMBER: )
NHTSA ODI #743619
Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling
PROBLEM WITH CAR STALLING, HESITATING, AND IDLING ROUGLY. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND RECEIVED TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 00032. TOOK CAR IN. ONE SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. A MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. NOW, ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS LATER...SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT SEEMS TO …
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PROBLEM WITH CAR STALLING, HESITATING, AND IDLING ROUGLY. STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND RECEIVED TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 00032. TOOK CAR IN. ONE SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. A MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM. ANOTHER SPARK PLUG WIRE WAS REPLACED. NOW, ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS LATER...SAME PROBLEM EXCEPT SEEMS TO BE MORE EXTREME. REPLACED ALL SPARK PLUG WIRES ON MY OWN, BUT STILL HAVING PROBLEMS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR AND THE DEALERSHIP STILL HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. HAVE BECOME VERY DISGUSTED WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND NO LONGER WANT TO TAKE MY CAR THERE. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION ON HOW I CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS IN OTHER CARS TO OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SENT OUT THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN. AND PLUS, I READ MANY COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEMS ON YOUR COMPLAINT PAGE. ANY ASSISTANCE WILL BE WELL APPRECIATED. THANKS. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )
NHTSA ODI #743618
Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2000
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling
I THINK YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN YOU HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD CAR SEEMS TO BE FALLING APART FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I ORIGINALLY OWNED MY CAR FOR 3 MONTHS WHEN THE TEMP. GAUGE ZEROED OUT FROM A SHORTED OUT FUSE. THE NEXT PROBLEM WAS ODOMETER WENT BLANK AND SHOWED ME SYMBOLS IN 05/1999, AND THE ELECTRICAL CLUSTER WAS REPLACED. LATER IN …
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I THINK YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN YOU HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD CAR SEEMS TO BE FALLING APART FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I ORIGINALLY OWNED MY CAR FOR 3 MONTHS WHEN THE TEMP. GAUGE ZEROED OUT FROM A SHORTED OUT FUSE. THE NEXT PROBLEM WAS ODOMETER WENT BLANK AND SHOWED ME SYMBOLS IN 05/1999, AND THE ELECTRICAL CLUSTER WAS REPLACED. LATER IN 09/1999, MY COOLANT SYSTEM BUSTED AFTER A VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT CARS ARE OKAY TO REACH THE RED LINE BEFORE IT WILL OVERHEAT. MOST OF THE COOLANT SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AND TESTS DONE. I DID NOT TRUST THE WORK, AND TOOK IT TO ANOTHER GMC DEALER, TO FIND THAT THE COOLANT TEMP. SENSOR NEEDED REPLACED, JUST 2 DAYS LATER. NOW IN 08/2000, MY ODOMETER IS SHOWING THE SAME OLD SYMBOLS, DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. MY PROBLEM IS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, AND I AM UNAWARE OF IT. ALSO, SOME DEALERSHIPS DON'T CARE TO FIND THE BAD THINGS, WHEN IT IS WARRANTY WORK. WYATT JOHNSON DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A PEOPLE SAVING PEOPLE ESTABLISHMENT, IF YOU CANNOT TRUST THEM TO FIND THEIR CARS MISTAKES.
NHTSA ODI #729299