2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE Fuel System, Gasoline Problems

REPEAT ISSUE ON 12-28-04 - COLD WEATHER, EXPRESSWAY SPEEDS - NO WARNING CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED ON EXPRESSWAY. FINALLY RESTARTED AFTER TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. STALLED AGAIN ON 12-29-04 SAME CONDITIONS - WOULD NOT RESTART - TOWED TO GM DEALERSHIP. FUEL PUMP AND SYSTEM REPLACED. *JB

Mileage: 63,000

REPEAT FAILURE: AFTER FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED ON 12-29-04, ON 1-14-05 UNDER SAME CONDITIONS - COLD WEATHER - EXPRESSWAY SPEED - THE CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED - WOULD NOT RESTART AND REQUIRED TOW TO DEALERSHIP. ANALYSIS SHOWED THE REPLACEMENT FUEL PUMP ALSO BECAME DEFECTIVE. (CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED ON 12-28-04 AND 12-29-04 AND WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, WERE THE MODULE WAS REPLACED.) *JB

Mileage: 63,000

WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE ARMY, I PURCHASED A USED 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE IN GEORGIA. THE CAR BEGAN GIVING ME PROBLEMS ONLY 6 MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE. LUCKILY, I FORCED THE DEALERSHIP TO PAY FOR A WARRANTY BECAUSE I HAD TO HAVE 3 MAJOR REPAIRS WITHIN A 11/2 AFTER THAT. UNFORTUNATELY, SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY WAS UP, I DISCOVER NUMEROUS OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMOBILE, INCLUDING THE RECALL. THIS CAR IS TRULY A LEMON! I DO NOT BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER WITH THIS DEFECTIVE CAR. I OWE OVER 3 TIMES THE VALUE OF THE CAR. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT MY GOOD CARE AND MAINTENANCE, NO ONE WILL TOUCH THIS CAR BECAUSE IT HAS SO MANY OTHER DEFECTS BESIDES THE RECALL (FRONT END SUSPENSION ISSUES, FUEL TANK). I AM A DISABLED VETERAN NOW WITH ONLY A SMALL PENSION TO SUPPORT MYSELF AND TWO CHILDREN. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE SINCE I BOUGHT IT AND FIXING THE IGNITION SWITCH IS NOT GOING TO FIX THIS LEMON. I HAVE PUT OVER $3000 IN REPAIRS ON THIS CAR OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS ASIDE FROM THE MONTHLY FINANCED PAYMENTS OF $282 X 3YRS=$10,152 AND I STILL OWE $7800. THE CAR IS ONLY VALUED AT $2150. AND WHEN DEALERS LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF PROBLEMS BEHIND THIS CAR, THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO GIVE ME $2000.*AK

Mileage: 50,168

I OWN A 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE - PURCHASED NEW. I HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL 2003 WHEN MY CAR WOULD DECCELERATE FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, HESITATE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, OR, AFTER STOPPING AT AN INTERSECTION, SIMPLY WOULD NOT ALLOW ACCELERATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE TRYING TO GO THROUGH BUSY INTERSECTIONS. VERY SCARY. ONE DAY IN 2003 THE CAR WOULD NOT START, SO I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM. HE REPLACED MY FUEL PUMP BUT THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO I PAID FOR THIS REPAIR ALONG WITH THE TOW. IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR THE PROBLEM TO OCCUR AGAIN. WHAT IS GOING ON? I TAKE GOOD CARE OF THIS VEHICLE AND, IF THE FUEL PUMP WAS THE PROBLEM, THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AGAIN SO SOON. SECOND ISSUE - EARLY IN 2004 I NOTICED THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF WITH NO CONSISTENCY. I CHECKED THE COOLANT RESERVOIR AND IT WAS LOW. I ADDED THE PROPER COOLANT MIXTURE BUT IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE LIGHT TO COME ON AND OFF AGAIN - WITH NO CONSISTENCY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND OFF. I AGAIN TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO RESET SOMETHING RELATING TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. BUT THE VERY NEXT DAY THE LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN. NOW, IT IS ALWAYS ON. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON. I OWE ONE MORE YEAR ON THIS VEHICLE AND CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS. THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS THE HESITATION AND STALLING OF THE CAR AT ANYTIME. THERE IS NO WARNING - IT JUST HAPPENS. THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO OCCUR. MY CHILDREN RIDE IN AND DRIVE THIS CAR. I DON'T NEED THIS WORRY ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE. ONE MORE THING, ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO THE AIR CONDITIONER STARTED MALFUNCTIONING. NOT SURE IF IT IS RELATED TO THE OTHER COMPLAINTS. IT ONLY WORKS IF YOU HAVE THE FAN ON THE 3RD OR 4TH MARK. IF YOU PUT IT ON THE 1ST OR 2ND MARK, IT WILL WORK (BUT NOT TO CAPACITY) ONLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. IF YOU STOP, IT STOPS.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH 2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE ENGINE. *MR THE VEHICLE WOULD CRANK SOMETIMES BUT NOT START. ON ONE OCCASION THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO CRANK AND STALLED IN THE PROCESS. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE STARTER HAD GONE OUT, MAYBE THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, OR THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDER RING WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS A BURNT COOLANT SMELL AND THE VALVE COVER GASKET RUPTURED LEAKING OIL. *SC *JB

CAR STOPS ACCELERATING WHILE DRIVING THEN DIES. BEEN GOING ON SINCE AUGUST AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. GENERATING NUMEROUS COMMUNICATION ERRORS. HAD THE COMPUTER REPLACED THOUGHT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS 8/5/03 AND IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR A WEEK WITH NO RESOLUTION. IT RAN FOR A COUPLE MORE DAYS THEN DID IT AGAIN THE FOLLOWING WEEK AROUND 8/11/03. THIS WENT ON THROUGH AUGUST IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP AT WHICH TIME I RENTED A CAR TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS GRADUALLY GETTING WORSE AND BEING BROKEN DOWN ON THE FREEWAY WAS GETTING TO BE A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED ON 10/22/03 AND IT DIED WHEN I DROVE OFF. CAR HAS BEEN TOWED 3 TIMES DUE TO NOT STARTING RIGHT BACK UP AND BEING STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR OVER A WEEK AS OF TODAY 10/29/03 AND DEALER IS TELLING ME THAT IT IS THE OXYGEN SENSORS BUT CANNOT GUARANTEE THE WORK. *AK

Mileage: 53,000

2000 PONTIAC SUNFIRE EXPERIENCING FUEL PUMP MALFUNCTIONS AT VEHICLE AGE OF 3.5 YRS. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO MULIPLE MECHANICS, ALL OF WHOM SUGGEST PUMP MALFUNCTION AND RECCOMMEND REPLACEMENT OF FUEL PUMP, FILTER AND RELAY VALVE. MANUFACTURER WARRANTY OF 3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES HAS EXPIRED FOR THIS VEHICLE. CAR INITIALLY TAKEN INTO PONTIAC DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICING A PROBLEM WITH IGNITION. ENGINE WOULD TURN BUT NOT FIRE RESULTING IN NO IGNITION. CAR OWNER PAID FOR REPLACEMENT OF FUEL PUMP, FILTER AND RELAY VALVE.

Mileage: 35,121

CAR HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SINCE DAY ONE. BRAKES CHATTER, OVERHEATING, SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, CD PLAYER AND SPEAKERS DID NOT WORK. NOW IT STALLS WITH NO WARNING AT ALL. STALLS AT 70 MPH GOING DOWN HIGHWAY. HAS STALLED WHILE DRIVING 3 OR 4 TIMES IN THE PAST TWO DAYS. CHECKED OUT AT SERVICE STATION ON COMPUTER, AND SHOWS NO PROBLEMS. HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS HERE ABOUT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. BAD FUEL PUMP OR SOMETHING IS CAUSING CAR TO STALL. THEN IT TAKES FROM 10 TO 15 MINUTES TO START AGAIN. SOME DAYS IT JUST WON'T START AT ALL. HAVE HAD CAR CHECKED MANY TIMES, AND NO ONE CAN SEEM TO FIND THE PROBLEM. ANYONE THAT CAN HELP HERE??? I THINK GMC OWES MANY, MANY CONSUMERS AN EXPLANATION AND REPAIR OF THIS VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM! *PH

Mileage: 50,000

PONTIAC SUNFIRE ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE. CHECK GAUGE LIGHT ON WHEN IT HAPPENS. *NLM

Mileage: 44,200

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.

Mileage: 86,000

CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE FUEL FILTER INTANK STRAINER AND FUEL PUMP WERE REPLACED, ALSO THE VEHICLE HAD NO POWER, THE FUEL FILTER LINE WAS REPLACED.*JB

EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED DUE TO IT GETTING HOT MELTING THE CARPET AND PAINT INSIDE TRUNK, FUMES FILLED INTERIOR OF VEHICLE AT THIS TIME EXHAUST SYSTEM IS RUNNING JUST AS HOT AGAIN, DEALER STATED FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE.*AK CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE HAS BAD GAS MILEAGE, STARTER MOTOR SEIZED AND FAILED, POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING, COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM LEFT FRONT AND BACK OF THE VEHICLE, REPLACED RADIATOR, HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR AT IDLE, TRUNK LEAKS, HEAD LAMP IS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, GLOVE BOX WILL NOT CLOSE, MUFFLER FELL OFF, KEY COMES OUT OF IGNITION WITH VEHICLE RUNNING, TRANSMISSION HAS NO REVERSE, THERE WAS BRAKE PULSATION AT HIGH SPEED OR WHEN STOPPING, BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, SPEAKERS INOPERATIVE, SEAT SPRING FAILED, SUSPECTED MOTOR OIL SMELL AND REPLACED THERMOSTAT, HORN WAS INOPERATIVE, POWER AND GROUNDS DISTRIBUTION REPLACED, WINDOW WILL NOT GO DOWN ALL THE WAY, FOUND WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED, HAZARD LAMPS AND TURN SIGNAL WERE INOPERATIVE, REPLACED BLOWN FUSE, CIGARETTE LIGHTER INOPERATIVE, REPLACED BLOWN FUSE, TRACTION CONTROL INOPERATIVE, ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, A/C HOSE LEAKING, REPLACED EVAPORATOR, HARD TO START AND ROUGH IDLE, ENGINE MAKE RATTLING NOISE AND QUIT RUNNING, REPLACED HEAD CYLINDER AND 02 SENSOR, VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT, OVERFLOW BOTTLE MELTED AND 42 GOODYEAR TIRES BLEW OUT, ALSO THE HVAC WAS INOPERATIVE. *YD

FUEL WAS LEAKING UNDERNEATH VEHICLE, CONTACTED DEALER, WHO TOWED VEHICLE AND REPLACED FUEL TANK. TANK WAS LEAKING AROUND SEALS.*AK

FOR MY CAR BEING A 2000, I HAVE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. FOR STARTERS, I HAD A DEFECT IN THE SIDE WINDOW ON THE DRIVERS BACK SIDE, I HAD THE LINE THE ANTIFREEZE RUNS THROUGH REPLACED DUE TO A HOLE BEING BURNT THROUGH IF FROM THE BATTERY, I HAD THE MOLDING IN MY PASSENGERS SIDE DOOR FIXED TWICE, THEN I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY LIGHTS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE NOT COMING ON, SO THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED, AND THAT WASNT THE PROBLEM SO THEN IT WAS BACK A SECOND TIME, AND THE COMPUTER WAS REPLACED, THEN THEY HAD TO ORDER ME A NEW CD PLAYER BECAUSE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THAT AS WELL. THEN THERE WAS SHAKING IN THE CAR AS I DROVE IT, THEY TESTED IT AND SAID THERE WAS NOT A PROBLEM, A WEEK LATER IT WAS BACK AND HAD COIL WIRES AND OTHER THINGS REPLACED DUE TO THE SHAKING, THEN THE GLASS IN MY DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR NEEDS REPLACED BECAUSE NOW THAT ISNT WORKING. I AM REALLY TIRED OF GOING BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I AM HOPING SOMETHING WILL COME OUT OF THIS. I CANT BELIEVE THAT BUYING A NEW CAR CAN HAVE SO MUCH AGGRIVATION, TO BE HONEST I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT LONG DISTANCES, CONSIDERING I DRIVE AN HOUR TO WORK EVERY DAY.*AK