2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE Problems & Recalls
Detailed safety information and owner complaints
Problem Breakdown
Compare to Other Years
Common Problems
WHILE DRIVING MY 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE, I HAD TO HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT IN ORDER FOR IT TO GO STRAIGHT. I THOUGHT I MIGHT NEED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND DROPPED THE CAR OFF AT MY NEIGHBORHOOD FIRESTONE DEALER THAT NORMALLY WORKS ON MY CARS. AFTER CHECKING THE CAR, THEY CALLED ME AND SAID...
THE INNER IGNITION LOCK NEEDS TO BE CHANGED ABOUT EVERY 60,000 MILES. YOU CAN'T TURN THE KEY OVER AT ALL SO OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T START YOUR CAR. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL, ALOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
Mileage: 176,557
MY DAUGHTER LEFT HOME AND THE VEHICLE FRAME, OF THE 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE,BROKE IN TWO PARTS WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER SAID IT BROKE DUE TO IT RUSTED INTO TWO PARTS. SHE WAS NOT INJURED BUT THE CAR OF COURSE WAS INOPERABLE. THERE WAS NO WRECK OR ACCIDENT FOR THE FRA...
Mileage: 92,000
BOUGHT CAR USED IN 2013. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OKAY UNTIL 9/12/14 WHEN THE THEFT SYSTEM SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER, RPMS, AND GAS INDICATORS WERE NOT READING - CAR BEGAN STALLING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT DOWN. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50 TO 55 MPH ON A BUSY STREET. AFTER C...
Mileage: 112,000
BOUGHT CAR USED IN 2013. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OKAY UNTIL 9/12/14 WHEN THE THEFT SYSTEM SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER, RPMS, AND GAS INDICATORS WERE NOT READING - CAR BEGAN STALLING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT DOWN. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50 TO 55 MPH ON A BUSY STREET. AFTER C...
Mileage: 112,000
BOUGHT CAR USED IN 2013. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OKAY UNTIL 9/12/14 WHEN THE THEFT SYSTEM SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AND I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER, RPMS, AND GAS INDICATORS WERE NOT READING - CAR BEGAN STALLING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT DOWN. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50 TO 55 MPH ON A BUSY STREET. AFTER C...
Mileage: 112,000
VEHICLE DOES NOT ALWAYS START RIGHT AWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AND ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR
Mileage: 102,000
VEHICLE DOES NOT ALWAYS START RIGHT AWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AND ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR
Mileage: 102,000
VEHICLE DOES NOT ALWAYS START RIGHT AWAY. THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AND ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR
Mileage: 102,000
VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND PARKED FOR THE EVENING. IN THE MORNING WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE TRIED TO START. NEW STARTER INSTALLED AND STILL NO SUCCESS TO START. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. AFTER EVALUATION IT WAS FOUND THE TIMING CHAINS HAD ...
Mileage: 55,000
VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND PARKED FOR THE EVENING. IN THE MORNING WENT TO START THE VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE TRIED TO START. NEW STARTER INSTALLED AND STILL NO SUCCESS TO START. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. AFTER EVALUATION IT WAS FOUND THE TIMING CHAINS HAD ...
Mileage: 55,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BECAME FRACTURED AND AS RESULT, THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. ...
Mileage: 74,000
IN JANUARY OF 2006 THE TACHOMETER GAUGE STARTED JUMPING AROUND NOT READING CORRECT, BY CLICKING THE IGNITION ON AND OFF WITH THE CAR NOT RUNNING IT WOULD RE-SET. IN THE FALL OF 2012 THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED AND CONTINUES TO READ WRONG. APRIL 1ST 2013, NOW THE FUEL GAUGE HAS STARED TURNING COUNT...
Mileage: 18,000
THE RPM NEEDLE WENT TOTALLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE INTO THE NEEDLE OF THE SPEEDOMETER. CAN'T TELL HOW FAST I AM GOING. EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. PAINT STARTING TO CHIP IN DIFFERENT PLACES. THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT I HAD THAT THE PAINT PEELED AND GENERAL MOTORS STATES THAT IT IS TOO OLD OF A VEHICLE ...
Mileage: 71,000
WHILE BRAKING THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS WORKING NORMALLY THEN SUDDENLY WENT SOFT. PUMPED BRAKES BUT PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. CAUSED CAR TO CRASH INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. FAILURE WAS CONSISTENT WITH EITHER MATER CYLINDER FAILURE OR HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE FAILURE CAUSING LOSS OF FLUID AND PRESSURE. BOTH VEHI...
Mileage: 107,000
WHEN IT IS VERY HOT OR COLD OUTSIDE THE SPEEDOMETER AND ALL OF THE NEEDLES IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL STICK AT CERTAIN POINTS OR STOP WORKING COMPLETELY, THIS OCCURS RANDOMLY AND I CAN NOT SEE HOW FAST I AM GOING. THIS WAS PART OF A GM CLASS SETTLEMENT BUT MY VEHICLE MODEL WAS NOT INCLUDED FOR A ...
CAN'T RECALL EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE. THE SPEEDOMETER IS ALWAYS REGISTERING 100 MPH EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT MOVING. SOMETIMES IT WILL REGISTER TO 70 MPH, BY RUNNING BACKWARDS FROM 100, WHILE IT IS MOVING. I DID SOME RESEARCH TO FIND OUT THE HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM. I FOUND WHERE GM SETTLED IN A...
Mileage: 56,000
ELECTRICAL GAUGES ON DASH DO NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY. TACH IS PEGGED OUT, FUEL GAGE NOT CORRECT AND SPEED IS INACCURATE. *TR
Mileage: 35,000
LEFT SIDE REAR BLINKER LIGHT GOES OUT SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON OTHER PONTIAC SUNFIRES BUT FOR YEARS OTHER THAN THE ONE I HAVE. APPARENTLY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WIRING. I CAN WIGGLE THE BULB AND IT WILL WORK UNTIL I HIT A BUMP AND THEN IT IS OUT AGAIN. THIS IS VERY...
MY GAUGES (ALL BUT THE SPEEDOMETER) HAVE GONE CRAZY! THE FUEL GAUGE AND TEMP GAUGE ARE THE WORST. SOMETIMES THE TACHOMETER , THOUGH NOT OFTEN. MY FUEL GAUGE NEVER READS CORRECT AND SOMETIMES POINTS DIRECTLY DOWN OR IS INTO THE SPEEDOMETER. MY TEMP GAUGE EITHER NEVER MOVES OR ONCE IT MOVES, IT ST...
Mileage: 100,000
THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE STICKS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DOES NOT RETURN TO 0MPH WHEN I STOP. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT WILL BE PEGGED ALL THE WAY TO MAX. THIS CONDITION SEEMS TO BE WORSE WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS COLD. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE TACHOMETER WILL DO THE SAME THING BUT IS NO...
Mileage: 85,000
I OWN A 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND THE HEADLIGHTS ARE EXTREMELY DIM, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT USING THE "BRIGHTS". AFTER REPLACING HEADLIGHT BULBS, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC THAT TOLD ME THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SUNFIRE AND IT INVOLVED CORROSION ...
Mileage: 60,000
THE ABS,TRAC AND SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER I HIT A DEER BECAUSE THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS WOULD NOT LET ME STOP FROM HITTING IT. I NOW HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH ABS TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE LIGHT BUT IT NOW MAKES IT HARD TO STOP TILL ALL THOSE COME ON. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR IN THE HUB OF R...
Mileage: 45,000
THE ABS,TRAC AND SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER I HIT A DEER BECAUSE THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS WOULD NOT LET ME STOP FROM HITTING IT. I NOW HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH ABS TRACTION CONTROL AND SERVICE LIGHT BUT IT NOW MAKES IT HARD TO STOP TILL ALL THOSE COME ON. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR IN THE HUB OF R...
Mileage: 45,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS INACCURATE READINGS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER IN THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED DUE TO THE COST. THE FAILURE AND...
Mileage: 20,000
ALL GAUGES WERE ACCURATE UNTIL ONE MORNING WHEN I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK ON 50 WHEN CAR WASH COMPLETELY STOPPED. AS I DROVE FARTHER THE SPEEDOMETER ROSE TO 70 WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP. THE RPM GAUGE IS READING 0 WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION WHICH IS COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE. *T...
Mileage: 51,550
I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AS ODI ID NUMBER : 1016866, WHERE AT ANYTIME, ANY SPEED, STOPPED OR MOVING, MY CAR'S ENGINE WILL DROP BELOW THE NORMAL IDLING SPEED AND STALL OUT. IT WILL JUST STOP! THE CAR IS MOVING, BUT THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED! THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES! I'VE EXPERIENCED TH...
Mileage: 33,000
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS OR WHILE STOPPED AT AN IDLE, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE WAS EASILY RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE BATTERY, AIR FLOW SENSOR, ALTITUDE SENSOR, AND THE FUEL FILTER FITTING NEEDED ...
Mileage: 34,000
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS OR WHILE STOPPED AT AN IDLE, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AFTERWARDS, THE ENGINE WAS EASILY RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE BATTERY, AIR FLOW SENSOR, ALTITUDE SENSOR, AND THE FUEL FILTER FITTING NEEDED ...
Mileage: 34,000
DT: THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO SEE. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT FOR THE HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM, ONLY A DIM BULB. HAS BEEN TO A DEALER AND TRIED OTHER HEADLAMPS, BUT THESE WERE NOT ANY BETTER WITH THE VISIBILITY. CONTACTED GM, AND GM STATED THAT THIS WAS THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIG...
Mileage: 10
DT: THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE FELL APART, LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE .TRIED TO GET IT TO STRAIGTEN OUT., IT WAS LIKE THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T DO WHAT CONSUMER, WANTED IT TO DO AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE,. BUT THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, AND THE WINDSHIELD BUSTED, HIT A MAILBOX ON TH...
Mileage: 32,000
WHEN DRIVING MY 2004 SUNFIRE THE DASH SEEMS TO GET REALLY HOT AND SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING. I AM AFRAID THAT IT IS GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE.*AK
I WAS DRIVING MY NEW 2004 SUNFIRE THAT WAS JUST PURCHASED AT THE END OF AUGUST, WHEN I SAW A FLAME COME OUT FROM UNDER THE DASH NEAR MY FOOT. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, THROUGH IT IN PARK AND JUMPED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED!*JB
Mileage: 13,000
MP3 RADIO DISPLAY WAS INCORRECT AND PROGRAM STATIONS WERE NOT KEEPING ITS PROGRAM AFTER CAR WAS SHUT OFF. RADIO WAS REPLACED, AND NOW THE DISPLAY WAS INCORRECT ON ONE OF PROGRAM STATIONS.*AK
Mileage: 441
MP3 RADIO DISPLAY WAS INCORRECT AND PROGRAM STATIONS WERE NOT KEEPING ITS PROGRAM AFTER CAR WAS SHUT OFF. RADIO WAS REPLACED, AND NOW THE DISPLAY WAS INCORRECT ON ONE OF PROGRAM STATIONS.*AK
Mileage: 441
THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS ARE SO LOW THAT DURING THE NIGHT THE VISION IS VERY POOR. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO INDICATES THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE BRIGHTNESS FOR THE LOW BEAM BULBS ARE SO BAD THAT IT IS ALMOST AS IF DRIVING WITHOUT. *JB HEADLIGHTS.*AK
Mileage: 350
CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING THE TRUNK POPPED OPEN. THE FIRST DAY THAT CONSUMER GOT THE VEHICLE HE COULD NOT OPEN THE TRUNK . THEN ,WHILE DRIVING TRUNK WOULD OPEN ON ITS OWN. THIS WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE CONSUMER COULD NOT SEE FROM THE REAR. *AK
DURING A SUDDEN STOP AT 35 MPH FRONT AIR BAGS INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM . *AK
Mileage: 2,000
WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT VEHICLE STALLED, AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. *AK
Mileage: 12,500
WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT VEHICLE STALLED, AND THE BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON. *AK
Mileage: 12,500
WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH MUFFLER FELL OFF INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *AK
Mileage: 1,000