Problems · NHTSA complaints

1998 Pontiac Sunfire problems

Owners filed 127 complaints about the 1998 Pontiac Sunfire with NHTSA between May 1998 and May 2018. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (34).

Complaints
127
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
13
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
9
People reported injured
Deaths
4
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling34
  2. Electrical system22
  3. Steering15
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic13
  5. Air bags12
  6. Power train7
  7. Vehicle speed control7
  8. Equipment7
  9. Exterior lighting6
  10. Structure5
  11. Fuel system, other5
  12. Seat belts5
  13. Tires4
  14. Fuel system, gasoline3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199815
199914
200012
200113
200218
200315
200415
20057
20062
20073
20082
20092
20101
20112
20122
20130
20140
20151
20161
20171
20181

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

34 reports1 fire
“COOLANT HAD BEEN LEAKING FOR OVER 3 MONTHS OFF AND ON. PUT IN STOP LEAK FOR A TEMP FIX. HOWEVER DEXCOOL CONTINUED TO EAT AWAY AT MY COOLANT SYSTEM. CAR HAS OVERHEATED ON MANY OCCASIONS. FINALLY ABLE TO USE JB WELD TO FIX LEAK . *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 23, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10197189

Electrical system

22 reports2 fires1 related recall
“WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN AND THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WITH START FLASHING WILL START AGAIN AND BUT SHUT DOWN AGAIN I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND HAD IT AT A DEALER THEY REPLACED THE ECU THE GAUGES AND THE IGNITION THEY REPLACED THE ECU 3 TIMES WITH NO AVAIL THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ALL 4 OF MY PONTIACS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 27, 2018Steering, Power train, Electrical systemODI 11098157

Steering

15 reports2 crashes2 related recalls
“APPARENTLY, THEIR IS A KNOWN ISSUE W/THE 98 PONTIAC SUNFIRE STEERING RACK AND PINION GEAR MAKING IT FEEL LIKE THEIR IS A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING, EVEN THOUGH THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS WORKING PROPERLY. I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN JANUARY OF 2011 OFF A LITTLE OLD LADY, WHO KEPT IT IN A GARAGE AND BARELY DROVE IT, THE CAR ONLY HAD 51,000 MILES ON IT. SHE ADVISED THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW OF ANY RECALLS, SO SHE DIDN'T TAKE IT IN FOR ANY OF THE RECALL REPAIRS. I HAVE CHECK THE NHTSA WEBSITE AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER REPUTABLE SITES AND HAVE FOUND THEIR HAVE BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, UPON CALLING PONTIACS RECALL HOTLINE, THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THESE RECALLS ON YOUR WEBSITE NEVER EXISTED FOR MY 98 PONTIAC SUNFIRE AND WENT ON TO SAY THAT YOU CAN BELIEVE EVERY THING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET (HOW FUNNY, YOUR AVERAGE MORON COULD HAVE FIGURED THAT OUT). BUT REGARDLESS, IT APPEARS THAT PONTIAC IS SAYING THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX THESE RECALLS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND LET ME KNOW IF MY CONCERNS ARE LEGITIMATE. I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR A REPAIR, WHEN THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED UNDER THEIR RECALL. THANKS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 3, 2011SteeringODI 10428381

Service brakes, hydraulic

13 reports2 crashes
“LOST BRAKES IN MY 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WHEN BRAKING ON AN EXPRESSWAY EXIT RAMP. THIS WAS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION, BUT WAS ABLE TO AVERT A COLLISION. THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LINE (HYDRAULIC) CORRODED THROUGH AND CAUSED A LARGE LEAK, LEAVING MARGINAL BRAKES.*TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 2, 2009Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10290562

Air bags

12 reports6 crashes
“CARS BATTERY CONSTANTLY RAN DOWN. BATTERY WAS CHECKED AND WAS OK AS IT WAS THREE MONTHS OLD. REPAIR STATION SAID THE HORN WAS SHORTED AND THE AIR BAG IS PART OF THE HORN SWITCH AND MUST BE REPLACED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 6, 2017Air bagsODI 11052792

Power train

7 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHIFT CABLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 101,000. UPDATED 12/21/12 *CN UPDATED 1/14/2013 *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 2, 2012Power trainODI 10483129
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.