Problems · NHTSA complaints

2005 Pontiac Sunfire problems

Owners filed 68 complaints about the 2005 Pontiac Sunfire with NHTSA between Oct 2004 and Jun 2022. The most-cited component is electrical system (60).

Complaints
68
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system60
  2. Vehicle speed control4
  3. Steering4
  4. Engine3
  5. Exterior lighting3
  6. Fuel system, gasoline2
  7. Visibility2
  8. Latches/locks/linkages2
  9. Suspension2
  10. Engine and engine cooling2
  11. Fuel/propulsion system1
  12. Electronic stability control (esc)1
  13. Visibility/wiper1
  14. Service brakes1

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 Oct 27, 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
20041
20052
20061
20073
20084
20099
201012
201114
20122
20134
201411
20151
20162
20171
20180
20190
20200
20210
20221

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

Electrical system

60 reports
“None of the gauges work properly Gm has not issued a recall despite the numerous complaints and it is a 500 to 800 dollar repair bill to replace the instrument cluster. 2005 Sunfire and the instrument cluster is malfunctioning. The gas gauge has stopped working altogether and the temp and rpm gauge work erratically. This is definitely a recall issue and has nothing to do with the maintenance of the vehicle. Gm wants me to have a dealer check the vehicle when they are well aware of this issue as there are multiple posting from owners of this issue online.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 22, 2022Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11470553

Vehicle speed control

4 reports
“IN LOOKING UP WHAT THE PROBLEM WITH MY CAR I HAVE FOUND THAT SEVERAL OTHER CARS SEEM BE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER WORKS WHEN IT FEELS LIKE IT. MOST DAYS THE ONLY INSTRUMENT THAT IS WORKING IS THE SPEEDOMETER. GENERALLY I USE A GARMIN TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM AT THE CORRECT SPEED. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE TACHOMETER IS NO LONGER WORKING. RECENTLY I HAVE NOTICE THAT THE LIGHTS IN THE RADIO ARE NOT ALL LIGHTING UP. SEEMS THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE THAT THE DEALER SHOULD BE HANDLING FOR THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS I AM FINDING ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2005 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2011Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed controlODI 10423780

Steering

4 reports1 related recall
“GOING DOWN HILL, TURNED MY CAR TO THE RIGHT AND THE CAR KEEP GOING STRAIGHT. IT DID NOT TURN AT ALL. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY ON COMING TRAFFIC, BUT MY CAR HIT THE CURVE FIRST STOPPING AN ACCIDENT FROM OCCURRING I HAVE REPLACE WINDOW MOTOR TWICE AND THEY HAVE WENT OUT AGAIN NOW. AND I HAVE ALSO REPLACED WINDOW MOTOR BUTTONS FOR A SECOND TIME IN THE PAST 3 YEARS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 4, 2017Steering, Electrical systemODI 10983596

Engine

3 reports
“DRIVING THE VEHICLE WENT TO TURN A CORNER AND THE ENTIRE CAR DIED. I LOST ALL STEERING AND ELECTRICAL IN THE CAR. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRIED TO BE RESTARTED THAT WAS A VERY LOUD CLUNKING NOISE. ONCE TOWED TO A MECHANIC WAS TOLD THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED UP EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS OIL IN THE VEHICLE. WAS ALSO TOLD THIS IS IDENTICAL TO THE PROBLEMS OTHER VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 26, 2014Steering, Electrical system, EngineODI 10639339

Exterior lighting

3 reports
“I HAD JUST BOUGHT THE CAR IN DECEMBER 2007 AND THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER NEXT TO DRIVING WHEEL WAS NOT WORKING. CAR WAS IN STORAGE FOR OVER A YEAR AND AROUND MAY 2010 THE DRIVERS WINDOW STOPPED "ROLLING UP" SO WE GOT THE WINDOW MOTOR CHANGED AS THEY SAID IT WAS BURNT. WINDOW WORKED FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN IT TURNED OUT TO BE ANOTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUE HAVING TO DO WITH THE SWITCH CONTROLLING THE WINDOWS. AROUND APRIL 2011 A NEW ISSUE, HIGH BEAMS STOPPED WORKING ON AND OFF. THEY EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKING AND LEADING TO NO BEAMS AT ALL, NOT SIGNALS AND NO LIGHT IN DASHBOARD. ANOTHER PART HAD TO BE REPLACED. MAY 2013 - STEREO LIGHT IS NOT WORKING, BUT STEREO IS OPERATING. JULY 2013 - TRUNK WILL NOT LOCK. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 20, 2013Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 10525951

Fuel system, gasoline

2 reports
“THE FUEL GAUGE SHOW DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF FUEL IN IT, ERRATIC SHOWS FULL THEN HALF THEN YOU OUT OF GAS. RIGHT ELECTRIC WINDOW GOES DOWN BUT ONLY GOES UP AN INCH AT A TIME, AND IT TAKES ALONG TIME. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 19, 2011Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical system, VisibilityODI 10436472
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026

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