Research · complaint index
Pontiac Sunfire years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 10 model years of the Pontiac Sunfire by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 68 | 3 | 0.8 | 1 | 0 | Typical |
| 2004 | 32 | 1 | 0.4 | 2 | 3 | Fewest complaints |
| 2003 | 85 | 4 | 1.0 | 2 | 5 | Typical |
| 2002 | 91 | 4 | 1.0 | 2 | 8 | Typical |
| 2001 | 77 | 3 | 0.8 | 3 | 8 | Typical |
| 2000 | 112 | 4 | 1.1 | 3 | 13 | Typical |
| 1999 | 102 | 4 | 1.0 | 5 | 10 | Typical |
| 1998 | 127 | 4 | 1.2 | 7 | 13 | Typical |
| 1997 | 201 | 7 | 1.8 | 9 | 29 | Typical |
| 1996 | 201 | 6 | 1.8 | 10 | 30 | Typical |
- 200568 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 200432 complaints · 2 recallsFewest complaints
- 200385 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200291 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
- 200177 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 2000112 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
- 1999102 complaints · 5 recallsTypical
- 1998127 complaints · 7 recallsTypical
- 1997201 complaints · 9 recallsTypical
- 1996201 complaints · 10 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 11, 2026
Fewest complaints for their age: 2004.
About this comparison
What Pontiac Sunfire years have the most complaints?
No Pontiac Sunfire model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 10 model years compared. The highest was 1997.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.