1999 Pontiac Sunfire Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sunfire years
- About as many complaints as other years 6th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire. That ranks 6th out of 11 Sunfire model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (21 complaints, 23%), typically at around 92,700 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 4 fires, 4 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 93owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Pontiac Sunfire problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 21 | 23% | 92,700 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 18% | 109,299 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 10 | 11% | 79,100 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 11% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 9% | 56,223 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 8% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 6% | 126,050 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 6% | 109,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 5% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 160,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Pontiac Sunfire recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
Risk: If the switch is damaged, a fire could occur in the steering column, even with the engine off and the key removed. The fire could spread to the interior of the car, which could injure occupants or cause damage to adjoining structures.
Fix: Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch, and check that your car will start with a properly charged battery and, if necessary, replace the ignition switch. Owner notification will begin on march 1, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, buick at 1-866-608-8080, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537. Customers can also check their vehicle online by going to www.mygmlink.com and entering the vehicle's identification number.
Interior lighting
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles do not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 101, "control location, identification, and illumination." the instrument panel backlighting may not function after adjusting the interior light intensity.
Risk: If the instrument panel is not lit at night, the driver may not be able to see the controls and displays.
Fix: Dealers will test the body control module, and if necessary, replace it.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was purchasing this used car from a dealer. They replaced the ignition assembly 3 times. The car would mysteriously shut off, the ignition assembly would not allow the key to be removed and multiple times this happened. I lost allot of money i put on the car as it became obvious they could not…
I was driving the car just after i purchased it and became cold so i turned on the heater and within 30 seconds smoke filled the car. I thought the engine was on fire. It smelled like burning oil or gas. I called delphi about recalls and before i could finish a sentence the man cut me off saying…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 pontiac sunfire. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle decelerated. The contact was able to safely maneuver to the shoulder and shut the vehicle off. The vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer for diagnosis. The dealer…
The instrumental panel on my 1999 pontiac sunfire recently started functioning erratically i.e. Gauges (gas gauge, temperature gauge, speedometer) would start fluctuating wildly. Local pontiac dealership has diagnosed the vehicle as having a defective (or burned out) instrumental panel cluster. I…
Tl*the contact owns a 1999 pontiac sunfire. While driving at an unknown speed down a hill during rainy weather, the brakes locked when engaged. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that there was brake dust which caused the failure. The dust was removed but…
Other Pontiac Sunfire years
← 1998 Sunfire · 2000 Sunfire →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Sunfire | 68 | 0 |
| 2004 Sunfire | 32 | 1 |
| 2003 Sunfire | 72 | 1 |
| 2002 Sunfire | 82 | 0 |
| 2001 Sunfire | 66 | 1 |
| 2000 Sunfire | 96 | 1 |
| 1999 | 93 | 2 |
| 1998 Sunfire | 120 | 3 |
| 1997 Sunfire | 190 | 6 |
| 1996 Sunfire | 201 | 7 |
| 1995 Sunfire | 119 | 5 |
See all Pontiac Sunfire problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Pontiac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, air bags problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sunfire model years, the 1999 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.