2003 Pontiac Sunfire Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sunfire years
- Fewer complaints than other years 8th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 72 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire. That ranks 8th out of 11 Sunfire model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is exterior lighting (25 complaints, 35%), typically at around 19,000 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 72owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting | 25 | 35% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 23 | 32% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 11% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 8% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 8% | 11,681 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 7% | 53,750 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 6% | 90,200 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 6% | 52,800 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 4% | 14,707 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 4% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 3% | 139,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 3% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 3% | 67,880 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 93,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | 24 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Pontiac Sunfire recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:turn signal
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear lamps that provide stop and turn signals and tail lamp functions stop working because of inadequate contact between the bulb and socket. In addition, if one bulbs were to become inoperative while the vehicle was operating in cruise control, the cruise control would disengage when the remaining bulb was activated. If both lamps were to become inoperative, the cruise control would not engage.
Risk: An inoperative brake lamp will not convey the driver's intention of stopping to drivers in following vehicles, and an inoperative rear turn signal lamp will not convey the driver's intention to turn to drivers in following vehicles. Both of these failures can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear lamp bulb socket assemblies and apply grease or replace them if necessary. The recall began on january 18, 2005. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Turn signal malfunction (EA04028) — opened Sep 14, 2004, closed Nov 22, 2004, led to recall 04V524000.
- Turn signal malfunction (PE04043) — opened May 14, 2004, closed Sep 14, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Every time i let my car sit for 2 hours or more, i start it up and the belt on the tensioner squeak for 15 seconds. Also the battery light comes on and the rim fluctuate between 1,000 and 2,000. When i drive it the battery light will continue to stay on but every time the air bag light turns on and…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 pontiac sunfire. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a rattling noise from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the timing chain separated and caused the tensioner and valve to fail. The timing chain…
I was driving home from vernon down's casino and was making a right and was about to switch into third gear the rpm's where 3000 and the engine just died ........ Maugeri''s auto on albany and bleeker st. Towed my car to his shop fixed the steering column as a result of the engine dieing the…
Bought a 2003 pontiac sunfire from a dealership 5 months ago. I told the owner/salesman i wanted a safe 1st car for my kid. My kid and some friends were driving,it was raining and the back tires started to slide,my kid regained control of the car briefly and said after a few minutes the steering…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 pontiac sunfire. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel filter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the…
Other Pontiac Sunfire years
← 2002 Sunfire · 2004 Sunfire →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Sunfire | 68 | 0 |
| 2004 Sunfire | 32 | 1 |
| 2003 | 72 | 1 |
| 2002 Sunfire | 82 | 0 |
| 2001 Sunfire | 66 | 1 |
| 2000 Sunfire | 96 | 1 |
| 1999 Sunfire | 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 2003 Pontiac Sunfire?
Owners most often report exterior lighting, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, exterior lighting, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.