Pontiac Sunfire Steering Problems
Owners have filed 109 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Pontiac Sunfire across 11 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (42). The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (25% of reports).
- 109steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 14mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 27 of 109 complaints (25%)
- Steering column: mentioned in 17 of 109 complaints (16%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 109 complaints, 14 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 3 an injury.
Pontiac Sunfire steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Sunfire | 4 | 6% | 49,574 |
| 2004 Sunfire | 1 | 3% | 102,000 |
| 2003 Sunfire | 2 | 3% | 67,880 |
| 2002 Sunfire | 11 | 13% | 17,100 |
| 2001 Sunfire | 2 | 3% | 89,982 |
| 2000 Sunfire | 5 | 5% | — |
| 1999 Sunfire | 6 | 6% | 109,500 |
| 1998 Sunfire | 14 | 12% | 66,241 |
| 1997 Sunfire | 42 | 22% | 99,000 |
| 1996 Sunfire | 19 | 9% | 112,000 |
| 1995 Sunfire | 3 | 3% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:rack and pinion
Model years: 1996, 1997, 1998
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk: If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. 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 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
In part due to corrosion of the lower control arm, it experienced a sudden structural failure resulting in a significant loss of steering control. This problem occurred twice to my vehicle. The first time it occurred was when cornering an hitting a small pothole. I had the car repaired by a gm…
My tilt steering wheel column wobbles from side to side, it would never stay locked in one position and with time it started to move while driving, people have attempted to fix it, but it doesn't last and i can't get a safety inspection because of it, the inspector says it is too dangerous. It has…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Pontiac Sunfires have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 109 owner complaints about steering for the Pontiac Sunfire. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Pontiac Sunfire steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Pontiac Sunfire?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 27 of 109 complaints, followed by “steering column” (17).
Other Pontiac Sunfire problems
See all Pontiac Sunfire problems.