10.9% of complaints about the 1998 Pontiac Sunfire came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 1998 vehicle — around the middle of the 180 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.9 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine cooling (30 complaints), typically at 3.6 yr or about 110,000 miles.
DORMAN PRODUCTS IS RECALLING 3,900 INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS DORMAN PART NOS. 425-151, 425-152, AND 425-153, (SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS" BRAND NAME), BALKAMP #'S 7-3057, 7-3058, 7-3059 (SOLD UNDER THE "NAPA" BRAND NAME), AND PLATINUM PARTS #'S 2425151, 2425152, AND 2425153 MANUFACTURED DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2007. THESE REPLACEMENT STEERING SHAFTS CAN BE USED ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE WELD CONNECTING THE INNER TUBE TO THE OUTER TUBE MAY BE DEFECTIVE.
IF THE WELD FAILS, LOSS OF STEERING COULD RESULT, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN O'RING AND RETAINER.
FUEL MAY LEAK, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.
CERTAIN DELPHI AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMP MODULES / MODULE RESERVOIR ASSEMBLIES (MRA) THAT WERE SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. DURING PRODUCTION THE MRAS VENT AND FUEL RETURN TUBES WERE REVERSED. THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN THE VEHICLE NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY (IDLE ROUGH AND/OR STALL) DUE TO AN OVERLY RICH FUEL BLEND OR THE VEHICLE'S EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CARBON CANISTER MAY LEAK FUEL.
A STALLED VEHICLE CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH. A FUEL LEAK CAN RESULT IN A FIRE.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
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.
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.
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.
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
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE WHEEL LUG NUTS WERE NOT TIGHTENED SECURELY RESULTING IN A FRACTURE OF THE WHEEL STUDS.
THE WHEEL COULD SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE. IF THE VEHICLE WERE IN MOTION, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD RESULT.
VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT FOR NO REASON WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40MPH. HAD VEHICLE TOWED 4 TIMES TO DEALER FOR ENGINE. NO REASON FOUND FOR STALLING. PROBLEM NOT DUPLICATED. SPEED WOULD VARY WHEN STALLING OCCURRED. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING VEHICLE HESITATION AT RANDOM WHEN VEHICLE IS BEING USED. VEHICLE BEEN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP MORE THAN THREE TIMES AND CONDITION CANNOT BE CORRECTED. *AK
STALLS INTERMITTENTLY. MANUFACTURER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. BEEN I TO DEALER 4 TIMES. *AK
WHEN STARTING OUT, VEHICLE STARTS BUT WHEN YOU PUSH THE ACCELERATOR IT STALLS, WHEN YOU TRY TO RESTART IT KEEPS TURNING, IT WON'T CATCH. IT HAS ALSO HESITATED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND 60 MPH. IT HAS DONE THIS 15-20 TIMES AND BEEN TO THE DEALER AT LEAST 7 TIMES. THEY SAY THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, ONCE THEY UPDATED MY COMPUTER, ANOTHER TIME THEY REPLACED MY COMPUTER, BUT IT STILL STALLS AND HESITATES. *AK