2001 Pontiac Sunfire

Typical pattern

6.6% of complaints about the 2001 Pontiac Sunfire came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2001 vehicle — around the middle of the 216 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.2 yr in service. The most-reported system is electrical system (19 complaints), typically at 4.4 yr or about 64,000 miles.

Complaints: 76
Median age at failure: 4.2 yr
Median mileage: 64,586 n=39
Crash / fire / tow: 15.8% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

08E063000 2008-10-17

Steering

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.

07E021000 2007-03-12

Fuel system, other:storage:tank assembly:pressure relief devices

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.

04V036000 2004-01-27

Electrical system:ignition:switch

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.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system mileage not reported 1.3 yr in service crash / fire / tow

AFTER BEING DRIVEN, VEHICLE WILL SMELL LIKE RUBBER BURNING ON OUTSIDE. WHILE PARKED, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *JB

Electrical system mileage not reported 1.9 yr in service

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY TURNED TURN SIGNAL ON AND HEADLIGHTS WILL COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Electrical system mileage not reported 2.4 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING OR BRAKING VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND WILL NOT RESTART UNTIL SEVERAL MINUTES LATER. *NLM

Other Sunfire model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

2001 Pontiac Sunfire

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Sunfire model years

How to read this