AI Damage1997 Pontiac Sunbird: common problems
Owners of the 1997 Pontiac Sunbird filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 25% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 25% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Dt: the consumer states that the steering wheel column was loose and the driver had no control with steering wheel. First broke last year, and the owner had it repaired on march 10, 2004. A month or two months later the steering wheel column broke again. Currently, it broke f a third time.
The vehicle wheel bearing were on recall but the dealer refused to honor the recall.
Second times the brakes were applied at 30 to 40mph and the brakes went to the floor there is also a loud banging noise coming from the front. Please describe details.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sunbird has 11 complaints (19 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
- Sunbird 19845 sources
- Sunbird 19854 sources
- Sunbird 19866 sources
- Sunbird 19876 sources
- Sunbird 19884 sources
- Sunbird 19897 sources
- Sunbird 199011 sources
- Sunbird 199127 sources
- Sunbird 199230 sources
- Sunbird 199337 sources
- Sunbird 199442 sources
- Sunbird 19964 sources
- Sunbird 19993 sources
- Sunbird 20003 sources
- Sunbird 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Pontiac Sunbird?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, suspension. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (25%), seat belts (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 Pontiac Sunbird?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1997 Pontiac Sunbird from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1997 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.