AI Damage1998 Pontiac Sunfire: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Pontiac Sunfire filed 120 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 120
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 27% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 12% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 32 complaints (27% of all).
- Electrical system: 21 complaints (18% of all).
- Service brakes: 14 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 14 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 11 complaints (9% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 120 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 2 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
1998 pontiac sunfire making a right turn 30 mph when all wheel lug bolts broke on right front wheel and wheel came off. Wheel got stuck under car. No steering and braking was limited. Car went off the road. With the help of the rear emergency brake the car was stopped. Fortunately no injuries.
She was involved in a accident where the lady hit her on the drivers side of the car. I have seen on tv where this car has a very bad side impact rating, and also on this website. The woman who hit her got two broken legs, the driver of the pontiac sunfire died.
She reported that the brakes failed and would not stop the car at all. We have also reported to the dealer on multiple occasions that the gas pedal gets stuck. This may have also contributed to the collision.
Accident was caused when I was slowly making a left turn, suddenly I experienced loss of power making it very hard to maneuver car due to high resistance. I was going south, and when I started to make left turn, north bound was free and clear, but because the length of time I spent trying to control my vehicle,…
The driver side wheel lock up causing a accident. Please fill in additional information. Dealer is aware of the problem. Ph
Consumer called complaining about having problem with the vehicle seat back collapse. Dealer has been notified. Ts vehicle was rear-ended and seat backs were thrown forward then collapsed into recline position. Driver and passenger sustained injuries.
Vehicle involved in a rear end collision, vehicle was traveling at 50 mph before driver applied brake and hit rear bumper of other vehicle. Both air bags did not deploy. Please feel free to provide any further details.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 pontiac sunfire equipped with douglass x-trac a-w tires, size 205/55r16 (na). The contact purchased one tire in november of 2013 and another in january of 2014.
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 3,130 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sunfire has 76 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 120, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Pontiac Sunfire?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system, service brakes. Total complaints: 120. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (14%), hesitation when accelerating (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Pontiac Sunfire?
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 1998 Pontiac Sunfire 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 1998 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.