AI Damage2004 Pontiac Sunfire: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Pontiac Sunfire filed 32 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 32
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 50% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 13% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 9% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (50% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine: 3 complaints (9% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 3 complaints (9% of all).
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (9% of all), 2 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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 32 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While braking the brake pedal was working normally then suddenly went soft. Pumped brakes but pedal went to floor. Caused car to crash into vehicle in front of it. Failure was consistent with either mater cylinder failure or hydraulic brake line failure causing loss of fluid and pressure.
The abs,trac and service light came on after I hit a deer because the traction control and abs would not let me stop from hitting it. I now have the problem with abs traction control and service light but it now makes it hard to stop till all those come on. I was told it was a sensor in the hub of rear end.
Dt: the front of the vehicle fell apart, lost control of the vehicle .tried to get it to straigten out., it was like the vehicle wouldn't do what consumer, wanted it to do and there was no impact to the front of the vehicle,.
After checking the car, they called me and said the frame of the car was rusted out and it was unsafe to drive. When I picked up the car, they gave me pictures of the front passenger side of the frame which all ready had cracked apart due to the rust.
The tow truck driver said it broke due to it rusted into two parts. She was not injured but the car of course was inoperable. There was no wreck or accident for the frame of this vehicle to disintegrate. She could have been seriously injured if she was traveling at more than 35 mph and on an open highway.
Everything seemed to be okay until 9/12/14 when the theft system service light came on and I noticed the speedometer, rpms, and gas indicators were not reading - car began stalling like it was going to shut down. I was traveling about 50 to 55 mph on a busy street.
In the morning went to start the vehicle and vehicle would not start. Multiple attempts were tried to start. New starter installed and still no success to start. Vehicle was towed to repair shop. After evaluation it was found the timing chains had broken and infringed on the cylinder heads.
The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the timing chain became fractured and as result, the engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred.
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 6,635 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sunfire has 76 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 32, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Pontiac Sunfire?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, engine and cooling, engine. Total complaints: 32. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (16%), headlights and tail lights (9%), rust, corrosion (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.