I was driving the car just after I purchased it and became cold so I turned on the heater and within 30 seconds smoke filled the car. I thought the engine was on fire. It smelled like burning oil or gas. I called delphi about recalls and before I could finish a sentence the man cut me off saying that the only recall on my car was for the o ring on the fuel. He said if I have a 1999 and that was defective I would be spewing fuel everywhere. I described what happened and he just cut me off. My brother purchased the car from a dealer for over 3,000 dollars and I have no idea what the odometer is suppose to be because he said the dealer told him to bring it back and he would fix it. After he paid the dealer he contacted the dealer and the dealer told him that he will contact my brother when he can fix it. According to the odometer it has a little over 23,000 miles. I also noticed the headlights keep going out and there is yellow hot wire hanging out of the fuse box.
1999 Pontiac Sunfire: headlights failing or too dim
6 of the 93 complaints about the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire describe headlights failing or too dim.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- recalls
- 1
Headlights failing or too dim by model year
What owners say
I have 1999 pontiac sunfire and I have had nothing but problems with the headlights. One is that I have no highbeams and the headlights go out after driving it for awhile,the driverside light flashes on and off from time to time I have talked to a mechanic about this problem and they said it was the headlight harness. I went to the local junk yard got a harness and it solved the problem but just recently it happened again.
My low beam headlights will not work. I have replaced the combination switch on the steering column twice. Each time the lights will work for about 6 months then they quit. The dealer said there could be a problem with the front wiring harness but a new harness is $600. I believe gm has a problem with their design and should replace the defective harness.
My headlights do not stay on. They turn off when I use my turn signal, or if I hit a bump. The hi-beams and drl's are fine, it's just the regular headlights. Also my engine shows that it is overheating on my temp. Guage, but does not act like it. When the A/C is turned on, it returns to a normal level. Another thing is my airconditioning line has a hole in it from another hose rubbing up against it. I think it's either my steering hose or radiator hose. When I turn left my car makes an awful grinding noise.
Low beam headlights failed to operate. Daytime running lights operate erratically (sometimes blinking rapidly). I replaced both bulbs and drl relay. I took the vehicle to the dealer hoping that he would be most efficient and lowest cost troubleshooter based on his familiarity with this model. Calls to multiple michigan dealers acknowledge the existence of this issue on 1998 and 19'99 sunfire/cavaliers. Root cause is corrosion of wiring within the wire harness. It took 6 hours ($500 worth of labor, $0 parts!) to locate and correct a broken wire within its insulation and within the harness. Unfortunately, gm does not deem this to be an issue which is worthy of providing reimbursement assistance to its customers. Of course, headlights are an important safety component of a vehicle- and I suspect many other 1998 and 1999 cavalier/sunfire owners recognize this fact. A search of this odi database reveals others; ref odi id #10053346, 562403, 8009447, 831751, 718361 and 8008072. I am certain that many, many others go unreported to the odi. I encourage the federal safety agency to investigate this condition and encourage the manufacturer to address this product defect- if not proactively, at least when it manifests itself in its customers vehicles.
Starting about two months ago, the headlights have turned off when going over small bumps in the road. They come right back on. I'm concerned about driving a car with headlights that turn themselves off. So far, the dealer has not been much help. They tell me they "need to see the failure" before they fix the car. Possibly related to this, the left headlights don't always come on right away when I turn them on.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Interior lighting
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles do not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 101, "control location, identification, and illumination." the instrument panel backlighting may not function after adjusting the interior light intensity.
- Risk
- If the instrument panel is not lit at night, the driver may not be able to see the controls and displays.
- Remedy
- Dealers will test the body control module, and if necessary, replace it.
Recall number 99V218000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire headlights
Is headlights failing or too dim a common problem on the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire?
6 of 93 owner complaints about the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire (6%) mention headlights failing or too dim. The model year with the most reports is 2003.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire?
There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1999 Pontiac Sunfire
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 1999 Pontiac Sunfire?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history