My car was driving perfect until 3 weeks ago, it has since then wont start back up. Thought it was something to do with spark, then tried spark plug wires, new battery, checked alternator and fuses, coils all good. Then I was lead to maybe the gas that was in it. Dropped gas tank, put new fuel filter, checked fuel pump, gas lines, it did stay running one time since but was shaking roughly with a flashing check engine light. Will not run anymore since then. Have not been able to drive my vehicle for 3 weeks now and it is my only car.. Also before the car started having the above problems my brakes kept getting tons of air also losing a ton of brake fluid, ABS light stays on and all brake lines are good. It's dangerous. Also have bled the brakes. Not much help other than temporarily.
The worst 2000 Pontiac Sunfire problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine25
- Electrical23
- Brakes17
- Fuel system16
- Lights11
- Transmission10
- Airbags9
- Steering5
- Visibility5
- Acceleration4
- Seat belts4
- Suspension3
- Body1
- Seats1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
Stalling 16Won't start 8Check engine light 7Fuel pump 7Headlights 7No deployment 5
Recalls 1
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch, and check that your car will start with a properly charged battery and, if necessary, replace the ignition switch. Owner notification will begin on march 1, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438, pontiac at 1‑800‑620‑7668, buick at 1‑866‑608‑8080, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑630‑6537. Customers can also check their vehicle online by going to www.mygmlink.com and entering the vehicle's identification number.
Recall number 04V036000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
Defect investigations
Erratic fuel gauge
Odi opened ea 02-028 to review complaints of consumers reporting that their fuel gauge was incorrectly displaying the amount of fuel in the gas tank.the fuel gauge receives an electrical signal from a fuel tank sending sensor circuit card.a float arm in the tank moves electrical contacts that rub against the card as the level of fuel rises and falls.disruption of the electrical signal (such as caused by corrosion of the circuit card) will cause incorrect readings to register on the fuel gauge.gm reported in their response to odi dated january 13, 2003 that the primary cause of erratic fuel gauge operation is excess elemental sulfur in fuel.gm reported that abnormal levels of sulfur sporadically occurred in certain parts of canada and the u.s. Resulting in reports of fuel gauge malfunction.gm modified the sending sensor for vehicles built after october 2000.it made a second sensor modification for vehicles built after january 2003.gm also issued a customer satisfaction campaign (gm number 00101) in december 2000 for u.s. Customers in the state of maine and issued several service bulletins informing dealers of the availability of sensors with improved corrosion resistance.the complaint trend indicates that complaints peaked in late 2000 to early 2001.warranty claims declined since peaking in april 2002.based on the number of complaints and the indication of a declining trend, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
EA02028
Engine stall due to fuel starvation
Odi opened pe02-066 to evaluate the scope and consequence of engine power-loss due to fuel starvation induced by in-tank modular fuel pump strainer restriction.the subject pumps use an external ?sock? Strainer to filter fuel flowing to the pump inlet.this filter can sometimes become clogged, resulting in a reduced flow of fuel to the engine.gm has subsequently modified the strainers to reduce this restriction.analysis of the odi complaint database shows that despite these restrictions, the subject vehicles stall at a rate that is comparable to those of many peer vehicles.additionally, none of the relevant warranty repair rates exceed 1% at 36 months of exposure.one related crash involves a stalled vehicle that was rear-ended on the roadway, while the remainder involved minor collisions or scrapes.the sole injury consisted of bruising from a low speed frontal crash. Given these circumstances, further expenditure of agency resources is not justified in this matter.the preliminary evaluation is therefore closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action in the future if warranted.
PE02066
Erratic fuel gauge
There is no summary currently available
SQ01002
Technical service bulletins for the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire 369
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the...
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
- This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake...
- This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil...
- This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vibration...
- This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be...
2000 Pontiac Sunfire fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20-21 | 26-31 | 22-24 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 19-20 | 28-30 | 23-24 |
What 2000 Pontiac Sunfire owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
"takata recall" while driving at night on a county road and switching from low beams to high beams, the headlights went completely dark and did not come back on until switching back to low beams. After inspection, noticed the day runners also were not working. All fuses were plugged in and good. Replacing the relay did not fix the problem described herein.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 pontiac sunfire. The contact stated that the vehicle's turn signals would intermittently fail to operate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was a recall that involved a similar failure (gmc recall number: 03043); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 164,283.
Daughter hydroplaned, went into ditch on right side of road, traveled across road into left ditch and hit tree, opening the convertible top during crash and totaled vehicle airbags didn't deploy during crash.
My daughters car was having starting problems (not enough gas getting to the engine to start, had to pump the gas). I took it for a test drive in a empty parking lot once it started. I was going approx 10mph the first time I pushed the gas pedal to the floor. When I released the pedal it stayed in place at full throttle. I pushed the breaks to stop the car and had to throw it into neutral before the throttle released. Scared the hell out of me!! Thank god my teenage daughter never pushed the throttle all the way down!! I tried it several more times with the same results. Somehow the throttle sticking is tied to the transmission because, everytime, the throttle would released as soon as I put it in neutral. I donot have the VIN because we took it to a shop tonight. Just thought I should warn anyone else with this vehicle. I had my daughter meet me in the parking lot and told her to floor it with the same results, and as I thought would happened she panic and only pushed the breaks yelling "ow god, ow god. I had my hand on the shifter and moved it to neutral. Against her will made her do it again and again so she could learn not to panic and put it in neutral in case this happens to her ever in the future. Should be a training in drivers ed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 pontiac sunfire. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, a small fire occurred in the steering column and instrument panel. In addition, the front driver's side windshield was cracked. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not repaired. In 2005, the vehicle was repaired under a recall related to the most recent failure under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v036000 (electrical system: ignition: switch). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. Updated 08/07/12*lj updated 08/15/2012
Rear passenger side turn signal socket it is getting very hot and is melting bulbs and socket. Have replaced bulbs various times with and without proper grease and no change.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 pontiac sunfire. Upon starting the engine at night, the instrument panel would not illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer but there were no repairs made to the vehicle. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 pontiac sunfire. The ignition switch has melted,which disabled vehicle operation. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted. He was referred to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The warranty expired, and there were no recalls that addressed the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 pontiac sunfire. The vehicle has catalyst v tires, model 20555r16 (na). The contact stated that all four tires failed on her vehicle. She stated that the tires were supposed to be all season tires; however, they do not perform properly. The vehicle cannot be driven in the snow because the tires skid and do not allow proper turning. The contact has been unable to reach the manufacturer to notify them of the failure. The dot number is slightly shorter than the other tires and the defect occurs on all four tires. The current and failure mileages were 97,000.
Compare the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
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Questions about the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire
Is the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire reliable?
Owners have filed 96 complaints about the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire, 1.4 times a typical Sunfire model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire?
Engine and cooling, with 25 complaints, typically around 50,000 miles. Next is electrical (23).
How many recalls does the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire have?
1 recall, covering electrical system.
What year does the Pontiac Sunfire have bad engine?
The Pontiac Sunfire model years with the most engine complaints are 1996 (39 complaints), 1995 (38 complaints) and 1997 (32 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire get?
Official estimates for the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire range from 22 to 24 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 20-21 city and 26-31 highway.
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