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.
2000 Pontiac Sunfire fuel system problems
16 complaints (17% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 53,000.
- owner complaints
- 16
- of this car's complaints
- 17%
- typical mileage
- 53,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Delivery: fuel pump7
- Delivery3
- Storage: tank assembly1
- Fuel injection system: injectors1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Pontiac Sunfire fuel system problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire fuel system
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related 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
What 2000 Pontiac Sunfire owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Repeat failure: after fuel pump was replaced on 12-29-04, on 1-14-05 under same conditions - cold weather - expressway speed - the car lost power and stalled - would not restart and required tow to dealership. Analysis showed the replacement fuel pump also became defective. (car lost power and stalled on 12-28-04 and 12-29-04 and was towed to dealership, were the module was replaced.)
Repeat issue on 12-28-04 - cold weather, expressway speeds - no warning car lost power and stalled on expressway. Finally restarted after tow truck arrived. Stalled again on 12-29-04 same conditions - would not restart - towed to gm dealership. Fuel pump and system replaced.
While on active duty in the army, I purchased a used 2000 pontiac sunfire in georgia. The car began giving me problems only 6 months after the purchase. Luckily, I forced the dealership to pay for a warranty because I had to have 3 major repairs within a 11/2 after that. Unfortunately, shortly after the warranty was up, I discover numerous other problems with the automobile, including the recall. This car is truly a lemon! I do not believe I should have to suffer with this defective car. I owe over 3 times the value of the car. Even though I have all the documentation to support my good care and maintenance, no one will touch this car because it has so many other defects besides the recall (front end suspension issues, fuel tank). I am a disabled veteran now with only a small pension to support myself and two children. This car has been a nightmare since I bought it and fixing the ignition switch is not going to fix this lemon. I have put over $3000 in repairs on this car over the last few years aside from the monthly financed payments of $282 x 3yrs=$10,152 and I still owe $7800. The car is only valued at $2150. And when dealers look at the history of problems behind this car, they don't even want to give me $2000.
I own a 2000 pontiac sunfire - purchased new. I had no problems until 2003 when my car would deccelerate for no reason while driving at any speed, hesitate while driving at any speed, or, after stopping at an intersection, simply would not allow acceleration. This has happened while trying to go through busy intersections. Very scary. One day in 2003 the car would not start, so I had it towed to a mechanic to research this problem. He replaced my fuel pump but the car was out of warranty, so I paid for this repair along with the tow. It did not take long for the problem to occur again. What is going on? I take good care of this vehicle and, if the fuel pump was the problem, this should not be happening again so soon. Second issue - early in 2004 I noticed the low coolant light coming on and off with no consistency. I checked the coolant reservoir and it was low. I added the proper coolant mixture but it didn't take long for the light to come on and off again - with no consistency. Shortly thereafter the check engine light was coming on and off. I again took it to my mechanic who reset something relating to the check engine light. But the very next day the light was on again. Now, it is always on. Please explain what is going on. I owe one more year on this vehicle and can't afford to have any major problems. The biggest issue is the hesitation and stalling of the car at anytime. There is no warning - it just happens. This is a disaster waiting to occur. My children ride in and drive this car. I don't need this worry on top of everything else. One more thing, about 1 year ago the air conditioner started malfunctioning. Not sure if it is related to the other complaints. It only works if you have the fan on the 3rd or 4th mark. If you put it on the 1st or 2nd mark, it will work (but not to capacity) only while the vehicle is moving. If you stop, it stops.
Problems with 2000 pontiac sunfire engine. *mr the vehicle would crank sometimes but not start. On one occasion the vehicle attempted to crank and stalled in the process. The problem continued. The consumer was told that the starter had gone out, maybe there was an electrical problem, or the fuel pump. The fuel pump and sender ring was replaced. There was a burnt coolant smell and the valve cover gasket ruptured leaking oil. *sc
Car stops accelerating while driving then dies. Been going on since august and have not been able to find the problem. Generating numerous communication errors. Had the computer replaced thought this was the problem but it did not fix the issue. The first time this happened was 8/5/03 and it was in the shop for a week with no resolution. It ran for a couple more days then did it again the following week around 8/11/03. This went on through august in and out of the shop at which time I rented a car to get back and forth to work since the problem was gradually getting worse and being broken down on the freeway was getting to be a dangerous problem. The computer was replaced on 10/22/03 and it died when I drove off. Car has been towed 3 times due to not starting right back up and being stranded on the freeway. It has been in the shop for over a week as of today 10/29/03 and dealer is telling me that it is the oxygen sensors but cannot guarantee the work.
2000 pontiac sunfire experiencing fuel pump malfunctions at vehicle age of 3.5 yrs. Car has been taken to muliple mechanics, all of whom suggest pump malfunction and reccommend replacement of fuel pump, filter and relay valve. Manufacturer warranty of 3 years or 36,000 miles has expired for this vehicle. Car initially taken into pontiac dealership for servicing a problem with ignition. Engine would turn but not fire resulting in no ignition. Car owner paid for replacement of fuel pump, filter and relay valve.
Car has had numerous problems since day one. Brakes chatter, overheating, service engine light, cd player and speakers did not work. Now it stalls with no warning at all. Stalls at 70 MPH going down highway. Has stalled while driving 3 or 4 times in the past two days. Checked out at service station on computer, and shows no problems. Have read many complaints here about the exact same problem. Bad fuel pump or something is causing car to stall. Then it takes from 10 to 15 minutes to start again. Some days it just won't start at all. Have had car checked many times, and no one can seem to find the problem. Anyone that can help here??? I think gmc owes many, many consumers an explanation and repair of this very serious and potentially dangerous problem!
I have had my vehicle in for brake repair several times in the past 3 1/2 yrs. At least 5-7 times. My car is now experiencing several electrical problems with a plug under the harness and with the computer system and wiring. My car will not start for several days and then it will start, only to breakdown again when it heats up. It has also cut off while I was driving 70 MPH on the expressway.it has been towed 3 times in three weeks for repair due to these problems. I've spent several hundred dollars trying to fix these problems and nothing seems to work. The plug under the harness was melting through my back floorboard, melting my carpet with the potential to catch on fire. I was informed by the service men that I'm experiencing computer and wiring problems. They advised me to contact my insurance company regarding totaling my car out because it has great potential to catch on fire. I contacted gm's customer assistance center regarding all of the problems I'm having and they are not willing to help due to my car being 3 1/2 yrs. Old. There have been several other small issues with this vehicle, but this car is very dangerous and I cannot afford to keep wasting money on repairs. I think a car should last more than 3 1/2 yrs! July 26th 2003 was the last tow date and it's still in the shop. Can you help?
Questions about the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire fuel system
Does the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire have fuel system problems?
Owners have filed 16 complaints about the fuel system of the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire, 17% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2000 Pontiac Sunfire fuel system problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 53,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2000 Pontiac Sunfire fuel system?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Pontiac Sunfire have the most fuel system problems?
The Pontiac Sunfire model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2000 (16 complaints) and 1996 (12 complaints).
Other 2000 Pontiac Sunfire problems
Engine 25Electrical 23Brakes 17Lights 11Transmission 10Airbags 9Steering 5Visibility 5Acceleration 4Seat belts 4Suspension 3Body 1Seats 1Tires 1
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