Tl* the contact owns a 1997 pontiac sunfire. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, smoke started to emit from the vents and a fire erupted under the dashboard. The contact and the front passenger were able to safely exit the vehicle without any injuries. The fire department extinguished the flames. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to the contacts residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Pontiac Sunfire fire or smoke problems
38 of the 1,141 owner complaints about the Pontiac Sunfire describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 1995 model year.
- owner complaints
- 38
- worst model year
- 1995
- typical mileage
- 89,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Won't start 6Windshield crack 1Stalling 1Oil consumption 1Hesitation 1Headlights 1Harsh shifting 1Grinding brakes 1
What owners say
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, vehicle caught fire. *bf while driving, the consumer felt a thump and began to loose power. Once the consumer stopped, he noticed fire was coming from under the front end of the vehicle. Ohio traffic crash report # 10-0699-90.*jb updated 04/14/10
I had a 1999 pontiac sunfire. It was parked outside of residence when it caught on fire. This was a few years ago approximately around july of 2006. Pontiac did not accept fault. They said the fire destroyed any evidence of a defect.
Tl*the contact owns a 2005 pontiac sunfire. While driving 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly began to decelerate and the air conditioner began blowing warm air followed by a burning smell. Prior to the failure, whenever the contact would drive the vehicle with the air conditioner activated at any speed, she could hear a rattling sound coming from the air conditioner unit. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. Updated 09/17/08. *lj the consumer was told if she turned the vehicle off, it would not start again. Updated 09/24/08. B
1997 pontiac sunfire failed to start. Turned ignition off removed key, car steering column burst into flames within a few minutes.
When driving my 2004 sunfire the dash seems to get really hot and smells like something is burning. I am afraid that it is going to catch on fire.
Numerous of failures;air bag light came on and stayed on, clutch sticks to floor, car doesn't want to start. *bf the turn signals and lights had gone out, it would take a couple of attempts to start the vehicle, there were times where the vehicle would start on it's own without the turn of the key, the vehicle used an extreme amount of gas, the dash would rattle, the engine would growl, the dash made a sound like the speaker was blown, there was a burning smell in the stereo and there was a thumping noise when turning the vehicle. (2003 pontiac sunfire)
While on the street vehicle was in park and the key was taken out of the ignition switch. Then, vehicle caught on fire behind the steering wheel. Black smoke. And large flames appeared. Fire department show up to extinguish the fire. Dealer notified.
While driving consumer noticed smoke inside rear of vehicle. Consumer inspected trunk, and determined that left side brake light socket was on fire. *ak
Related recalls
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
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.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch. Owner notification began march 27, 2002. 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 1‑800‑222‑1020, pontiac at 1‑800‑762‑2737, buick at 1‑800‑521‑7300, or oldsmobile at 1‑800‑442‑6537.
Recall number 02V070000 · Recall details
Questions about the Pontiac Sunfire fire or smoke
Which Pontiac Sunfire years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1995 (8 complaints), 1996 (8 complaints) and 1997 (6 complaints).
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