1996 Pontiac Sunfire 2.2L from North America

Summary:

Great car keeps going

Faults:

Alternator.

Starter.

Brake pads rotors.

General Comments:

The most reliable car I have ever had including hondas and toyotas, still doesn't burn oil and starts in the cold.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th March, 2006

1996 Pontiac Sunfire GT 2.4 liter from North America

Summary:

I feel this car is reliable and can serve as a great daily driver as well as go fast fun

Faults:

My engine was misfiring and cost me $140 to repair.

The headlights won't go brighter than the running lights.

Other that that, nothing major has gone wrong.

General Comments:

I love the performance and sound of my car. I do have a custom exhaust, though.

The brakes work well if you upgrade to ceramic pads and decent rotors. This set was only $75 for the fronts.

I do think the interior could use some life and the seats aren't that comfortable.

The gas mileage is great if you keep your foot out of the floorboard.

Little rattles here and there get annoying at times, but with my exhaust I don't notice as much.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th November, 2005

1996 Pontiac Sunfire SE Convertible 2.2 from North America

Summary:

I will never buy Pontiac again!

Faults:

The cd player didn't work when I bought the car and it had a broken engine mount bracket 3/04.

The driver side window motor was replaced 4/04.

Replaced front brakes 6/04.

Replaced serpentine belt and thermostat and the a/c compressor bearings went out 7/04.

New front tires 12/04.

Replaced front brakes 1/05.

New muffler and oil leaks in multiple places 3/05.

New wiper blades and new a/c compressor 5/05.

New exhaust pipe 9/05.

New thermostat gasket 10/05.

General Comments:

The sunfire is a waste of money for anyone. It rattles and creaks like it is going to fall apart. The passanger side leaks when it rains, what else would you expect from a convertible. It handles good in the Minnesota snow and heats up quickly in the cold winter. It has difficulty starting on cold mornings (32 Degrees or below). The locks also freeze and have to be thawed. The engine mount is broken so there is only one holding the engine under the hood. The car is cheaply built. It will be gone after I get out of college in two years.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd November, 2005

26th Jan 2006, 10:00

She has a problem with her 1996 sunfire. Her grandpa gave it to her as a gift and there are always such problems with it. It most of the time without some problems like to start. an the starter and the altetnator an it's a very bad car. in case you have some problems with your sunfire, do not buy it.

Thanks.

19th Jan 2007, 08:52

My Sunfire has 202,000 on it and it's still going strong, I've owned it for about 4 months now and I've only had to spend $80 or so on leaking fuel lines. I know the owner before me had to put a lot of money into it, but it was also in an accident before he owned it, so it could only be expected. For a car that's been in an accident, fixed up and then driven from Toronto to Peterborough, and Thunder Bay to Belleville almost daily for several months, it is doing quite well. So I would argue the cheaply built part.

28th Aug 2008, 00:03

My 96 convertible also was in an accident before I bought it. Side swiped down the whole driver's side by the look of it. But it was fixed up enough that you would not notice until you started digging.

However in the 160,000 km that I had it (seven years), there was very little that went wrong with it. The quality was great.

The fuel pump was replaced.

The one window motor was replaced and the air conditioner was replaced. By the end, the driver's seat was showing wear and should have been replaced. That is all!

I always thought that this was a great car. The best I have owned. There were a few design flaws, but most of it was marvelous.

It always started (never plugged in), always ran (until the fuel pump stopped) and gave great performance and fuel economy. I wish they made a new one just like it.