Car running fine when purchased used. One week later engine leaking oil from head gasket.
125,000 engine making ticking noise. Brought to dealer, nothing wrong.
130,000 car making clunking noise from rear when driving.
140,000 car stalls when low on fuel. Brought to dealer, engine needed tune up. Chugging stopped for 1 week.
150,000 Coming off highways to low speed roads, car still chugs and acts like it's going to stall. Brought to dealer. No help.
Winter 2002 car doors won't open when cold.
Spring 2002 car burning oil. Must refill every week. Dealer can't find problem.
April 2002 windshield wiper transmission breaks.
April 2003 windshield wipers break again.
June 2003 Car chugging worse than ever. Dealer can't figure out what's wrong.
I had better performance from previous Sunbird. (handling, less problems)
Will never buy another Sunfire again. Too many problems.
Have seen many driving in the city with same windshield wiper problems.
Too many recalls, too many dealerships with no answers.
The doors freezing shut are not a fault of the car's! You have to put grease on the seals (not grease, I forget what it is called, silicone grease maybe?) to prevent moisture from freezing them shut.
Also, the stalling when low on fuel points directly to the fuel pump, get it replaced and don't run the car low on fuel, the fuel pump inside the fuel tank uses the fuel to cool the motor off.
Regarding my sister's '97 Pontiac Sunfire -continuously have problem with both driver & passenger doors freezing shut when we have just the least bit cold whether. Is there an answer to this problem, she has even had the door freeze shut multiple times while she is still in the car!
The door freezing can be resolved by going to the dealer and buying the silicon gasket conditioner (about $14) Follow the directions and apply this conditioner to the door seal in the fall and mid way through the winter (on a warm day). This conditioner makes the door seal smooth and water cannot freeze in the small pits in the rubber seal.
I had similar problems with my doors and resolved my problems with this method.
I used to own a 2001 Sunfire and mine was a pile of junk. The ticking and chugging sounds might be the timing belt getting ready to break. Mine would do that every 30,000 miles or so and forget about fixing it yourself - not enough room in the engine compartment to fit a wrench! You have to get a mechanic to do that and it runs about $250 or so each time. I kept mine for about a year and bought a 1979 Cadillac and sold the Sunfire. I've driven the old Cadillac for 3 years with no problems except a minor tuneup or oil change and it is better on gas then they Pontiac's little 4 cylinder motor! Go figure.
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