1999 Pontiac Sunfire Sedan from North America - Comments

I have a 2000 Pontiac Sunfire and the rear window defroster stopped working 2 years ago. I changed the fuse, no change. Is there anything else I can do? I love the car but I really need the rear defroster in order to drive it.

J Hall.

Well I have a 2004 Sunfire, and I bought it new. I have never had a problem out of it.

I change the oil every 3,000 miles, I've changed the brakes, fuel filter and tires. It has been the best car I've ever owned.

At 150,000 miles I did a tune up on it. Now it has 190,000 miles and I have ran into a problem; it is leaking oil from the rear main seal. It's a cheap part, but the labor on it isn't cheap at all. But I'm not complaining because it does have 190'000 miles and something is bound to go wrong at this point, so I'm going to fix it, keep it and drive it another 100,000 miles, cause I'm confident that it will hold up. It's a great car.

HI, I own a 1999 Sunfire GT with 22300 km on it. It runs great. The only thing I need to change is the fuel filter, but it's being a pain to remove. The quick release clip doesn't want to let go, but other than that it's been a good car. Oh 1 minor other thing, the trip meter won't work; push the button, nothing happens.

I've been the owner of a 99 Sunfire SE since new, and I've been pretty surprised at how mechanically reliable it's been. For a cheap car that sees nothing but city driving (most of it knee-deep in snow), the most serious things I've had to replace are a leaky oil pan and the passenger-side power window motor.

I will say though that I can see why a lot of people are having troubles. The car reeks of bad design and poor built quality. The fit and finish are dismal, leading to some mega squeaks and rattles on the highway. It's also a typical GM car with the nastiest, cheapest quality plastics possible. The ONE front cup holder is in the worst spot possible for anything taller than a soda can, and a lack of any rear air vents has left me with some very hot / cold friends in the back seat. I'm also pretty sure there is no anti-sway support built into the suspension, as you cannot take turns with any amount of speed. The fact the mechanics of the car have been beautiful for me may have been a fluke!

'

Overall for a cheap 10 year old car, its served pretty well. It's never really disappointed me, but it's also never managed to exactly wow me.

I have purchased a 2003 Sunfire GT about 3 months ago. The car has been no more reliable than any other car I have owned and gotten to know the history of.

My first, second, and fifth cars have been Fords. I would have to say that I would never buy a Ford again. I have since switched to GM and have found them to be more reliable, which is the main thing I look for in a car. Purchasing this recently and it's most expensive car I've purchased, I have put in a vast amount of time in researching the car, carcomplaints.com.

My 6th car was a 1988 Beretta GT and it was the most reliable car I have driven, for the exception of a fuel pump (my fault) and a thermostat.

My 7th was a 2002 SC1 Saturn Coupe and enjoyed the car except for the lack of power (will never buy a SOHC car again :). I got hit from the side and the plastic dent proof car shattered to pieces. Funny enough the guy that hit me just bought his Ford Focus and was blaming the brakes and had no insurance.

This being my 8th vehicle, I have had many mechanics experiences and this car just seems like a solid buy. It was in an accident and the only thing I found wrong with the car so far was the cruise control did not work. Compared to the Saturn, it's a solid car, easy on gas, designed better, better motor, interior is well designed, paint is holding well with no rust or cracks, undercarriage is clean with no leaks and overall I am very happy with the car and price I paid for it.

2003 Silver Sunfire GT, 2.2L Ecotec engine

$4800

108,000 Kms

Power everything, Sunroof, 16 inch Alloy wheels, dual chrome exhaust, factory tinted windows.

Note: I have had the same 1000 watt (Max) system in my last 4 cars and have to say that the electrical system in the Sunfire has held up the best with the draw on the battery and alternator. The acoustics also sound better than the Saturn as well the factory speakers sound much cleaner.

I bought a 2001 SE 2.2l 5 speed. I bought the car for $350 put $250 worth of part for a safety and that's about it. It has 350,000kms on it and runs great, no problems. I will be buying another; for the price I paid I can't complain one bit.