1996 Pontiac Sunfire SE review from North America
"Great Investment!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
A/C Compressor failed at 120,000 miles.
Water pump failed at 170,000 miles.
That's it!!
General comments?
Overall, it is a great investment.
My wife paid $9000 for it in 1999.
Other than regular maintenance, I put
new tires once (car had new tires when
purchased in 1999) and replaced spark
plugs and wires onces and battery twice.
A/C Compressor failed at 120,000 miles.
At 130,000 miles started leaking shift
(manual) fluid - did not fix it ($2 dot3
lasts 2 months).
I did all maintenance myself (oil change,
brake pads, flush coolant,...).
Great on gas. Engine running great even
at 170,000 with no oil burning or leaking.
Total cost of ownership and operation is
around $25,000 (including the estimated
gas dollars for the 135,000 miles we put
on it plus Car Insurance and DMV Registration)
Divide that by 7 years, it would come to about
$300 per month! Awesome!
Keep in mind that this 96 Sunfire never broke
down on me once. Even when water pump failed
and engine overheated (first time), I stoped
and looked under the hood and diagnosed problem
in a split second and kept going for 10 miles to get home.
Car is now ready for the junkyard.
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| Piece of crap rub on the carpet and go car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2006 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 35000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 170000 miles |
| Previous car | Nissan Stanza |
| Date of Entry | 9th April, 2006 |