1998 Pontiac Sunfire: Reliability Data
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Severity Assessment
Sample Complaint Reports
"THE VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 65 TO 70MPH AND DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK"
"THE VEHICLE'S SUSPENSION MAKES A DULL CLUNKING SOUND WHEN DRIVEN ON GRAVEL ROAD SURFACES. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER, OTHER NEW SUNBIRDS WERE TESTED AND SAME PROBLEM WAS FOUND."
"INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE WILL IDLE AND WON'T MOVE, AND SUDDENLY TAKE OFF. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK"
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
Who Files Complaints?
Pontiac Sunfire — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28
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