1996 Pontiac Sunfire

Summary:

Sporty looking cheap car with lots of repairs

Faults:

Radiator, starter, horn, electric problems, fuses keep blowing, rear struts. Head gasket, air conditioner. Heater. Check engine light has been on since 35,000. Now one know why the light keep coming on. Brake pads need to be cleaned about every 15,000 miles.

Way too many problems to keep track. Probelms since 35,000 and it keeps getting worse.

General Comments:

Although it is a sporty looking car that is the only thing going for it. Any minor accidents cause large damage to the car. When I originally bought the car the dear told me it was fiberglass.. of course now that it is rusting I was told it is only the bumpers.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th December, 2004

23rd May 2005, 18:47

I have a 91 grand-am that the engine light stays on been on for a long time now and now I blow the ECM relays fuse every few days pontiacs suck.

1996 Pontiac Sunfire Base Hmmm?

Summary:

Very Very Unreliable, but Fast and Fun to Drive

Faults:

Fuel Pump & System Gone 138 000km

Alternator Gone at 152 000 km

Transmission Gone at 157 000 km

Seat-belts would not lock at all since purchased used

Front Seats would not lock.

General Comments:

Terrible Car! Totally Unreliable, Expensive to Fix!

How can the Transmission break completely just stop working while driving at only 157 000 km! I've never had a Tranny break so soon.

The Alternator cost $435 to fix even though it was only rebuilt! And I shopped around!

GM is crazy! They wanted me to pay $40 to have it "looked at" when the mechanic who I talked to already looked at it and said it was the Alternator! I argued until they agreed not to charge me for that!!! Excellent warranty on Alternator though 12 months Unlimited km's.

What's with the unsafe seatbelts not locking? By the way I did buy it from a scum bucket used car salesman at Ford! Maybe they rolled back the kilometres? Hmmm???

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 12th July, 2004

1996 Pontiac Sunfire GT 2.4 Liter Twin Cam

Summary:

This car is a really reliable car that has a lot of horsepower and torque

Faults:

The things that have gone wrong with the car are the Transmission Seal went because of dealer Error. The big thing that is going wrong is the Air Conditioner Compressor is grinding. This is like a 800 dollar job. The great thing about this car is that it has a sunroof and I love to cruise around town with it open. The only complaint that I have about the car is that the front paint isn't very good, but that's not that big of a deal I will repaint this summer.

General Comments:

This car is really fast and handles great. I would buy another one if I had the chance. It has beaten lots of my friends cars in races which include a 2000 mustang V6 and a 1987 Camaro with a 5.0 V8. This car is the greatest thing to come from GM. The only thing is that on cold mornings the back window takes forever to defrost because it is so big. But that's the only bad thing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th May, 2004

2nd Nov 2005, 10:49

Sunfire is the miniature Trans Am and always will be. The only problem is they went down in HP from the TWIN CAM 2.4 to the ECO-TECH 2.2. Although its just a 10 horsepower difference it makes a big difference. I have also have a 96 GT with the 2.4 and 100K miles my friend has a 05 ECO-TECH 2.2 with under 5K miles and my car will smoke his any day of the week. I haven't had any major problems with mine. Just stupid stuff mostly caused by myself. This is a great car for young kids. It is fast reliable safe and you no matter what you do you can't break it. I wish Pontiac still offered the GT, I would buy another one. But they don't so I'm moving onto a Trans Am WS6. Big HP difference, but my sunfire still handled better than the new WS6. The GT was also extremely good in the snow with the traction control and BF-GOODRICH TRACTION T/A's 205/55/R16. Definetly get one if you have the chance.

8th Aug 2006, 04:12

I have a 96 Sunfire SE. It is built up to the GT model. It has the 2.4 L twin cam, a great strong motor, never quits on ya, beats all the little ricers, and also the new Focus. It handles awesome and sporty. I recommend it to anyone.