1997 Pontiac Sunfire SE 2.2 from North America

Summary:

This car runs great until it burns down

Faults:

Front brakes and rotors went out at 31000 miles.

I had to replace the power steering pump at 31000 miles.

Way too many recalls.

It caught on fire at 42000 miles.

General Comments:

The car handled well, and got up to speed pretty good for a car its size. It also had lots of trunk room.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th April, 2003

12th Dec 2010, 20:50

It's funny how everybody says it has good get up and go, then complains about the brake pads wearing out. :p.

1997 Pontiac Sunfire GT 2.4 DOHC from North America

Summary:

Not worth the money that I paid for it

Faults:

Brakes don't last very long, especially fronts.

Alternator broke at 65,000 miles.

Misfiring engine fixed 3 times.

Engine runs extremely rough.

Air conditioning broke at 30,000 miles.

CD player broke at 30,000 miles.

Headlights keep short circuiting.

General Comments:

This car looks nice, but runs very rough.

Reliability is a problem and dealer service is often not up to par.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th April, 2003

21st Apr 2004, 15:20

I agree with the previous review!!! I am forever having to replace my front brakes/rotors! Transmission has already been replaced. Constant misfiring of the engine has left many a mechanics completely stumped! I am trying to deal for this car for one more year. (I'm trying to at least make use of the $3500 in repairs that I have vested in this car) After that, you will not catch me sporting another glorified cavalier... I mean Sunfire.

8th Jan 2007, 18:13

I myself do not agree with the comments stated here. Cars brakes naturally go it just all depends on the driver on how long they last.

1997 Pontiac Sunfire from North America

Summary:

An unreliable car!

Faults:

At 90,000 miles my engine needed a partial rebuilding job for $2000. A year later at 115,000 miles the engine needed to be completely rebuilt for $3000 dollars.

Water pump died.

Fuel pump died.

Alternator broke.

Transmission work needed.

Climate control fan broke in a heat wave.

Oxygen sensor needed to be replaced.

General Comments:

Great for first 80,000 miles, a nightmare ever since.

Broke down to often, mechanic's knew me by first name.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 20th January, 2003

1997 Pontiac Sunfire GT 2.4 from North America

Summary:

A great used car for a young driver

Faults:

A hose dried out and ed, and I needed new spark plugs.

General Comments:

I like this car, because it gets great gas mileage. I drove from Pennsylvania to South Carolina and only spent about $35 on gas for the entire trip.

The interior is very comfortable and is easy to keep clean.

The exterior was a little scratched when I bought the car, but after I buffed it a couple of times, it looked like new.

This car is easy to find performance parts and accessories for.

I plan on keeping this car for another 6 years hopefully.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th January, 2003

31st Jan 2007, 19:27

Nice car; I really like the precise handling and the overall quality of the “ride” itself.

1997 Pontiac Sunfire SE 2.2 from North America

Summary:

Good starter car for the younger generation

Faults:

Have blown the transmission twice. Neither time was under warranty.

Have blown the rear struts twice. First time was under warranty.

General Comments:

The car is fairly quick considering it is under-powered and over-weight.

There is a good amount of sound dampening in the car and road noise is left quite low.

The AM/FM/CD that came with the car is quite good for the average person to use and can be quite loud.

The seats are quite comfortable, even on long trips.

Interior fitment is not the best, but what does one expect for an entry level sub 20000 car?

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

Review Date: 30th December, 2002

1997 Pontiac Sunfire SE 2.2L from North America

Summary:

Never buy this car new, wait until it hits the used car lot, after all it will not take long

Faults:

Power Windows suck. Been fixed twice and still does not work properly.

Interior is wearing fast.

And what is with the windshield wipers, I have replaced them over 10 times and they still do not clean the dang window.

All the interior panels are breaking off the frame.

General Comments:

Rides great.

Comfortable for people under 5'5", but forget it if you have legs.

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

Review Date: 7th June, 2002

1997 Pontiac Sunfire CVT 2.4 l twin-cam from North America

Summary:

A sweetheart of a head-turning eye-catching convertible

Faults:

Convertible top stitching came loose @ 3 years; dealer replaced the top.

Seat back pocket elastic became loose; dealer replaced with a new part that was worse, but then GM dismissed the claim.

General Comments:

This car is a lot of fun to drive.

It's the only one like it in this part of the country, so it gets lots of looks --- and smiles.

The deep green with tan interior is a head-turner.

The engine is quite spunky and responsive.

The frame is too flimsy for pushing the curves or for rough roads.

The roof is tight and there is no wind noise.

There have been no mechanical problems whatsoever.

The steering is smooth and predictable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th December, 2001

11th Oct 2002, 01:48

These cars don't have frames. The reason it feels flimsy is because it is a convertible. Convertibles are not as strong as coupes because the roof has no strength.