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2003 Pontiac SunfireProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 72 owner complaints about the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

2003 Pontiac Sunfire
59
CarFlaw IndexSolid year31% below the Sunfire median · #9 of 11 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints728 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage18kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 3, 2014. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire has problems

72 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Exterior lighting251
Electrical system231
Engine and engine cooling80
Air bags63
Service brakes, hydraulic60
Fuel system, gasoline50
Visibility40
Power train40
Structure30
15 other systems214

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2003 Pontiac Sunfire recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Exterior lighting: turn signal

Recall 04V-524 · Nov 1, 2004 · 256,025 vehicles

Risk. AN INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMP WILL NOT CONVEY THE DRIVER'S INTENTION OF STOPPING TO DRIVERS IN FOLLOWING VEHICLES, AND AN INOPERATIVE REAR TURN SIGNAL LAMP WILL…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Pontiac.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Sunfire year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sunfire median. How we score

'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Pontiac Sunfire safety ratings

2003 Pontiac Sunfire 2-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire, and the recalls they led to.

  1. TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONEA04028 · closed Nov 22, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-524
  2. TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONPE04043 · closed Sep 14, 2004
    No recall
In owners' words

What Sunfire owners report

Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

FAILURE TO THE HEADLIGHT HARNESS, WITH TIME, CORROSION ATTACK THE HEADLIGHT HARNESS. WHICH WILL CAUSE THE HEADLIGHT INTENSITY TO LOWER OR WORST, TOTAL HEADLIGHT FAILURE. THAT MEAN THAT YOU CAN BE DRIVING AT NIGHT AND TOTALLY LOSE YOUR HEADLIGHT. THIS DEFECT HAS BEEN REPAIRED 4 TIMES NOW, AND I NEED…
Complaint 10318397 · Mar 10, 2010 · 18,000 miles
2003 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. HEADLAMPS DO NOT WORK. FOUND OUT THRU INTERNET SEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE WIRING PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT GM SHOULD FIX (FOG LAMPS AS WELL). THE LAMPS ALREADY WENT OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IF…
Complaint 10315166 · Mar 1, 2010
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 PONTIAC SUNFIRE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY BECAME EXTREMELY DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND REPAIRED ACCORDING TO A SAFETY RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR…
Complaint 10270065 · May 27, 2009 · 3,000 miles

Own a 2003 Sunfire?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.