Pontiac Sunbird 1991
Model Sunbird made in 1991 by Pontiac got 34 consumer complains, 2 investigations there are 4 recalls as well as 4 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to electrical system, engine and engine cooling and latches/locks/linkages. Technical service bulletines regarding engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic and steering. The car had some investigations: engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control. There were some recalls concerningexterior lighting, fuel system, gasoline and seat belts. The car has 2 modeles with engines 2.0l, 3.1l.
Model 1991
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ( 2.0L) | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 3 gears | FWD | 24/32/27 | 26/41/31 | Regular | $ 694 | 3 | 900801 |
| ( 2.0L) | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 26/36/30 | 29/46/35 | Regular | $ 624 | 3 | 900801 |
| ( 3.1L) | 6 | Lockup/automatic, 3 gears | FWD | 20/27/22 | 22/35/26 | Regular | $ 853 | 3 | 900913 |
| ( 3.1L) | 6 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 19/28/22 | 21/36/25 | Regular | $ 853 | 3 | 900803 |
| ( 2.0L) | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 3 gears | FWD | 22/31/26 | 25/39/30 | Regular | $ 722 | 3 | 900805 |
| ( 2.0L) | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 24/33/28 | 27/42/32 | Regular | $ 669 | 3 | 900801 |
| ( 3.1L) | 6 | Lockup/automatic, 3 gears | FWD | 20/27/22 | 22/35/26 | Regular | $ 853 | 3 | 900913 |
| ( 3.1L) | 6 | Manual, 5 gears | FWD | 19/28/22 | 21/36/25 | Regular | $ 853 | 3 | 900803 |
Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | ||||||||||||||||
| 09E012000 | SABERSPORT | E (Equipment) | 16270 | 05/11/2009 | OVSC | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 04/07/2009 | 04/07/2009 | 571 | 108 | ||||||
| Defect Summary | Sabersport is recalling 16,270 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. these headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. these lamps do not contain the required amber side reflectors. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Decreased lighting visibility may result in a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Sabersport will notify owners and offer a full refund for the noncompliant combination lamps. the safety recall began on may 11, 2009. owners may contact sabersport at 1-909-598-7589. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to aftermarket replacement equipment and has no relation to any original equipment installed on vehicles produced by the vehicle manufacturer.in order to determine if your aftermarket lamp assembly is affected by this noncompliance, please review the list of model numbers provided to us by sabersport.the list can be found under document search located at the bottom of your screen.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | ||||||||||||||||
| 06E043000 | HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC. | E (Equipment) | 88303 | 10/18/2006 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 05/19/2006 | 05/22/2006 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n g3727, with date codes x52911 through x60801 sequentially or x600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing manufactured from october 18, 2005, through march 21, 2006, sold for use on the vehicles listed above and on certain school buses. (to see the school bus engine sizes, click on document search and then bus applications). the connector on the fuel filter was not manufactured to honeywell's specification. as a result, the o-ring may not seat correctly on the fuel line. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This condition may cause an inadequate seal at the connection, potentially leading to a fuel leak. in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. the recall began on october 18, 2006. owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (option 1). | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | This recall only pertains to aftermarket fram fuel filters and has no relation to any original equipment installed on the vehicles listed.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
| SEAT BELTS | ||||||||||||||||
| 92V003000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 02/01/1990 to 02/01/1991 | V (Vehicle) | 347866 | 01/31/1992 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 01/10/1992 | 01/23/1992 | 571 | 208 | |||||
| Defect Summary | The front door shoulder belt guide loops may be cracked and are not in compliance with fmvss 208. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The seat occupant faces increased risk of injury in theevent of a sudden stop or accident. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Install reinforcing plates on the cracked shoulder belt guides. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | System: safety belts; fmvss 208.description of vehicles: passenger vehicles; 1991 gm j and w model cars. | |||||||||||||||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | ||||||||||||||||
| 91V165000 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | from 12/01/1990 to 01/01/1991 | V (Vehicle) | 41718 | 09/30/1991 | MFR | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 09/23/1991 | 09/25/1991 | 571 | 210 | |||||
| Defect Summary | Front door interlock striker may fail, causing door frame collapse and insufficient strength for the shoulder belt anchorage. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The door frame would collapse. vehicle does not complywith fmvss 210. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Replace the passive restraint interlock striker studs on front doors. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | System: seat belt anchorage; fmvss 210.vehicle description: passenger vehicles. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 876002A | 07/01/1998 | 876002 | 615073 | Some v6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered after the engine's oil has been changed.typically the odor lasts approximately 1000 miles after the change of oil and then does not re | 12/26/2000 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||||
| 000524001 | 04/01/2000 | 613590 | Information regarding snow intrusion into rear drum brake assemblies. **mr | 07/25/2000 | |
| STEERING | |||||
| 433211 | 11/01/1994 | 37843 | Crunch noise from right side dash area when turning steering wheel. *tw | 01/11/1995 | |
| VISIBILITY - DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER SYSTEM - REAR WINDOW | |||||
| 438135 | 11/01/1994 | 37840 | Buzzing sound when rear defogger is on. *tw | 01/11/1995 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| PE93090 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 10/08/1993 | 02/28/1994 | ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | ||
| There is no summary currently available | ||||||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - LINKAGES | ||||||
| EA92024 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. | 06/26/1992 | 01/31/1994 | STICKING THROTTLE | ||
| There is no summary currently available | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 3 | 12/01/1990 | ||
| Alternator replaced 3 times. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 3 | 12/01/1990 | ||
| Battery replaced 3 times. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 07/21/1995 | 1 | ||
| Engine compartment fire under the hood, vehicle had been driven and parked, will provide more information. tt | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| While driving at 30mph the vehicle caught on fire under the dashboard, began at wiring harness . *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 3 | |||
| Consumer experienced complete failure of engine cooling system,causing the vehcile to shutdown which could have resulted in an accident.the vehicle has been at the dealer 3 times, and almost the entire cooling system parts have been replaced, but defect is still occurring. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 06/01/1998 | 15 | 05/01/1998 | |
| When my cooling system was not working i brought my car back to the dealer that i bought the car from and when they replaced the fan motor they purposly put an extra washer on one side causing the fan to hit the radiator which then caused my head gasket to blow. i contacted the dealer again and was told that this was not their problem!! i then took my car to a shop in millax and had a different used engine placed in it now, this engine has no acceleration due to a bad cam shaft, so i again have to have my car repaired. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 12/13/1996 | 1 | ||
| Head gasket cracked. | |||
| 12/15/1998 | |||
| Engine head gasket cracked, causing the oil and the coolant to mix together and leak, may have caused fire or engine damages. common problem. please provide further information and vin#. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 2 | |||
| The engine has a malfunction that causes the car to not accelerate very fast. dealer replaced first engine, and now the second is malfunctioning. *ak | |||
| 02/06/1997 | 1 | ||
| Engine compartment fire. (ohio state police report) | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 10/01/1996 | 8 | ||
| Doors come open at highway speed without pressure being applied to them. *ak | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - HOOD - LATCH | |||
| 05/27/1997 | 1 | ||
| The hood latch failed and the hood flew off of vehicle while traveling 55 miles per hour. | |||
| 05/14/1992 | 4 | ||
| Hood latch unfastened, causing hood to fly back/injuries. *sd | |||
| OTHER | |||
| 1 | |||
| After several repairs, consumer requested help in getting the vehicle to run. *ph the consumer and her husband are senior citizens who need financial help to have their vehicle repaired. the vehicle has had many partial repairs but none that have permanently repaired all the problems. *nm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/04/1997 | |||
| Brakes did not seem to stop vehicle within a reasonable distance and had a soft pedal. in addition, when vehicle is cold and has not been driven recently when transmission is placed in reverse/drive it will not go into gear at once and then lurches into gear. *ak | |||
| SEAT BELTS | |||
| 08/19/1995 | |||
| Drivers head hit seat belt molding when struck on side. vehicle equipped automatic seat belts with separate lap. please describe details. tt | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/23/1996 | 06/01/1996 | ||
| Vehicle was involved in an accident, seat belt buckle broke during accident. *ak | |||
| The driver side seat belt latch, the plastic cover broke and causing the release button to be exposed and the belt to become unlatched. tt | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - RETRACTOR | |||
| 05/01/1993 | 1 | ||
| Seat belt failed to lock up upon impact, resulting in an injury to driver. | |||
| SEAT BELTS - FRONT - WEBBING | |||
| 09/20/1996 | 0 | 12/01/1991 | |
| Shoulder portion of seat/lap belt failed to restrain upper portion of owner's body, allowing contact with steering wheel. *ak | |||
| SEATS | |||
| 05/01/1993 | 1 | ||
| Metal rod in bottom of seat injured passenger in above accident. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | |||
| 11/04/1997 | |||
| Brakes did not seem to stop vehicle within a reasonable distance and had a soft pedal. in addition, when vehicle is cold and has not been driven recently when transmission is placed in reverse/drive it will not go into gear at once and then lurches into gear. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - CALIPER | |||
| 07/01/1995 | 1 | ||
| Drivers side front calipers wore out, causing accident. tt | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - PADS | |||
| While driving, made attempt to stop brake pedal went to floor, experiencing excessive premature wear to pads, without prior warning, has replaced pads six times | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - PUMP | |||
| 05/29/1996 | |||
| The tension pully for the power steering is out of round and the belt keeps slipping off and causes loss of steering. please describe. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - ROOF AND PILLARS | |||
| 11/28/1994 | 1 | ||
| Plastic convertible top rear window discolored, causing poor visibility. *skd | |||
| TIRES | |||
| 06/25/2000 | 81914 | 1 | |
| My wife and i had a firestone firehawk ss wl passenger car tire come apart while we were traveling at freeway speeds on interstate 5 in northern california on june 25, 2000. we filed a claim with firestone tire on july 3, 2000 after the tire was inspected at the local firestone store where it had been purchased. i was referred to an ed at the bridgestone/firestone techno center and was told i had to return the tire for their inspection. scott at scott & smitty's firestone, packaged the tire and sent it to the techno center in june 2000. i then submitted the required (1) incident report, (2) a copy of the preliminary estimate from courtesy motors (for damages to the automobile), (3) a copy of the replacement tire invoice from scott & smitty's firestone (chico, califormin), and (4) photos of the tire and damage to the automobile. i received no response from firestone after june 27, 2000. i sent them another letter on september 1, 2000 and sent the nhtsa a letter on september 5, 2000. i sent a third letter to firestone on january 2, 2001. to date, i have not received a response from either organization.*ak | |||
| 05/01/1993 | 2 | ||
| Upon hitting water on road, vehicle hydroplaned/spun around twice, once resulting in an accident. *ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 07/24/1999 | |||
| Had vehicle in reverse & backing out of parking lot. the throttle stuck & vehicle took off. vehicle had front wheel drive & the wheels just kept spinning. will be taking vehicle to dealer. *ak | |||
| 01/08/1997 | |||
| While applying the brakes the vehicle sudden accelerated. this happened several times. *ak | |||
| Acceleration problems. please describe. tt | |||
| 08/22/1995 | |||
| Vehicle was parked put gears into reverse, acclerator pedal stuck to floor, put into drive impact 12:00 psotion speed unknown. tt | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| When starting the car the engine revved and the accelerator pedal jammed while in reverse and the car hit another vehicle. no injuries. dealer has the vehicle now. *ak | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | CHICO | 95926 | SCOTT & SMITTY'S FIRESTONE | 530 342-1894 |