Most common 2002 Pontiac Sunfire problems
Share of the 82 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac Sunfire complaints by model year
Best Sunfire years: 2004, 2001, 2005. Years to avoid: 1996, 1997, 1995, 1998. Compare all years →
What 2002 Pontiac Sunfire owners say
Electrical system all 24 →
I have had the car since August of 2002, and have only had a problem with the rear defroster. It would work when it wanted to. I was told that it was a fuse, that wasn't the problem. I figured that it was a short in the wiring, but it wasn't covered by the warranty, and I don't have the money to let a mechanic go probing around my car to find out what was wrong. On 11/28/07 while I was driving only a few miles, upon starting the car - smoke started pouring out of my vents and the gas gauge (which the tank was full) started dropping down to 'e'. Took car to dealership and they say that the two things are unrelated. Exact quote from invoice about what caused the smoke "burnt smell electrical, found harness to rear defogger on left lower kick panel melted replaced connector with butt connectors". …
Turned off the vehicle, got my fuses and relay's all checked and turned the car on the next morning, nothing on my dash panel is working. No mileage, none of the gauges work, fuses and relays are all good.
Brakes
Tl contact owns a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire. While driving between 35-40 MPH, the brakes failed. The vehicle struck and destroyed the rear bumper of the preceding vehicle. The contact's vehicle was destroyed and towed from the scene. A police report was filed. He was transported to the hospital by an ambulance and sustained injuries. The current and failure mileages were 26,000. Updated 01/29/08
On November 12, 2008 I was in an auto accident. I was driving my 2002 Pontiac Sunfire that I had purchased on October 28, 2008. As the car ahead of me began to brake I began to brake as well. However, it did not feel as thought the brakes "grabbed" causing me to collide into the car in front of me. I have a broken foot caused from pushing on the brakes.
Engine & cooling
I filed a complaint on a 2002 grand am gt VIN [redacted] concerning steering problems. I cannot find it in your consumer complaint data base, nor any other information related to this vehicle or recalls, safety issues, etc on 2002 grand am gt in general. Am I looking in the wrong place? Please help. Also, I now own a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire VIN [redacted]. I took delivery on 10.31.02 as part of lemon law byback by GM on above discussed grand am. I am having several problems with this new car I consider safety hazards. GM so far has had the car more than I have. How can I file a complaint and find out more information on the areas of concern with this vehicle. So far, it went of park into reverse and hit me in the head causing injury my doc is looking into, the car on the same trip completely shut down, losing all power except radio, and the ABS off light went on. …
I purchased a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire brand new in 2001 thinking I could save money on gas..at around 20,000 miles the timing chain broke and messed up the whole engine. The engine is a no tolerance engine and when one thing breaks it messes up everything. Service fixed the timing chain because it was still under warranty. I returned regularly to the dealership stating I could hear a noise, and being a woman was not taken seriously. I even sent the vehicle home with the service rep for the week-end and was told he couldn't hear a thing. As it turns out at this time 62,000 miles the engine blew at 55 MPH in the middle of a us hwy on the way home from picking up my grandson. This vehicle has been in the shop more than it has been at my home and is now dead...not running...broken..guess I knew what I was talking about after all..even if I am female. Thanks GM for making such quality products.
2002 Pontiac Sunfire engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 22 / 30 / 25 |
| 2.2L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 19 / 29 / 23 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire a good car?
Based on 82 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Sunfire rates average: 19% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Sunfire at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire?
The electrical system — 24 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about wiring. Next are the brakes (16) and engine & cooling (12).
How many recalls does the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2002 Pontiac Sunfire. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac Sunfire?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 2001 and 2005. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1996, 1997, 1995 and 1998. See the full Pontiac Sunfire years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Pontiac Sunfire problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 36,000 miles; 58% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.