Fuel System complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
None of the gauges work properly Gm has not issued a recall despite the numerous complaints and it is a 500 to 800 dollar repair bill to replace the instrument cluster. 2005 Sunfire and the instrument cluster is malfunctioning. The gas gauge has stopped working altogether and the temp and rpm gauge work erratically. This is definitely a recall issue and has nothing to do with the maintenance of the vehicle. Gm wants me to have a dealer check the vehicle when they are well aware of this issue as there are multiple posting from owners of this issue online.
The gas gauge is having major problems especially when it is really hot or cold outside. The gas gauge will go the opposite direction into the speedometer. Now it is stuck on the dash and will not move. I also had problems with the speedometer getting stuck. It was telling me I was doing 100mph while I was stopped. This is extremely frustrating because I am not able to tell how much gas I have in my tank and how fast I am going. This item really needs to be recalled.
I purchased the car in October 2003 and the car was great. In March 2006 I started having problems where the car when attempted to start would take a few seconds extra and then start, then 6 months later I was driving down the street and the car just cut off in the middle of an intersection. The car restarted about 10 minutes later. Then in November this started happening more an more frequently. One night in December the car cut off and would not restart at all. I was able to pull of the road. I waited an hour and still the car would not start. I came back the next day and the car would not start. I got the car towed to a mechanic who said that he thought it was the fuel pump so I replaced that and the car worked for 2 days and then the same problem again. He then tested the car and saw there was no power going to the fuel pump. …
Was driving on the freeway, traveling at 70 MPH and all of the lights both dash and exterior went out and the engine stopped. Pulled to the side of the highway and tried to restart the car, no luck. Waited for 30 minutes and tried to restart it and it started up, but when I got up to 40mph, it repeated what it did before, pulled to the side of the road and waited another 15 minutes and it started again, and it did it again. Again I pulled to the side of the road and waited, then it started, and I finally got it to an exit off of the highway. It would only run at 25mph, anything above that it would repeat the same symptoms as above. The next day after leaving the car sit overnight, it started just fine, ran just fine, except the engine light came on. …
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". …
Oct. 2003 2003 ponitac Sunfire refused to start. Had towed to mechanic cause 400 miles over warranty, replaced fuel filter but mechanic said needed fuel pump replaced. Jan. 2004, same problem, except had family member replace fuel filter as cheap fix, but didn't work. Trying to find out why this is happened without having to buy fuel pump from GM at cost, too much money. All these problems with GM vehicles and nothing being done about it, yet all are the same. Please help fix problem.
Contacted a local auto dealer, cutter Pontiac (waipahu, hawaii - levy, service agent, ph# [phone]) and inquired about my vehicles posted 3 recall issues; ignition, fuel system, & steering wheel. I even emailed an official list of my vehicle's recall issues I was told the following, after levy had the opportunity to review my email,with my recall list: 1. Ignition - I was told that my concern had past the original date of recall, 2004 ???, so dealer is unable help me resolve this issue 2. Fuel system - I noted that I smelled fuel back a few weeks prior, I would need to bring my vehicle down and they would diagnose the problem, but would charge me for the diagnostic check. 3. Steering wheel - again, I was told they would need to do a diagnostic check, but still charge me. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Pontiac Sunfire. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning while driving at any speed. The failure was experienced several times. The contact replaced the fuses. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic test performed. The failure and the current mileages were 116,000. Updated 06/20/12 the consumer stated the fuel injection was not replaced. Her husband replaced the fuses. Updated 06/22/12 updated 8/20/12 the consumer also stated the vehicle used an excessive amount of fuel. Updated 08/23/12
NHTSA investigations
Unintended vehicle acceleration
On September 23, 2003, the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated September 8, 2003 from mr. Donald friedman, petitioning the agency to open a defect investigation into unintended acceleration involving [model year] 1996 and 1997 general motors j-cars.in support of his petition, mr.
Engine stall due to fuel starvation
Odi opened pe02-066 to evaluate the scope and consequence of engine power-loss due to fuel starvation induced by in-tank modular fuel pump strainer restriction.the subject pumps use an external ?sock? Strainer to filter fuel flowing to the pump inlet.this filter can sometimes become clogged, resulting in a reduced flow of fuel to the engine.GM has subsequently modified the strainers to reduce this…
Erratic fuel gauge
Odi opened ea 02-028 to review complaints of consumers reporting that their fuel gauge was incorrectly displaying the amount of fuel in the gas tank.the fuel gauge receives an electrical signal from a fuel tank sending sensor circuit card.a float arm in the tank moves electrical contacts that rub against the card as the level of fuel rises and falls.disruption of the electrical signal (such as caused by corrosion of…
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac Sunfire years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2000 (16), 1996 (12), 1997 (8), 2003 (7) and 1998 (6) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 17% of all complaints for the 2000.
Is there a recall for Pontiac Sunfire fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for any Pontiac Sunfire model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Pontiac Sunfire fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles; 32% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › fuel pump (19 mentions), followed by the fuel injection system › injectors (7).
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.