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Pontiac Sunfire Engine And Engine Cooling Engine Safety Report | Dec 10, 2003



Reported on Dec 10, 2003


MY BROTHER OWNS A 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE WITH ONLY 47,000 MILES ON IT AND THE ENGINE SEIZED (NEEDING ENGINE REPLACED ESTIMATED COST $3,500). I UNDERSTAND THE CAR IS ABOUT 6 YEARS OLD BUT THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN MINIMAL MILES. GM DEALERSHIP DID A DIAGNOSIS COSTING US $289 AND CONCLUDED PER THE INVOICE: PERFORM TEAR DOWN ON ENGINE - REMOVE VALVE COVER AND FOUND VALVE SPRING ON #2 CYLINDER BROKEN - REMOVE CYLINDER HEAD AND FOUND HEAD OF VALVE HAD GONE THROUGH TOP OF PISTON AND SCORED CYLINDER WALL. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED US COST OF THE FOLLOWING: $3,250 FOR A BRAND NEW ONE WITH A 3 YEAR/75,000 MILE WARRANTY OR $1,400 FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 88,000 MILES ON IT (NO WARRANTY) OR $1,600 FOR A USED ENGINE WITH 62,000 MILES ON IT (NO WARRANTY). NOW, I SCRATCH MY HEAD AND WONDER HOW GM JUSTIFIES US PAYING ALMOST $1,500 OF A USED ENGINE WITH MORE MILES ON THE ENGINE THAN THE ENGINE WE ALREADY HAVE AT 47,000 MILES THAT DOES NOT WORK. AFTER THREE WEEKS WE HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED A REPUTABLE AUTO SERVICE FOR $1,089. THE AUTO SERVICE SUGGESTED TAKING PHOTOS OF A PART IN THE ENGINE NOTED ABOVE TO BE DEFECTIVE. THE AUTO SERVICE SAID THIS PART SHOULD NEVER HAVE BROKEN ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 47,000 MILES. WE INFORMED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PICTURES BUT GM HAS DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I THOUGHT GM MIGHT LOOK FURTHER INTO INVESTIGATION OF THE DEFECTIVE PART BUT NO. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. IS THIS A REALISTIC EXPECTATION TO HAVE THIS COSTLY REPAIR AT 47,000 MILES? CAN WE DO ANYTHING ELSE? *LA
Make: Pontiac
Model: Sunfire
Manufactured by: General Motors LLC
Year: 1997
Was a crash reported? N
Was an injury reported? 0 person(s) were injured.
Was a death reported? 0 person(s) died.
Was a fire reported? N
Location: ERIE PA
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): 1G2JB5248V7
Mileage: 47000 miles.
Speed: 0 MPH
Number of cylinders: 4
Vehicle type: U
Vehicle fuel: GAS Fuel injection.
Was a police report filed? N
Tire size:
Dealer name and location: CRAMER MOTORS NORTH EAST PA 16428
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