NHTSA Complaint #10016442 — 1998 PONTIAC SUNFIRE

MARCH 24, 2003 DEAR SIRS, I RECENTLY HAD A WATER PUMP FAILURE ON MY 1998 SUNFIRE CONVERTIBLE. THE CAR HAS HAD A NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT A YEAR, I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ALTERNATOR BEARING. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN A GM DEALER TWICE IN THAT TIME FOR OIL CHANGES AND OF ALL THE THINGS THE DEALER HAS TRIED TO SELL ME THEY NEVER SAID ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE WATER PUMP. ON THE NIGHT OF FRIDAY, MARCH 14TH THE CAR BEGAN LEAKING ANTIFREEZE AND THE NOISE INCREASED. I LIVE IN SOUTH LYON, MI AND THE CLOSEST PONTIAC DEALER IS WALDECKER IN BRIGHTON. I ATTEMPTED TO TELEPHONE WALDECKER SEVERAL TIMES ON SATURDAY, MARCH 15TH, BUT DID NOT CONNECT, BECAUSE OF A DEAD PHONE LINE AT WALDECKER. I THOUGHT WALDECKER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS, SINCE IT IS AN OLDSMOBILE DEALER ALSO. I LATER FOUND, FROM THE WALDECKER SERVICE MANAGER ([XXX]) AND THE RECEPTIONIST, THAT THEY WERE IN FACT HAVING PHONE PROBLEMS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WITH NO OTHER PONTIAC DEALERS IN THE AREA, I REFILLED THE RADIATOR AND TOOK THE CAR TO WALKERS GARAGE, THE CLOSEST AUTO REPAIR. THE BILL CAME TO $700 PARTS AND LABOR, I ASKED WALDECKER AND THEY SAID IT WAS A FAIR PRICE. HAVING TO TAKE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD OFF, ACCESS THROUGH THE FRONT COVER OF THE ENGINE, GEAR DRIVE OFF THE TIMING CHAIN AND THE LOCATION ABOVE THE CV JOINT IS A POOR DESIGN FOR A SERVICEABLE PART. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION, 1998 SUNFIRE CONVERTIBLE, CURRENTLY: 42,000 MILES VIN# [XXX], 2.4 LITER DOHC ENGINE. I CALLED THE PONTIAC 1-800 NUMBER AND A REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THE WARRANTY WAS 3 YEARS / 36,000 MILES AND THE WORK WAS NOT PERFORMED BY A PONTIAC DEALER, SO I HAD NO RECOURSE. I EXPLAIN TO NO AVAIL WHY THE WORK WAS NOT DONE AT A PONTIAC DEALER. I AM HOPING YOU WILL RECONSIDER THIS. ENCLOSED IS THE BILL. PLEASE CONTACT ME EVEN IF THIS CLAIM IS REJECTED. I EXPECT BETTER FROM THE NUMBER 1 AUTOMATE COMPANY IN THE WORLD. SINCERELY, [XXX] , [XXX] PHONE: [XXX] *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR