NHTSA Complaint #10056448 — 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE

THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 1997 PONTIAC SUNFIRE VEHICLE ARE SO DIM, I CANNOT DRIVE MY CAR AT NIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE I AM DRIVING WITH FLASHLIGHTS. I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC AT SUNLAND PONTIAC DEALERSHIP, EL PASO, TX THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I TOLD THEM THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO DIM ON MY VEHICLE. I TOLD THEM I WANTED NEW HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WITH BRIGHTER BULBS OR HIGHER WATTAGE. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY NEW HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY THAT CONTAINED BRIGHTER BULB, OR HIGHER WATTAGE, AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. I COMPLAINED EVERY TIME I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR MAINTENACE. INCIDENT DATE IS APPROXIMATE DATE. THEY WILL HAVE IT ON RECORD. ALSO, I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION SWITCH AGAIN. IT IS VERY HARD TO TURN TO START THE CAR. YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT IN A CERTAIN POSITION FOR IT TO START, SOMETIMES IT WILL STAR, AND SOMETIMES IT WON'T. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS. I HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR, EVERY SINCE I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW IN 1997. I FILLED OUT A FORM AND SENT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GMAC ABOUT ALL THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING AND THEY NEVER RESPONDED TO MY COMPLAINTS. I CAN E-MAIL YOU A COPY OF THE COMPLAINT FORM I SENT TO THEM. THE MOST DISTURBING DEFECT ABOUT THE CAR IS THAT YOU CAN SEE THE LOOSE WIRING BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL CONNECTED TO THE DASH. THE MECHANIC WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR TOLD ME THAT ALL OF THE 1997 5 SPEED SUNFIRES CAME LIKE THAT FROM THE MANUFACTURE. SO, THEY PUT IN A PIECE OF BLACK FOAM, SO I WOULD NO LONGER SEE THE WIRING. THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD. IF I HAD KNOW THEN, WHAT I KNOW NOW, I WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE CAR BACK TO THEM, AND DEMANDED MY $3,000 DOWN PAYMENT BACK. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN GIVE ME TO CORRECT THE DEFECTS AND PROBLEMS THAT I AM HAVING WITH THIS CAR. THANK YOU.*AK