Sunitinib and Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Kidney Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma with a component of clear cell or papillary carcinoma * Unresectable or metastatic disease (radiologically or clinically confirmed) * Measurable disease (≥ 1 site) * No known brain metastasis that has not been adequately treated with radiotherapy and/or surgery PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * No grade 3 hemorrhage within the past 4 weeks * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) ≤ 2.5 times ULN (\< 5 times ULN if due to underlying disease) * No chronic liver disease (i.e., chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis) * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN * None of the following cardiovascular conditions within the past 12 months: * Myocardial infarction * Severe/unstable angina * Coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack * Pulmonary embolism * Ongoing cardiac dysrhythmia ≥ grade 2 * Atrial fibrillation of any grade * Prolongation of the corrected QT (QTc) interval to \> 450 msec for males or to \> 470 msec for females * Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) normal by Multigated Acquisition (MUGA) or echocardiogram * No hypertension uncontrolled with medical therapy * No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or cervical carcinoma in situ * No uncontrolled adrenal insufficiency * No uncontrolled hypothyroidism * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment * No severe and/or uncontrolled medical disease (i.e., uncontrolled diabetes, chronic renal disease, or active uncontrolled infection) * No impaired gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may significantly alter the absorption of study drugs * No other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that would preclude study participation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery * More than 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of the bone marrow * More than 28 days since prior investigational agents * No prior sunitinib malate * No prior anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy (e.g., erlotinib hydrochloride, panitumumab, cetuximab, or gefitinib) * No concurrent therapeutic warfarin * Low-dose oral warfarin ≤ 2 mg daily for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis is allowed after the maximum tolerated dose of erlotinib hydrochloride is determined * No concurrent Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * No concurrent chemotherapy or biologic therapy * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * No other concurrent investigational agents