RoadVitals

1986 Pontiac Firebird Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
19
Latest Jun 24, 2004
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Aug 1, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 19 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Pontiac Firebird. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–19 of 19

Seat belts
Filed Jun 24, 2004

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 90V105000 CONCERNING ACTIVE RESTRAINT: BELT BUCKLES: RECALL REPAIRS WERE DONE, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALER HAS CHARGED THE CONSUMER FOR DOING THE RECALL REPAIRS FOR THE SECOND TIME.*AK

NHTSA ID
10079827
Incident
Jun 9, 1992
Mileage
2,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Mar 4, 2002

CONSUMER STATED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY, WHEN PARKING ON A SLOPE, THE BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD VEHICLE IN PLACE.*AK. CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE FAILS ALSO ON A MINOR INCLINE, WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END WHEN VEHICLE STRUCK A CURB AFTER THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE INCLINE.*JB

NHTSA ID
8004907
Incident
Jan 1, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Mar 4, 2002

SEAT BELT CASINGS IN THE FRONT BACK ARE CRACKING. SEAT BELT COMES OUT OF VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE BUCKLES HAVE RELEASED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. *SLC

NHTSA ID
8004906
Incident
Jan 1, 2002
Seat belts
Filed Sep 16, 2001

SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH DUE TO COMPONET BREAKING UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES. *AK

NHTSA ID
752248
Incident
Sep 16, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Jun 6, 2000

DRIVER'S FRONT SEATBELT BUCKLE BROKE. PLASTIC COMPONENT OF SEATBELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY DID NOT CONTAIN AN ULTRA VIOLET STABALIZER AND EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUN LIGHT, AND ELEVATED INTERIOR TEMPERATURE COULD WEAKEN THE PLASTIC COMPONENT. *AK

NHTSA ID
863100
Incident
Jun 2, 1995
ElectricalInterior & seatsSeat belts
Filed May 31, 2000

I'M AMAZED TO FIND THIS SITE AND FIND THAT ABOUT A DOZEN DEFECTS/RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED ON MY FIREBIRD AND I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM PONTIAC! WHILE THIS HAS BEEN THE "BEST" CAR I'VE EVER HAD, IT APPEARS NOW THAT I'VE SPENT WAY TOO MUCH MONEY ON KNOWN DEFECTS! WHY ARE OWNERS NOT APPRISED OF THESE PROBLEMS? I'VE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE A/C, THE SEATBELTS, THE FUEL INJECTORS, THE REAR HYDRAULICS FOR THE HATCH, STARTER, IGNITION, ETC., ETC. IS THERE ANY RECOURSE AT THIS LATE DATE? I REALLY WANT TO KEEP MY CAR, BUT I'M HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING SOMEONE QUALIFIED TO WORK ON IT. ANY SUGGESTIONS? I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE VIN NUMBER BECAUSE IT'S IN THE SHOP YET AGAIN! I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE IT ABOUT 3 WEEKS SINCE FEBRUARY - MOSTLY DUE TO INCOMPETENCY OF SHOP. OVERALL, IT REALLY HAS BEEN A GREAT CAR -- STILL ORIGINAL ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. BUT THE "LITTLE THINGS" ARE REALLY ADDING UP. ANY SUGGESTIONS AND OR EXPLANATION AS TO WHY I'VE NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALLS AND/OR BULLETINS WOULD BE APPRECIATED, AS WELL AS ANY RECOURSE AT THIS LATE DATE. THANK YOU! CATHERINE SIKES

NHTSA ID
723422
Heating & air conditioning
Filed May 21, 2000

I INTEND TO SEND MORE INFORMATION ON THIS GMCPRODUCT AT A LATER DATE. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN THE SUMMRY. *AK

NHTSA ID
722965
Incident
Jul 1, 1999
Seat belts
Filed Apr 25, 2000

THE 2 DEALERSHIPS THAT I CONTACTED SAID THAT CAMPAIGN ID# 90V105000 DOES NOT INCLUDE MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE, AND THAT THEY DONT HAVE JUST THE BUCKLES IN STOCK I DONT SEE HOW THAT IS POSSIBLE AND WE CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR SAFELY OR LEGALLY DUE TO THIS!!!!!. *AK

NHTSA ID
721901
Incident
Mar 1, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 10, 1999

WHENEVER AT A STOP SIGN ENGINE IDLED HIGH, HAD TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL IN ORDER TO BRING RPMS BACK DOWN. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, THEY INDICATED VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

NHTSA ID
852766
Incident
Nov 10, 1997
Seat belts
Filed Oct 19, 1999

RECALL # 09V105000 INTERIOR SYSTEM:ACTIVE RESTRAINTS:BELT BUCKLES; EVEN THOUGH OWNER HAS A RECALL NOTICE, DEALER HAS STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO PERFORM REPAIRS BECAUSE RECALL NUMBER HAS BEEN DROPPED FROM THE SYSTEM. RECALL NOTICE STATES THAT REPAIRS WILL BE MADE ANYTIME DURING THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE IS BROKEN. *AK

NHTSA ID
851117
Seat belts
Filed Apr 8, 1999

IN 1994, THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT STOPPED WORKING. THE BELT WOULD NO LONGER CLIP, THEREFORE RENDERING IT USELESS. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO BE SERVICED AT A LOCALL PONTIAC DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES, AND WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED TO ORDER A PART. THE SEAT BELT WAS NEVER FIXED. I THEN BROUGHT IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ONE. THERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL WAS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. I SAW YOUR WEBSITE IN MOTOR TREND MAGAZINE AND DECIDED TO FIND OUT IF THIS WAS TRUE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT I COULD DO ABOUT IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
705399
Incident
May 1, 1994
Seat belts
Filed Feb 18, 1999

MOTORIZED SAFETY BELT HAS FAILED AND PONTIAC REFUSES TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
703470
Incident
Dec 30, 1998
Seat belts
Filed Jan 6, 1999

LEFT SIDE OF THE TRACTOR OF THE SEAT BELT IS LOCKED, AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE SHOULDER BELT PART TO COME ACROSS ANYONE THAT SAT IN THAT SEAT, TO USE THE SEAT BELT. *AK.ET.

NHTSA ID
833094
Incident
Oct 12, 1998
Fuel systemSteering
Filed Dec 8, 1997

FUEL PUMP FAILED.

NHTSA ID
605675
Incident
Aug 1, 1997
Brakes
Filed Jan 17, 1996

ALLEGED REAR BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED CONSUMER TO HAVE A NEAR ACCIDENT PE86-025C. TT

NHTSA ID
977657
Incident
Jun 12, 1995
Fuel systemSeat belts
Filed Oct 23, 1995

FUEL GUAGE CONSTANTLY READ EMPTY.

NHTSA ID
487092
Incident
Jan 1, 1995
Steering
Filed Sep 20, 1995

TILT STEERING COLUMN PIVOT PINION LOOSENS DUE TO VIBRATION, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK UP WHEN PIN BACKS OUT FAR ENOUGH. *DSH

NHTSA ID
488429
Incident
Jan 1, 1992
Seat belts
Filed Sep 8, 1995

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FELL APART. TT

NHTSA ID
971785
Seat belts
Filed Aug 1, 1995
Crash reported1 injury reported

VEHICLE WAS ON RECALL/90C03 WAS PERFORMED AND ACCIDENT OCCURED PASSENGER SEAT BELT FAILED PASSENGER HIT THE WINDSHIELD. TT

NHTSA ID
969674
Incident
Jun 20, 1995

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Data on this page last refreshed .