1987 Pontiac Firebird Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1987 Pontiac Firebird, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Seat belts550.0%
- Driver assistance110.0%
- Engine110.0%
- Fuel system110.0%
- Exterior lighting110.0%
- Other / unspecified110.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT, HAD A PLASTIC COMPONENT LOCATED IN THE BUCKLE WHICH CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO BE INOPERATIVE. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS. CONSUMER STATED HE ONCE BECAME TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE INOPERATIVE SEAT BELT, AND SINCE THEN, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH, THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS INFORMED VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN. *JB
SEATBELT LATCH COVER MISSING WHEN PURCHASED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND PUT IT IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. VEHICLE WENT INTO TREES AND THEN STOPPED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CAUSE OF FIRE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
FUEL TANK FILLER NECK IS LOOSE, PERMITTING LIQUID FUEL AND VAPORS TO ESCAPE - FIRE AND EXPLOSION POSSIBLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE HAS RETRACTABLE HEADLIGHTS THAT SHOULD BE OPENED MANUALY IF MOTORS DO NOT WORK; HOWEVER, MANUAL OPERATIONS DOES NOT WORK. AT TIMES HEADLIGHTS COULD NOT BE TURNED ON MANUALLY, AFFECTING VISIBILITY AT NIGHT DRIVING. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE WHEEL STUDS BROKE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN THE WHEEL COMING OFF THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .