1989 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 1989 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 belts733.3%
- Brakes314.3%
- Engine29.5%
- Fuel system29.5%
- Steering29.5%
- Tires & wheels14.8%
- Driver assistance14.8%
- Electrical14.8%
- Interior & seats14.8%
- Other / unspecified14.8%
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 seatbelts do not click into the buckle properly and the springs have broken.
CONSUMER IS REQUESTING INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO RECALL CONCERNS FOR 1989 FIREBIRD . *MR THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT PROPERLY LEAVING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF SLACK. *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN SON APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION THE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. DRIVER HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. DRIVER WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH BECAUSE OF THIS. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP, WHERE THE BRAKE BOOSTER ROD CLIP WAS FOUND BROKEN. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
BRAKES, AIR CONDITIONING, POWER DOOR LOCKS, HORN RELA
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 APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE CAUSE OF WHY THIS HAPPENED WAS UNDETERMINED.
ENGINE FAILED.
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
GM WON'T FIX THE RECALLS FOR MY 1989 PONTIAC FIREBIRD. THEY SAY THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE, BUT THERE ARE. *JB
ASK FOR MR HOPKINSON. FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL TANK WHEN FULL. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, STEERING COLUMN BROKE INSIDE HOUSING AND CAUSED STEERING WHEEL TWO LOCK UP, RESULTING IN VEHICLE GOING INTO A COMPLETE CIRCLE ON A BUSY STREET. CONSUMER FELT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. *AK THE STEERING COLUMN/HOUSING WAS REPLACED, THE 4 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE COLUMN TO THE HOUSING GET FATIGUED AND BREAK AFTER YEARS OF PEOPLE PUSHING AGAINST THE COLUMN TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. *SLC
WHILE DRIVING, SUDDENLY LOST STEERING CAPABILITY WHEN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, COULDN'T TURN RIGHT OR LEFT, UPON BRAKING VEHICLE SPINNED OUT, THEN ROLLED OVER.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
2 OUT OF 3 ORIGINAL FIRESTONE TRIATHLON II TIRES ARE CRACKING AROUND THE TIRE ALONG THE RADIAL. NLM
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
WHILE DRIVER WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, THE ENGINE SURGED LIKE THE DRIVER WAS STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN THE DRIVER'S FOOT WAS ACTUALLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND VEHICLE ZOOMED RIGHT OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY INTO A NEIGHBOR'S YARD, BACK END FIRST HITTING A TREE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP TO BE CHECK FOR TROUBLE. A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED LIKE THIS IN JULY OF 1993 AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE SYSTEM WILL JUST KICK BACK IN. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE FAILURE AND STILL IT HAS NOT REMEDIED THE PROBLEM. TT
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
HOOD LATCH FAILURE, LATCH HAS BROKEN TWICE. TT
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 JACK BENT AFTER RAISING VEHICLE OFF GROUND TO REMOVE FLAT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO FALL OFF OF JACK. *DSH
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 .