FaultScore report
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1987 Pontiac Firebird with NHTSA between 1995 and 2003. The largest single group is the seat belts.
11
Complaints
1
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
Click any bar to open that year's report.
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Median failure at 63,000 miles
1 crashes, 0 fires
0 crashes, 1 fires
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
THROTTLE STICKING
THROTTLE STICKING
REAR AXLE SHAFT FAILURE
SAFETY BUCKLE BREAKAGE
POWER STEERING BRACKET
P/S BRACKET FAILURE
REAR DISC BRAKES
SUMMARY: CORROSION IN THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER PREVENTS AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT FOR PAD WEAR. THIS MAY EVENTUALLY CAUSE LOSS OF REAR SERVICE BRAKE AND PARKING BRAKE. GM HAS ADDED CORROSION PROTECTION AND CHANGED SPRING RATE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. SAME BASIC DESIGN USED ON ALL MODELS IDENTIFIED.
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.
Seats And Restraints
On certain vehicles, the seat belt buckle assemblies may not latch or release due to fracture of the red push button. This would prevent a person from using his or her seat belt thereby increasing the risk of injury in the event of a sudden stop or collision. Correction: Seat belt buckles will be inspected and defective assemblies will be replaced.
Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CAUSE OF FIRE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #10040334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #804487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CAUSE OF FIRE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #10040334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
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.
NHTSA complaint #8023483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEATBELT LATCH COVER MISSING WHEN PURCHASED.
NHTSA complaint #759971 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
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
NHTSA complaint #558992 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
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
NHTSA complaint #558992 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
FUEL TANK FILLER NECK IS LOOSE, PERMITTING LIQUID FUEL AND VAPORS TO ESCAPE - FIRE AND EXPLOSION POSSIBLE.
NHTSA complaint #726370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
RECALL REPAIR WORK FOR SEAT BELT BUCKLES DONE IN 1990 HAS FAILED. THE BUCKLES ARE SHATTERED.
NHTSA complaint #834628 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
RECALL WORK ON THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT COMPLETED PROPERLY, WRONG PARTS ON ONE BELT AND OTHER BELTS NOT REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #537034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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.
NHTSA complaint #804487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
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.
NHTSA complaint #509772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP, DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN AND DOES NOT RETRACT. TT
NHTSA complaint #971260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.