Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1986 Pontiac Firebird, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Seat belts13
- Steering2
- Latches/locks/linkages1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
- Fuel system, other1
- Vehicle speed control1
- Parking brake1
- Electrical system1
- Equipment1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1986 Pontiac Firebird failed the safety check 0.47% of the time — 38% less often than the average 1986 passenger car (0.76%). Median odometer at inspection: 88,660 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
31 first registered in 1986 are on Dutch roads; 97% arrived later as imports.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen6
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld3
- Stadslicht kleur wijkt af of niet toegestaan3
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm3
- Fusee(kogel) te veel speling2
- Verstelinrichting zitplaats of rugleuning vergrendeld niet2
- Band beschadigd2
- Dim-, grootlicht werkt niet (goed)2
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1 cars built in 1986 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 14 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
In Finland
5 of these cars first registered in 1986 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 132,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
6 1986 cars are on the New Zealand register; 50% arrived as used imports, 17% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 1986 Pontiac Firebird.
| 1991063 17 Apr 1991 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the parking brake system may contain a non-functional parking brake adjuster. This may result in a gradual loss of parking brake effective… |
| 1990091 19 Jun 1990 | 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 hi… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTER FAILS TO OPERATE AND DO NOT WORK AFTER BRAKE PAD WEAR.
PLASTIC COMPONENTS OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES DO NOT CONTAIN AN ULTRA VIOLET STABILIZER, AND EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND ELEVATED INTERIOR TEMPERATURES COULD WEAKEN THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Pontiac told its dealers about the 1986 Pontiac Firebird: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10006297 | NO SERIAL DATA COMMUNICATIONS USING THE TECH 1 WITH A 1986 OR NEWER CAMARO, FIREBIRD OR CORVETTE WITH A 5.0 OR 5.7 LITRE ENGINE. SIT BULLETIN 1450640. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
THROTTLE STICKING
REAR AXLE SHAFT FAILURE
REAR DISC BRAKES
SAFETY BUCKLE BREAKAGE
SAFETY BELT BUCKLE BREAKAG
REAR DISC BRAKES
REAR BRAKE FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation