Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Pontiac Firebird, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes, hydraulic13
- Vehicle speed control6
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Power train5
- Electrical system5
- Seats5
- Air bags4
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Exterior lighting2
- Parking brake1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 3 1997 Firebird vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 2 people died inside them. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 1997 Pontiac Firebird failed the safety check 0.43% of the time — 73% less often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 89,676 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the United Kingdom
5 cars built in 1997 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
16 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 141,000 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
2 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 11.5–13.5 L/100 km (about 17–20 mpg US), CO₂ 265–311 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firebird · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 13.8 | 8.6 | 11.5 |
| Firebird · Subcompact · Regular gasoline | 14.3 | 9.3 | 12.0 |
| Firebird · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 16.2 | 9.8 | 13.3 |
| Firebird · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 15.9 | 10.6 | 13.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1997 Pontiac Firebird.
| 1996176 6 Nov 1996 | Seats And Restraints NOTE: CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH C.M.V.S.S. 209 - SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES. THE FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTORS MAY LOCK-UP ON SLOPES LES… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH SEAT BELT RETRACTORS OUT OF DESIGN POSITION WHICH CAN CAUSE THE RETRACTOR TO LOCK-UP ON SLOPES LESS SEVERE THAN THE FMVSS REQUIREMENT. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."
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 1997 Pontiac Firebird: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 636700 | SERVICE MANUAL ADVISES INCORRECT USAGE OF CONVERTIBLE TOP FLUID. *TT |
| 634999 | DIAGNOSIS OF CRACKED OR BROKEN TRANSMISSION CASE. *TT 2006 AND PRIOR CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *TT |
| 634815 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ON A HARSH 1-2 UPSHIFT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR SERVICE ENGINE SOON INDICATOR IS ILLUMINATED AND DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1870 SET. *TT |
| 632306 | SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT ON A BUZZ OR RATTLE SOUND FROM THE DOOR PANEL OR REAR QUARTER PANEL TRIM SPEAKER LOCATIONS. *TT |
| 627839 | INFORMATION REGARDING HARSH 1-2 UPSHIFT, SERVICE ENGINE SOON, MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP, OR CEL ILLUMINATED, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P1870 SET. (1996-2000 CHEVROLET AND GMC LIGHT DUTY TRUCK MODELS) *YH |
| 622930 | SOME OWNERS WITH VEHICLES BUILT BEFORE JANUARY 15,1999 MAY COMMENT ON A HARSH 1-2 UPSHIFT AND MAY ALSO HAVE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. *ET |
| 619742 | THIS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN STATES THAT TECHNICIANS MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTY IN REMOVING THE CONNECTORS FROM THE PARK / NEUTRAL POSITION SWITCH, USUALLY WHEN TRYING TO REMOVE THE SWITCH DURING TRANSMISSION SERVICE. *TT |
| 619008 | ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE AIR INJECTION REACTOR (A.I.R.) PUMP EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM MAY FAIL TO OPERATE AND CAUSE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) TO ILLUMINATE. *TT |
| 618141 | A NO REVERSE, NO SECOND GEAR, OR NO FOURTH GEAR CONDITION. *TT UPDATED *EH |
| 618109 | VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE FAILURES. *JB |
| 618093 | CONCERNS W ITH EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE FAILURES. *JB |
| 617610 | GENERAL MOTORS HAS DECIDED TO CONDUCT A VOLUNTARY EMISSION CAMPAIGN FOR THE AIR INJECTION REACTOR (AIR) PUMP EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH MAY FAIL TO OPERATE AND CAUSE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP TO ILLUMINATE. *TT |
| 616774 | SOME CUSTOMERS MAY EXPERIENCE A FAILURE OF THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION (EGR) VALVE DUE TO CORROSION OF THE INTERNAL DIAPHRAGM PLATE, LEADING TO DRIVEABILITY COMPLAINTS OF A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR EGR VALVE (DTC P0400); OR ENGINE STALL AT IDLE, RUNS ROUGH OR SURGES. *TT |
| 616389 | A CONDITION MAY EXIST WHERE THE AIR INJECTION REACTOR (AIR) PUMP EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM MAY FAIL TO OPERATE AND CAUSE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) TO ILLUMINATE. *TT |
| 615084 | ON SOME CONVERTIBLE MODELS, THE CONVERTIBLE TOP MECHANISM BINDS OR STOPS WHEN HALFWAY OPEN OR CLOSED. *TT |
| 6092567 | VOLUNTARY EMISSION CAMPAIGN INVOLVING THE AIR INJECTION REACTOR (AIR) PUMP EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH MAY FAIL TO OPERATE AND CAUSE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) TO ILLUMINATE. *TT |
| 6091560 | ON SOME VEHICLES THE AIR INJECTION REACTOR (A.I.R.) PUMP EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM MAY FAIL TO OPERATE AND CAUSE THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) TO ILLUMINATE. *TT |
| 6089940 | SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT REGARDING SPARK PLUG WIRE REPLACEMENT. *TT |
| 6088977 | SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT FOR SPARK PLUG WIRE REPLACEMENT ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.8L ENGINE. *TT |
| 603086 | SOME VEHICLES EXPERIENCE ENGINE MISS/ POOR DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOMS. *YC |
| 601903 | SUBJECT REGARDING ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTIC (OBD) SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS (RE-FLASH CALIBRATION). *YC |
| 54419 | COMMENT THAT THE ABS LIGHT IS ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) 46 AND 86 SET AS CURRENT OR HISTORY. *YC |
| 54345 | ANTI-THEFT ALARM MAY SOUND AFTER VEHICLE GETS WET. *YC |
| 54327 | COMMENTS OF AN ENGINE OIL LEAK THAT APPEARS TO ORIGINATE TOWARD THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE; REAR OF ENGINE. *YC |
| 54188 | SUBJECT PERTAINING TO A TCC SLIPS AND/OR DTC P1870. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL TUBE RETAINING CLIP FAILURE
FUEL TUB RETAINING CLIP FAILURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation