Total Complaints
27 filings
PONTIAC 6000 · model year
27 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987PONTIAC6000 carries 27 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1987 6000 is structure:frame and members with 3 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (3) and steering:rack and pinion (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 17 investigation files overlapping the 1987 6000. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
27 filings
Crashes Reported
3 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES | 1 |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
FUEL TANK FUEL LINES AND BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTING. FUEL TANK IS SEEPING GASOLINE WHEN FULL.
FUEL TANK FUEL LINES AND BRAKE LINES ARE RUSTING. FUEL TANK IS SEEPING GASOLINE WHEN FULL.
THIS IS REFERRING TO A CURRENT RECALL THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED. YOUR CURRENT RECALL # IS 88V048000 UNDER THE NHTSA GUIDELINES. THIS RECALL INCLUDES CARS FOR ONE MONTH OF PRODUCTION FOR ONE YEAR. THE PROBLEM EXISTS IN ALL YEARS OF THE CAR, 88 AND EARLIER. I AM A MEMBER OF A CLUB THAT HAS OVER 200 MEMBERS WITH THIS PROBLEM ON THERE CAR. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT YOU PHONE, BUT HAS BEEN BUSY FROM 12 MIDNIGHT, TO 12 MIDNIGHT. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I CAN PROVIDE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS CLAIM. IN 1989 GM UPGRADED THEIR ENGINE CRADLE WITH A SUPPORT BRACKET TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM FROM OCCURING. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ABOUT THE 10 OF THOUSANDS OF CARS STILL ON THE ROAD TO TODAY THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM, AND COULD BE POTENTIALLY FATAL FOR A NUMBER OF PEOPLE.*AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT ENGINE CRADLE CRACKED AT THE CONTROL ARM. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 1988 MODELS, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THAT ENGINE CRADLE CRACKED, AND IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE TO FIX THE ENGINE CRADLE. *AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNDERHOOD FIRE WHILE DRIVING.*MR WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 68 MPH THE VEHICLE MADE A POPPING SOUND AND THE VEHICLE'S SPEED REDUCED. THE CONSUMER THEN NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE CONSUMER EXITED THE VEHICLE WITH HER SON AND NOTICED SMOKE AND FIRE UNDER THE VEHICLE. *PH *NM
RADIATOR FAILED. NLM
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHEN DRIVER PUT THE GEAR SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND HIT A PARKED CAR. NLM
THERMOSTAT FAILED. NLM
MAP SENSOR FAILED. NLM
SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE I HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF BRAKE PROBLEMS THAT INCLUDE REAR BRAKE LOCKING AND CAR GOING INTO SPINS ON SNOW AND ICE. I HAVE HAD THREE MASTER CYLINDERS REPLACED, I HAVE HAD REAR BRAKING SYSTEM INSPECTED AND SERVICED BY FIRESTONE. GOODYEAR, AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS, CARX AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THE REAR WHEEL LOCKING PROBLEM FOR ANY EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME . OFTEN THE PROBLEM ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE WEATHER IS DAMP. ON JAN 13 MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND HIT THE BRAKE AND THE CAR WENT INTO A SPIN AND HIS REAR END STRUCK ONCOMING VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY NEITHER WAS INJURED. I WISH I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF NHTSA BEFORE NOW BECAUSE THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS (POWER STEERING, SPARK KNOCKING, AND ENGINE VALVE COVER LEAKING TO NAME A FEW). I LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF TECHNICAL BULLETINS ON THIS CAR AND WAS SHOCKED! I NEVER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY PONTIAC OF DEALER FOR A SINGLE CAMPAIGN ON THIS CAR IN ALL THE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. I KNOW ANOTHER OW
SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE I HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF BRAKE PROBLEMS THAT INCLUDE REAR BRAKE LOCKING AND CAR GOING INTO SPINS ON SNOW AND ICE. I HAVE HAD THREE MASTER CYLINDERS REPLACED, I HAVE HAD REAR BRAKING SYSTEM INSPECTED AND SERVICED BY FIRESTONE. GOODYEAR, AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALISTS, CARX AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT THE REAR WHEEL LOCKING PROBLEM FOR ANY EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME . OFTEN THE PROBLEM ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE WEATHER IS DAMP. ON JAN 13 MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND HIT THE BRAKE AND THE CAR WENT INTO A SPIN AND HIS REAR END STRUCK ONCOMING VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY NEITHER WAS INJURED. I WISH I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF NHTSA BEFORE NOW BECAUSE THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS (POWER STEERING, SPARK KNOCKING, AND ENGINE VALVE COVER LEAKING TO NAME A FEW). I LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF TECHNICAL BULLETINS ON THIS CAR AND WAS SHOCKED! I NEVER HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY PONTIAC OF DEALER FOR A SINGLE CAMPAIGN ON THIS CAR IN ALL THE YEARS OF OWNERSHIP. I KNOW ANOTHER OW
BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND WHEN DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE BRAKES WERE HARD AND THE CONSUMER HAD TO PUSH DOWN HARD ON THE BRAKES TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY SEP. '86, THIS VEHICLE MANUFACTURED DEC. '86, BUT HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK *ML
WAS PULLING OUT OF PARKING SPACE ABOUT 5MPH WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. HAD NO WARNING. VEHICLE HIT TRUCK ACROSS STREET. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. *AK
CONSUMER COMPLAINT THAT MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT CAUSED FAILURE OF RACK & PINION STEERING.
ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT)
COMPUTER FAILURE.
THE TILT STEERING COLUMN HAS DEVELOPED TOO MUCH PLAY AND COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*AK CONSUMER STATES SOME BEARINGS INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN BECAME LOOSE CAUSING AN EXCESSIVE WOBBLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN. *SLC
THE TILT STEERING COLUMN HAS DEVELOPED TOO MUCH PLAY AND COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*AK CONSUMER STATES SOME BEARINGS INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN BECAME LOOSE CAUSING AN EXCESSIVE WOBBLE OF THE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN. *SLC
POWER BRAKES -SECONDARY-PUMP FAILED. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE-PIVOT DRIVE ASSEMBLY FAILED. *AK
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1987 PONTIAC 6000; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.