Total Complaints
3 filings
PONTIAC FIREBIRD · model year
1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
3 NHTSA complaints. 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 1978PONTIACFIREBIRD carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 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 1978 FIREBIRD is electrical system:starter assembly:solenoid with 2 filings, followed by tires:sidewall (1). 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 1978 FIREBIRD. 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.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID | 2 |
| TIRES:SIDEWALL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050914ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID
WAS THERE A RECALL ON PONTIAC FIREBIRDS FOR HOT STARTING PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE STARTER AND SOLENOID BEING MOUNTED ON THE ENGINE BLOCK, CLOSE TOO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD? IT OCCURS WHEN THE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD EFFECT THE STARTER SOLENOID SO THAT NO CHARGE GETS THROUGH TO THE STARTER. AS A RESULT, THE CAR WILL NOT START UNTIL THE SOLENOID COOLS DOWN. WHY CAN'T THE SOLENOID BE MOUNTED ELSEWHERE? I BELIEVE THAT GM NEVER ADDRESSED THE HOT STARTING PROBLEM IT IS A DANGER, ESPECIALLY IF ONE BREAKS DOWN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH INADEQUATE SHOULDERS OR CANNOT GET TO A SHOULDER. BEING UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE COULD CREATE A TRAFFIC HAZARD. ADDITIONALLY IN EMERGENCIES (MEDICAL OR NATURAL DISASTER), ONE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MOVE THE EFFECTED VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. SINCERELY, JOHN OLIVA. *JB
Mileage: 202,175
20050912ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID
MY ORIGINAL 1978 PONTIAC FB FORUM ON OCCASION HAS HOT STARTING PROBLEMS (MEANING THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START UNTIL THE STARTER SOLENOID COOLS DOWN). THIS HEAT RELATED PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE STARTER SOLENOID BEING TO CLOSE TO THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MY CONCERN IS IF THE VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN ON THE ROAD WITHOUT A SHOULDER AND CAN'T START, IT MIGHT OBSTRUCT TRAFFIC AND BE A POSSIBLE HAZARD, MOREOVER IF IT CAN'T START DUE TO HEATING PROBLEM DURING ANOTHER TYPE OF EMERGENCY SUCH AS A FLOOD OR TSUNAMI IT COULD BE DISASTROUS. WHY DOESN'T GM FIX THIS PROBLEM ON ALL AUTO'S EFFECTED WITH HOT STARTING PROBLEMS, BY MOVING THE SOLENOID OFF THE STARTER TO A LOCATION WHERE IT WILL NOT RECEIVE HEAT.? LUCKILY, MY PROBLEM OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT AFTER SHOPPING. THANK YOU, SINCERELY, JOHN OLIVA 09/11/2005. *JB
Mileage: 202,179
20030331TIRES:SIDEWALL
THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES RIPPED AND BUBBLED UP. *JB
Mileage: 23,000
Compare 1978PONTIACFIREBIRD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD have?▼
The 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY:SOLENOID with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:SIDEWALL.
Is the 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
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 1978 PONTIAC FIREBIRD; 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.