PONTIAC FIREBIRD · model year

1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD

22 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1985PONTIACFIREBIRD carries 22 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 3 fires, 3 injuries, and 2 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1985 FIREBIRD is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 5 filings, followed by seat belts:front:anchorage (3) and seat belts:front:webbing (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 17 investigation files overlapping the 1985 FIREBIRD. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

22
Complaints
3
Crashes
3
Fires
3
Injuries
2
Deaths

Total Complaints

22 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY5
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE3
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING: REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK2
SEAT BELTS2
PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL2
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER1
PARKING BRAKE1

Recent Complaints

20080602PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 91V055000 (PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL). THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE IT DID NOT HAVE REAR DISC BRAKES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING AND FEELS THAT HIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 06/17/08. *LJ THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT HOLD AND COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED. UPDATED

Mileage: 100,000

20051122SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE ARE TWO NHTSA RECALLS CAMPAIGN 85V169000 AND 91V055000 CONCERNING THE FRONT SEAT BELT WEBBING AND PARKING BRAKE. THIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALLS, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS DUE TO VIN. *AK

20051122PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL

DT: THE CONTACT STATES THERE ARE TWO NHTSA RECALLS CAMPAIGN 85V169000 AND 91V055000 CONCERNING THE FRONT SEAT BELT WEBBING AND PARKING BRAKE. THIS VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALLS, BUT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS DUE TO VIN. *AK

20051101SEAT BELTS

UPON RECEIVING MY 1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, THE SEAT BELTS HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY. THE RETRACTING BELT IN THE CEILING WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO THE UNIT ON BOTH SIDES AND THE PLASTIC ON THE LOCKING PIECE NEXT TO THE SEAT IS DESTROYED BY UV RAYS. THE LOCKING PART DOES NOT WORK. THERE IS A POSSIBLE RECALL ON THIS CAR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 85V169000 AND 90V105000 BUT WHEN I CALL GM, THEY ASK FOR MY VIN AND THEN TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE NO RECALL ON MY CAR. *NM

20051101PARKING BRAKE

UPON RECEIVING MY 1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, THE SEAT BELTS HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY. THE RETRACTING BELT IN THE CEILING WILL NOT RETRACT BACK INTO THE UNIT ON BOTH SIDES AND THE PLASTIC ON THE LOCKING PIECE NEXT TO THE SEAT IS DESTROYED BY UV RAYS. THE LOCKING PART DOES NOT WORK. THERE IS A POSSIBLE RECALL ON THIS CAR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 85V169000 AND 90V105000 BUT WHEN I CALL GM, THEY ASK FOR MY VIN AND THEN TELL ME THAT THEY HAVE NO RECALL ON MY CAR. *NM

20030822SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE IS WITHIN THE REMEDY SCOPE FOR RECALL 90V105000 SUBJECT: INTERIOR SYSTEMS: ACTIVE RESTRAINTS: BELT BUCKLES. MANUFACTURER HAS NO RECORD OF THE RECALL, AND WILL NOT AUTHORIZE THE DEALER TO PERFORM ANY REPAIRS UNTIL RECALL IS VERIFIED. CONSUMER DOES HAVE A COPY OF THE RCALL NOTICE THAT WAS SENT BY THE MANUFACTURER.*AK *NLM

20011204SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

EACH OF THESE PROBLEMS HAS A CORRESPONDING RECALL. THE DEALER (WADE RAULERSON) CLAIMS MY VIN IS NO GOOD. THEIR SYSTEM RECEIVES AN ERROR. I CALLED PONTIAC CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-762-2737. JOHN JONES WAS EXTREMELY RUDE AND UNHELPFUL. HE HUNG UP THE PHONE. HE DID ACKNOWLEDGE THE VIN WAS WORKING WITH THEIR DEALER WORLD SERVICE, THE SAME SERVICE THAT ALL DEALERS USE. HE RECEIVED NO COMMENTS WITH MY VIN. HE COULD NOT VERIFY WHETHER THIS WORK HAD BEEN DONE UNDER THE RECALL OF A DIFFERENT OWNER. HE ONLY TOLD ME THAT SINCE THERE IS NOTHING COMING UP, THEN THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO, AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. GM IS AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS. THEY ARE NOT COOPERATING IN FIXING THESE SAFETY RELATED ISSUES (RECALLS). NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

20010323SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

CAMPAIGN NUMBER 90V105000 APPEARS TO COVER THIS PROBLEM. *AK

19991230SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

RUST ACCUMULATION UNDER FLEX BRAKE HOSE CENTRE SUPPORT WHICH HAS CRIMPED HOSE AND CAUSING FLEX BRAKE LINE FAILURE. MJS

19991230SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

BRAKE CALIPER STICKS CAUSING OVERHEATING AND UNEVEN BRAKING ABILITY ON ONE SIDE. MJS

19990409SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELTS DON'T WORK. DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER BELT WON'T HOOK AT ALL, AND PASSENGER'S SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT IS HARD TO HOOK IN, IT WOULD COME APART. *AK

19990309FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE LEFT REAR AREA, BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY A FUEL LINE CONNECTOR.

19970722SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

THE FEMALE PORTION OF ALL THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES ARE BROKEN IN THE VEHICLE. CANNOT FASTEN THE SEAT BELTS. THESE BUCKLES HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

19970128SEAT BELTS

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELTS FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY AFTER RECALL REPAIRS 90V-105. *AK

19960725SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELT RETRACTOR INOPERATIVE WHEN OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FREEZING. *SD

19960307FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING: REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK

VEHICLE FIRE UNDERNEATH REAR OF VEHICLE. TT

19960307FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING: REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK

VEHICLE FIRE UNDERNEATH REAR OF VEHICLE. TT

19960116CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH SLID AND WENT TO THE CRUB AND THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT HAD UNLOCKED AND THE SPRING FROM THE SEAT BELT WAS FOUND ON THE FLOOR. TT

19950921SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SAFETY BELT REPLACED.

19950921SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SAFETY BELT BUCKLE REPLACED. *SKD

Compare 1985PONTIACFIREBIRD to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD have?
The 1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD has 22 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 3 fires, 3 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD?
The most-complained component for the 1985 PONTIAC FIREBIRD is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 5 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING.
Is the 1985 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 as of 2025. 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.