Total Complaints
11 filings
PONTIAC FIREBIRD · model year
1987 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987PONTIACFIREBIRD carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 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 1987 FIREBIRD is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 3 filings, followed by wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (2) and seat belts:front:retractor (1). 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 1987 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.
11
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030922FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. CAUSE OF FIRE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
20021202SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT SEAT BELT, HAD A PLASTIC COMPONENT LOCATED IN THE BUCKLE WHICH CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO BE INOPERATIVE. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS. CONSUMER STATED HE ONCE BECAME TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE INOPERATIVE SEAT BELT, AND SINCE THEN, THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT LATCH, THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS INFORMED VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN. *JB
Mileage: 63,000
20020404SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEATBELT LATCH COVER MISSING WHEN PURCHASED. *AK
20010129WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
THE WHEEL STUDS BROKE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN THE WHEEL COMING OFF THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
20010123WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
THE WHEEL STUDS BROKE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN THE WHEEL COMING OFF THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
20000823FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP
FUEL TANK FILLER NECK IS LOOSE, PERMITTING LIQUID FUEL AND VAPORS TO ESCAPE - FIRE AND EXPLOSION POSSIBLE. *AK
19990209SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
RECALL REPAIR WORK FOR SEAT BELT BUCKLES DONE IN 1990 HAS FAILED. THE BUCKLES ARE SHATTERED. *AK
19981014SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
RECALL WORK ON THE SEAT BELT WAS NOT COMPLETED PROPERLY, WRONG PARTS ON ONE BELT AND OTHER BELTS NOT REPLACED.
19970313CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, TURNED THE VEHICLE ON AND PUT IT IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. VEHICLE WENT INTO TREES AND THEN STOPPED. *AK
19961015EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
VEHICLE HAS RETRACTABLE HEADLIGHTS THAT SHOULD BE OPENED MANUALY IF MOTORS DO NOT WORK; HOWEVER, MANUAL OPERATIONS DOES NOT WORK. AT TIMES HEADLIGHTS COULD NOT BE TURNED ON MANUALLY, AFFECTING VISIBILITY AT NIGHT DRIVING. *AK
19950829SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP, DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN AND DOES NOT RETRACT. TT
Compare 1987PONTIACFIREBIRD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 PONTIAC FIREBIRD have?▼
The 1987 PONTIAC FIREBIRD has 11 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 PONTIAC FIREBIRD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 PONTIAC FIREBIRD is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR.
Is the 1987 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.