Total Complaints
10 filings
PONTIAC FIREBIRD · model year
1990 PONTIAC FIREBIRD
10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990PONTIACFIREBIRD carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 3 fires, 5 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 1990 FIREBIRD is air bags:frontal with 4 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:front underhood (2) and steering: steering wheel/handle bar (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 1990 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.
10
Complaints
1
Crashes
3
Fires
5
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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 4 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20141202SEAT BELTS
INSIDE PLASTIC PARTS BROKE ON DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT. REPLACEMENT DOES NOT STAY BUCKLED. RECALLS - SEARCH RESULTS SEARCH RESULTS REPORT DATE : DECEMBER 2, 2014 AT 11:21 PM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 90V105000 VEHICLE MAKE / MODEL: MODEL YEAR(S): CHEVROLET / CAMARO 1984-1990 PONTIAC / FIREBIRD 1984-1990 MANUFACTURER: GENERAL MOTORS CORP. REPORT RECEIPT DATE: MAY 14, 1990 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 90V105000 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA90001 COMPONENT: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 1,500,000 SUMMARY: PLASTIC COMPONENTS OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES DO NOT CONTAIN AN ULTRA VIOLET STABILIZER, AND EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT AND ELEVATED INTERIOR TEMPERATURES COULD WEAKEN THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS. CONSEQUENCE: THIS COULD RESULT IN BREAKAGE OF PLASTIC COMPONENTS WHICHCOULD PREVENT BUCKLE FROM LATCHING AND PROTECTING OCCUPANT IN A SUDDEN STOP ORACCIDENT. REMEDY: REPLACE OR REPAIR SEAT BELT BUCKLE. NOTES: SYSTE
19990701FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
PURCHASSED CAR 9/98 FROM ACCENT AUTO ANOTHER CHANCE FINANCE, RETURNED TO DEALER WITH OVERHEATING PROBLEMS NEXT DAY. THEY SAID IT WAS A MINOR PROBLEM & SAID IT WAS FIXED. CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT, WAS BROUGHT BACK TO DEALER AT LEAST 1 TIME A MONTH. TOOK IT TO OTHER MECHANICS AND HAD MANY ITEMS FIXED BECAUSE OF OVERHEATING. FOUND OUT THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT THE RIGHT ENGINE FOR THE CAR. CONTINUED TO HAVE HEATING PROBLEMS. THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD REPAIR THE PROBLEM AGAIN, THEY DID NOT. THE CAR STARTED BACKFIRING AND DIED. THE DEALER TOWED THE CAR, SAID THEY WOULD PUT ANOTHER ENGINE IN. THIS TOOK 3/4WKS, I PICKED IT UP GOT TO WORK AND THE ENGINE DID THE SAME BACKFIRE & HEATING AS BEFORE. THEY TOWED IT AGAIN AND SAID THEY WOULD PUT ANOTHER ENGINE IN. I TOOK IT FOR TEST DRIVE WITH THE DEALER, IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING, THE DEALER DROVE IT BACK TO THE LOT AS FIRE STARTED COMING OUT OF ENGINE. I WAS VERY UPSET AT THE DEALERS NON-COMPLIENCE TO FIX THE PROBLEM PROPERLY. I HAD NO USE OF THE
19960304AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE AIR BAG IS COMING OUT CONSTANTLY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL FOR ANY REASON.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960304AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE AIR BAG IS COMING OUT CONSTANTLY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL FOR ANY REASON.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960304AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
THE AIR BAG IS COMING OUT CONSTANTLY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL FOR ANY REASON.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960207CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY IN A FRONTAL COLLISION (12:00) AT 45 MPH. TT
19951206VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE THROTTLE GOT STUCK WHEN VEHICLE WAS GOING 60MPH AND WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
19950418FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
VEHICLE FIRE WHEN TURNING ON IGNITION, ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. TT
19950418STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING WHEEL BROKE WHILE DRIVING AND FELL INTO DRVER'S LAP. TT
19950331FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, WHEN STARTING VEHICLE. TT
Compare 1990PONTIACFIREBIRD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1990 PONTIAC FIREBIRD have?▼
The 1990 PONTIAC FIREBIRD has 10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 PONTIAC FIREBIRD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 PONTIAC FIREBIRD is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD and STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR.
Is the 1990 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.