Total Complaints
16 filings
PONTIAC SUNBIRD · model year
1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRD
16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989PONTIACSUNBIRD carries 16 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 1989 SUNBIRD is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe with 2 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (2) and electrical system:wiring:front underhood (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 1989 SUNBIRD. 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.
16
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050414FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK DEVELOPED CRACKS AND THERE WERE SIGN OF LEAKAGE AT THE SEAMS. RECALL 88V189000 WAS ISSUED, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK *NM
Mileage: 167,000
20020422CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY ANOTHER VEHICLE VEERED INTO CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ANDDUAL AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
20000623SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I WAS PROMICED ALL THESE THINGS BUT HE IGNORED ME AND I HAVE BEEN ENDED UP WITH A PIECE OF JUNK THAT I PAID $800 AND HAVE PUT OVER $500 INTO IT I WANT TO KEEP THE CAR BUT THERE ARE MAJOR THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AND I EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT I CALLED MY LOCAL DMV AND EVEN WENT DOWN THERE BUT THEY HAVE HAD TOO MANY COMPAINTS ON THIS GUY AND THEY CANT HANDLE MY CASE AT THIS TIME I WOULD JUST LIKE HIM TOO EITHER SEND ME TOO A PLACE OR SEND ME THE MONEY AFTER I GET QOUTES ON THE PROBLEMS I THINK THE COST WOULD BE A TOTAL OF AROUND $1000 OR JUST GIVE ME WHAT I PUT INTO THE CAR PLUS WHAT I PAYED FOR IT AND I WOULD BE HAPPY THAT WOULD BE AROUND $1500. *NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
20000623ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
I WAS PROMICED ALL THESE THINGS BUT HE IGNORED ME AND I HAVE BEEN ENDED UP WITH A PIECE OF JUNK THAT I PAID $800 AND HAVE PUT OVER $500 INTO IT I WANT TO KEEP THE CAR BUT THERE ARE MAJOR THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AND I EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT I CALLED MY LOCAL DMV AND EVEN WENT DOWN THERE BUT THEY HAVE HAD TOO MANY COMPAINTS ON THIS GUY AND THEY CANT HANDLE MY CASE AT THIS TIME I WOULD JUST LIKE HIM TOO EITHER SEND ME TOO A PLACE OR SEND ME THE MONEY AFTER I GET QOUTES ON THE PROBLEMS I THINK THE COST WOULD BE A TOTAL OF AROUND $1000 OR JUST GIVE ME WHAT I PUT INTO THE CAR PLUS WHAT I PAYED FOR IT AND I WOULD BE HAPPY THAT WOULD BE AROUND $1500. *NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
20000623EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
I WAS PROMICED ALL THESE THINGS BUT HE IGNORED ME AND I HAVE BEEN ENDED UP WITH A PIECE OF JUNK THAT I PAID $800 AND HAVE PUT OVER $500 INTO IT I WANT TO KEEP THE CAR BUT THERE ARE MAJOR THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AND I EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT I CALLED MY LOCAL DMV AND EVEN WENT DOWN THERE BUT THEY HAVE HAD TOO MANY COMPAINTS ON THIS GUY AND THEY CANT HANDLE MY CASE AT THIS TIME I WOULD JUST LIKE HIM TOO EITHER SEND ME TOO A PLACE OR SEND ME THE MONEY AFTER I GET QOUTES ON THE PROBLEMS I THINK THE COST WOULD BE A TOTAL OF AROUND $1000 OR JUST GIVE ME WHAT I PUT INTO THE CAR PLUS WHAT I PAYED FOR IT AND I WOULD BE HAPPY THAT WOULD BE AROUND $1500. *NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
20000623ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
I WAS PROMICED ALL THESE THINGS BUT HE IGNORED ME AND I HAVE BEEN ENDED UP WITH A PIECE OF JUNK THAT I PAID $800 AND HAVE PUT OVER $500 INTO IT I WANT TO KEEP THE CAR BUT THERE ARE MAJOR THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AND I EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT I CALLED MY LOCAL DMV AND EVEN WENT DOWN THERE BUT THEY HAVE HAD TOO MANY COMPAINTS ON THIS GUY AND THEY CANT HANDLE MY CASE AT THIS TIME I WOULD JUST LIKE HIM TOO EITHER SEND ME TOO A PLACE OR SEND ME THE MONEY AFTER I GET QOUTES ON THE PROBLEMS I THINK THE COST WOULD BE A TOTAL OF AROUND $1000 OR JUST GIVE ME WHAT I PUT INTO THE CAR PLUS WHAT I PAYED FOR IT AND I WOULD BE HAPPY THAT WOULD BE AROUND $1500. *NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
20000623ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
I WAS PROMICED ALL THESE THINGS BUT HE IGNORED ME AND I HAVE BEEN ENDED UP WITH A PIECE OF JUNK THAT I PAID $800 AND HAVE PUT OVER $500 INTO IT I WANT TO KEEP THE CAR BUT THERE ARE MAJOR THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AND I EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT I CALLED MY LOCAL DMV AND EVEN WENT DOWN THERE BUT THEY HAVE HAD TOO MANY COMPAINTS ON THIS GUY AND THEY CANT HANDLE MY CASE AT THIS TIME I WOULD JUST LIKE HIM TOO EITHER SEND ME TOO A PLACE OR SEND ME THE MONEY AFTER I GET QOUTES ON THE PROBLEMS I THINK THE COST WOULD BE A TOTAL OF AROUND $1000 OR JUST GIVE ME WHAT I PUT INTO THE CAR PLUS WHAT I PAYED FOR IT AND I WOULD BE HAPPY THAT WOULD BE AROUND $1500. *NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
20000623UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I WAS PROMICED ALL THESE THINGS BUT HE IGNORED ME AND I HAVE BEEN ENDED UP WITH A PIECE OF JUNK THAT I PAID $800 AND HAVE PUT OVER $500 INTO IT I WANT TO KEEP THE CAR BUT THERE ARE MAJOR THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED AND I EVEN HAVE A WRITTEN CONTRACT I CALLED MY LOCAL DMV AND EVEN WENT DOWN THERE BUT THEY HAVE HAD TOO MANY COMPAINTS ON THIS GUY AND THEY CANT HANDLE MY CASE AT THIS TIME I WOULD JUST LIKE HIM TOO EITHER SEND ME TOO A PLACE OR SEND ME THE MONEY AFTER I GET QOUTES ON THE PROBLEMS I THINK THE COST WOULD BE A TOTAL OF AROUND $1000 OR JUST GIVE ME WHAT I PUT INTO THE CAR PLUS WHAT I PAYED FOR IT AND I WOULD BE HAPPY THAT WOULD BE AROUND $1500. *NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK
19980708FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
FUEL TANK FAILURE.
19960624ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING BELT FAILED.
19960624ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE HARD TO START IN MORNING. *DH
19960624ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
MUFFLER REPLACED THREE TIMES.
19960624POWER TRAIN
LOOSE WIRE ON DASH PANEL, CAUSES SPEEDOMETER TO FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY.
19960624ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
TAIL PIPE REPLACED.
19951218SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILURE, SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE. TT
19950127FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE: WHILE DRIVING FREEWAY, HEARD BANG; NOTICED SMOKE; PULLED OVER; ENGINE ENGULFED WITH FIRE; NO WARNING. TT
Compare 1989PONTIACSUNBIRD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRD have?▼
The 1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRD has 16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRD is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD.
Is the 1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRD 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.