PONTIAC TRANS AM · model year

1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM

10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1986PONTIACTRANS AM 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, 1 fire, 3 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 1986 TRANS AM is seat belts with 2 filings, followed by latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch (1) and unknown or other (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 1986 TRANS AM. 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
1
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

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

ComponentCount
SEAT BELTS2
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE1
POWER TRAIN1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT1
TIRES1

Recent Complaints

20090205SEAT BELTS

MAKE: PONTIAC MODEL: FIREBIRD MODEL YEAR: 1986 MANUFACTURER: GENERAL MOTORS CORP. MFR'S REPORT DATE: MAY 04, 1990 NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 90V105000 EA90001 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: EA90001 COMPONENT: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED: 1500000 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: SYSTEM: SEAT BELT BUCKLE.VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER CARS. *TR

20080929TIRES

KELLY SPRINGFIELD TIRES 245/5016R HUGGER GT-D. INNER TREADWALL HAS SEPARATED APPROX 1/2 ABOVE RIM, COMPLETELY AROUND TIRE. TIRE IS STILL INFLATED, BUT HAD A FAILURE OF FRONT RIGHT TIRE IN 1/2007. DID NOT SEE TIRE PRIOR TO REPLACEMENT OF TIRE BY FAMILY MEMBER. LEFT REAR TIRE HAS SAME SEPARATION BUT NOT YET AS SEVERE AS FRONT LEFT. CAR IS UTILIZED MOSTLY ON WEEKENDS AND HAS AMPLE TREAD REMAINING ON TIRE SURFACE. PICTURES AVAILABLE. HAVE NOT YET REPLACE TIRE AS I WILL TRANSIT TO STORE PURCHASE LOCATION 9/30/08 FOR ASSESSMENT. *TR

Mileage: 217,000

20040319SEAT BELTS:FRONT

I TRIED TO BRING IN MY 86 PONTIAC TRANS AM TO THE LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP (MIKE SMITH AUOTPLAZA) AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX A RECALL THAT WAS PUT OUT FOR DEFECTIVE SEATBELTS ON MY CAR. THEY SAID TIME HAD RAN OUT FOR ME TO GET THE WORK DOWN AND MY CAR WAS TOO OLD FOR THE RECALL. *AK

20030220POWER TRAIN

THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP WHICH CAUSED THE REAR TIRES TO LOCK UP, WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.*JB

20000126SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

SEEKING ASSISTANCE IN MAKING PONTIAC DIVISION ACKNOWLEDGE ITS RESPONSIBILITY IN TAKING CORRECTIVE ACTION ON AN OPEN RECALL NUMBER 90-C-03. THIS RECALL WAS COMPLETED BY DON SISK PONTIAC IN INDIANAPOLIS ON APRIL 1995. THE UNIT SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED IN NOV. 1999 AND WAS TAKEN TO THREE PONTIAC DEALERS IN SEARCH OF A REPAIR, FIELDS PONTIAC IN LAKE WALES, FL, DON SISK IN INDIANAPOLIS, AND COGGIN STARLING, 4425 W. VINE ST., KISSIMMEE, FL 34746, 407/847-8122 WHERE THE LAST REFUSAL TO HONOR THE DEFECTIVE RECALL WAS RECEIVED. THE PONTIAC ZONE MANAGER, DENNIS FERGUSON, WHO TAKES A NEGATIVE POSITION IN HONORING THIS PLEDGE MADE IN THE LETTER TO ME WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE RECALL, "IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE RECALL OCCUR IN THE FUTURE - NO MATTER WHEN - CONTACT YOUR PONTIAC DEALER FOR THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE REPAIR. PLEASE KEEP THIS LETTER IN YOUR PONTIAC, ALONG WITH YOUR OWNERS MANUAL, SO THAT ANY FUTURE OWNER WILL ALSO KNOW OF THIS SITUATION." I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH PONTIAC

19991014FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

WHILE DRIVING SMELLED GAS FUMES. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. NOTICED TOP OF TANK WAS SOFT & WAS BECOMING RUSTY DUE TO WATER ACCUMULATION. FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

19990503SEAT BELTS

DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SHOULDER BELT ANCHORS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY, CONSUMER CAN'T PULL THE SEAT BELTS OUT. *AK

19981005FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE FIRE.(OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT).

19970222UNKNOWN OR OTHER

NOT SPECIFIED.

19961119CrashLATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

RIGHT FRONT DOOR LATCH/STRIKER FAILURE. *AK

Compare 1986PONTIACTRANS AM to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM have?
The 1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM has 10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM?
The most-complained component for the 1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM is SEAT BELTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1986 PONTIAC TRANS AM 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.