IllustrationFUEL LEAKAGE ; LEAKAGE OCCURRED IN FUEL LINE THAT IS ATTACHED TO FUEL INJECTOR. CONSUMER NOTICED PROBLEM WHEN COMING OUTSIDE TO VEHICLE, AND SMELLING THE GASOLINE. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, AND PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED YET.*AK
1997 Pontiac Firebird
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Firebird years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 4 of 49 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
4 reportsLACK OF POWER, HESITATION, BACKFIRING THROUGH FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. CANNOT MAINTAIN 40 MPH ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS, GOING UPHILL.
OWNER FILLED THE VEHICLE AND FORGOT TO REPLACE THE CAP. WITHIN ONE MILE OF DRIVING, THE GAS TANK WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE WAS GAS SPILLING OUT OF THE TANK AND RUNNING DOWN THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ONTO THE EXHAUST.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY, BEGAN TO SMELL GAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE, HAD TO PULL OVER AND LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND GAS WAS FLOODING OVER THE ENGINE, THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED GAS WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. *AK
Official recalls
196V219000 · Seat Belts:front:retractor
Nov 4, 1996
THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH SEAT BELT RETRACTORS OUT OF DESIGN POSITION WHICH CAN CAUSE THE RETRACTOR TO LOCK-UP ON SLOPES LESS SEVERE THAN THE FMVSS REQUIREMENT. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 209, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE COLLISION, UNBELTED OCCUPANTS ARE MORE AT RISK OF INJURY THAN THOSE USING SEAT BELTS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SEAT BELTS FOR PROPER FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR POSITION. RETRACTORS FOUND TO BE IMPROPERLY POSITIONED WILL BE REINSTALLED CORRECTLY.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA97024 · Fuel Tube Retaining Clip Failure
Opened Nov 13, 1997 · Closed Sep 29, 1998
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
MOST OF THE REPORTS REVIEWED IN THIS INVESTIGATION ARE FIRE INCIDENTS IN WHICH FUEL LEAKAGE HAS BEEN ALLEGED AS THE CAUSE OR THE AREA OF ORIGIN IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ALLEGED DEFECT.THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE SUBJECT CLIP WAS A FACTOR IN ANY OF THESE FIRE INCIDENTS AND NHTSA TESTING INDICATES THATBROKEN OR DISLODGED RETENTION CLIP DOES NOT RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL LINE BUNDLE TOWARD THE LEFT SECONDARY AIR INJECTION CHECK VALVE.FAILURE OF THE CLIP PLACES THE FUEL LINE BUNDLE ASSEMBLY IN THE SAME CONFIGURATION AS THE 1993 MODEL YEAR LTI VEHICLES.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE97036 · Fuel Tub Retaining Clip Failure
Opened Jul 24, 1997 · Closed Nov 13, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
OWNERS HAVE REPORTED FAILURES OF THE FUEL TUBE RETENTION CLIP THAT ATTACHES TO THE PLASTIC THROTTLE LINKAGE COVER.ACCORDING TO GM, THE SUBJECT RETENTION CLIP (P/N 12048089) WAS IMPLEMENTED IN PRODUCTION ON OCTOBER 12, 1993, TO ADDRESS A CONCERN WITH INCORRECT ASSEMBLY PLANT FUEL LINE ROUTING.MIS-ROUTED FUEL TUBES MAY FAIL FROM CONTACT WITH A HOT AIR CHECK VALVE, CREATING A FIRE HAZARD IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.GM MAINTAINS THAT NO PROBLEMS SHOULD OCCUR IF THE CLIP IS PROPERLY INSTALLED AND ISN'T MISHANDLED DURING SUBSEQUENT SERVICE OPERATIONS.SOME OWNERS HAVE ALLEGED TO ODI THAT THE SUBJECT CLIP BECOMES BRITTLE OVER TIME AND MAY ALSO PULL FREE OF THE THROTTLE LINKAGE COVER ATTACHMENT HOLE.