IllustrationHARSH 1-2 UPSHIFT, ENGINE CHECK LIGHT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND CANNOT TRACE PROBLEM. CD PLAYER QUIT WORKING SOON AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED
1998 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 63 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 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports2 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
63 reportsBATTERY IS LINKING INTO WIRING HARNESS, AND IS HARD TO START MOTOR.*AK
VEHICLE WOULD FAIL TO STOP WHEN APPLYING ABS BRAKES SUDDENLY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AT 45MPH. HAD HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 90 DEGREE ANGLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS INJURED, BUT NOT TREATED AT EMERGENCY ROOM, WENT TO PRIVATE DOCTOR.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 80 MPH. WHEN STEPPED ON BRAKE PEDAL TO REDUCE SPEED BRAKES DID NOT WORK.*AK
SPRINGS ARE ALSO WORN OUT, HAD WINDOW MOTORS REPLACED AND THEY STILL MAKE CRUNCHING NOISES. THIS CAR STAYS AT THE PONTIAC SERVICE DEPARTMENT INSTEAD OF MY GARAGE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 50MPH STEERING STARTED TO JERK VIOLENTLY WHILE BRAKING. THIS SECOND TIME AT 26,000 MILES THAT FRONT ROTORS NEEDED REPLACING. DEALER STATED IT WAS NATURAL WEAR AND TEAR.*AK
I WAS DRIVING AND SAW A DEER; PUT ON BRAKES MAKING THEM SOUND, DEER HIT FRONT END OF CAR TEARING OFF LEFT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND MANGLING INSIDE OF LIGHT; ALSO PUSHED THE LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL TOWARD THE DRIVER'S DOOR WITH MINOR DENT IN THAT SECTION. TOOK CAR TO DEALER NEXT MORNING AND RECEIVED ESTIMATE. DURING THE NEXT FEW…
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I WAS DRIVING AND SAW A DEER; PUT ON BRAKES MAKING THEM SOUND, DEER HIT FRONT END OF CAR TEARING OFF LEFT HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND MANGLING INSIDE OF LIGHT; ALSO PUSHED THE LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL TOWARD THE DRIVER'S DOOR WITH MINOR DENT IN THAT SECTION. TOOK CAR TO DEALER NEXT MORNING AND RECEIVED ESTIMATE. DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS NOTICED THAT THE SEAT FELT LIKE IT WAS LOOSE WHEN TURNING SHARP CURVES AND WOULD MAKE A THUMP SOUND. CAR IN FOR REPAIRS. DEALER HAS STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE SEAT TO BECOME LOOSE IN ITS TRACKS. BOLTS ARE TIGHT.*AK
UNEVEN WEAR IN THE BRAKE ROTORS. GM HAS REDESIGNED THE ROTOR BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICING TWICE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. BECAUSE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, GM REFUSES TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS INCORRECTLY REPAIRED PREVIOUSLY AND IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE UNEVEN WEAR CAUSES A …
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UNEVEN WEAR IN THE BRAKE ROTORS. GM HAS REDESIGNED THE ROTOR BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICING TWICE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. BECAUSE CAR IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY, GM REFUSES TO FIX IT EVEN THOUGH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IT WAS INCORRECTLY REPAIRED PREVIOUSLY AND IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. THE UNEVEN WEAR CAUSES A SHIMMY IN THE CAR AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. ACCORDING TO GM SERVICE BULLETINS, IT GENERALLY HAPPENS AFTER ABOUT 7000 MILES FROM LAST BRAKE SERVICING (AS IS THE CASE WITH MY CAR. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH AND TRYING TO AVOID A DEER ON ROAD, DROVE OVER A WET SPOT, LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.