THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. *NLM
1999 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: 14 of 47 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 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
15 reportsI HAD TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TWICE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF PURCHASE. I HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AT 37500 MILES (WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 37000). THE MOTOR IN DRIVER SIDE DOOR WENT BAD FOR NO REASON. HAD TO REPLACE REAR SEAL AND PINS 4 TIMES OR MORE. I BELIEVED FOR A LONG TIME THAT IT WAS JUST ME BUT AFTER READIN…
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I HAD TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TWICE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF PURCHASE. I HAD TO REPLACE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR AT 37500 MILES (WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 37000). THE MOTOR IN DRIVER SIDE DOOR WENT BAD FOR NO REASON. HAD TO REPLACE REAR SEAL AND PINS 4 TIMES OR MORE. I BELIEVED FOR A LONG TIME THAT IT WAS JUST ME BUT AFTER READING THROUGH THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, I REALIZE IT'S THE CAR! I HAVE ALSO HAD SEVERAL OF THE SAME BRAKE PROBLEMS MENTIONED BY OTHERS ON THIS SITE. PURCHASED NEW, DROVE IT OFF THE PONTIAC LOT. *NLM
I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES/ROTOR AND EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE WHEN BRAKING AT ALL TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS/HOT WEATHER. 6/17/99, TOOK CAR INTO DEALER FOR EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE, THEY GAVE ME BULLETIN #88-5-13 DATED 9/88, SAID NOISE WAS NORMAL IT WILL GO AWAY WITH TIME. TOOK CAR IN AGA IN ON 7/30…
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I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES/ROTOR AND EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE WHEN BRAKING AT ALL TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER MONTHS/HOT WEATHER. 6/17/99, TOOK CAR INTO DEALER FOR EXCESSIVE BRAKE NOISE, THEY GAVE ME BULLETIN #88-5-13 DATED 9/88, SAID NOISE WAS NORMAL IT WILL GO AWAY WITH TIME. TOOK CAR IN AGA IN ON 7/30/99 FOR SAME PROBLEM, NOTHING WAS DONE, DEALER SAID I HAD TO GIVE BRAKES SOME TIME TO WEAR DOWN, THEN IT WILL GO AWAY. AGAIN, ON 09/08/99, WITH 4,477 MILES, BRAKE NOISE WAS WAY EXCESSIVE, THEY REPLACED THE PADS AND REFACED THE ROTORS. AGAIN ON 7/6/00 FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY REMOVED PADS AND INSTALLED BRAKE QUIET AND NEW PADS. ON 8/01/00, TOOK CAR IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY REPLACED FRONT ROTORS AND CLAIMED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED CAR HAD 8,544 MILES AT THE TIME. SUMMER OF 2001, I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT IGNORED IT, I WAS TIRED OF RUNNING TO DEALER WITH THIS PROBLEM EVERY YEAR. ON 7/12/02, CAR HAD 20,926 MILES. I TOOK CAR INTO DEALER AGAIN, THIS TIME BRAKE PEDAL WAS PULSATING, SQUEALING OVER EXCESSIVELY AND STEARING WHEEL WAS SHAKING SEVERELY, WHEN I WAS BRAKING TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN, CAUSING ME TO STOP BEYOND THE SIGN. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO INCOMING TRAFFIC, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. DEALER REPLACED FRONT ROTORS FOR THE 3RD TIME BECAUSE THEY WERE WARPED AGAIN. THIS CAR IS ONLY DRIVEN 6MOS. EACH YEAR. IT IS STORED BEFORE WINTER , FROM MID OCTOBER UNTIL MID APRIL EVERY YEAR. I WAS TOLD THAT GM WILL NOT EXTEND WARRANTIES ON CARS WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHEN MY 5 YR. WARRANTY EXPIRES, I WILL BE STUCK WITH A YEARLY BILL OF REPLACING ROTORS ON THIS CAR, WHICH DOESN'T COME CHEAP. GM SHOULD GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING THESE ROTORS TO WARP, AND FIX IT ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE FIREBIRD I OWNED PREVIOUSLY, I PURCHASED IT NEW IN 1994, I NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE ROTOR ON THIS CAR FOR THE SIX YEARS I OWNED IT, THE ONLY THING I HAD TO REPLACE WAS THE PADS. I HAVE HAD EXCELLENT SERVICE FROM THE DEALER. DT
WARPED BRAKE ROTORS CAUSED VEHICLE TO SHAKE. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR VEHICLE THREE TIMES. *AK
I HAVE TAKEN IN MY CAR THREE TIMES WITH IN FEB/00 TO 12/00 PUTNUM HAS ONLY CHANGED MY BRAKES AND I ALSO HAVE ROTOR PROBLEMS AND I FEEL ABS PROBLEMS. THEY ARE SAYING I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM TO BE FIXED AND THE REASON WHY MY ROTORS ARE WORPED IS THE BREAKS GET HOT SO THEY SAY. I AM NOT FEELING GOOD ABOUT THIS DUE TO WHEN DRIVING MY…
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I HAVE TAKEN IN MY CAR THREE TIMES WITH IN FEB/00 TO 12/00 PUTNUM HAS ONLY CHANGED MY BRAKES AND I ALSO HAVE ROTOR PROBLEMS AND I FEEL ABS PROBLEMS. THEY ARE SAYING I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM TO BE FIXED AND THE REASON WHY MY ROTORS ARE WORPED IS THE BREAKS GET HOT SO THEY SAY. I AM NOT FEELING GOOD ABOUT THIS DUE TO WHEN DRIVING MY CAR AND BREAKING MY CAR SHAKES REALLY BAD. I JUST WENT THROUGH A STOP SIGN TODAY AFTER APPLYING MY BRAKESTHEY DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY. I HOPE TO GET THIS BREAKING PROBLEM IN CONTROL BEFORE I OR SOMEONE ELSE GETS HURT. OTHER WISE I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY TRANSAM. PUTNUM HAS BEEN GOOD TO OTHER THEN THIS PROBLEM CAN WE FIX THIS? THANKS SO MUCH. *AK
DEALERSHIP MACHINED ROTORS IN 8/99, 3/2000 AT 20,000 SAME PROBLEM, 9/00, 33,000 SAME PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKES PULSATE AND SQUEAL DUE TO WARPED ROTORS. BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE AND DEALER REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE DEFECT FOR WARRANTY REPAIR.
BRAKE ROTORS HAVE WARPED SEVERAL TIMES EVEN AFTER REPLACEMENT. SEEM TO BE DEFECTIVE. SES (SERVICE ENGINE SOON) LIGHT CAME ON AND WENT OFF AND DEALERSHIP COULD NOT LOCATE PROBLEM.
PREMATURE WEAR OF ROTORS, RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. *AK
DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS WHICH NEEDED TO BE RESURFACED CAUSED THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Official recalls
199V239000 · Power Train:clutch Assembly
Aug 27, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN INCORRECT RETAINING RING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS MAY NOT ALLOW THE CLUTCH SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE THE CLUTCH WHEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, RESULTING IN UNINTENTIONAL VEHICLE MOVEMENT, INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES, ENGINE STALLS, AND DIFFICULTY IN SHIFTING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER WITH A NEW CYLINDER.
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.
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