IllustrationDEALERSHIP MACHINED ROTORS IN 8/99, 3/2000 AT 20,000 SAME PROBLEM, 9/00, 33,000 SAME PROBLEM. *AK
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.
5 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
47 reportsBRAKES 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
TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS DO NOT FLASH WHEN SWTICH IS ACTIVATED. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. WIRING WAS REPLACED/ FIXED. *AK
IN A HIGH SPEED CRASH, AND FLIPPING OVER SEVERAL TIMES, AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS WHICH NEEDED TO BE RESURFACED CAUSED THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
I AM HAVING A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE ROTORS WARPING. I HAD THEM TURNED AT AROUND 18,000 MILES AFTER FINDING SIGNS OF WARPINGWHICN INCLUDED VIBRATIONS WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. NOW ABOUT 8,000 MILES LATER I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN AND ONCE AGAIN THE ROTORS NEED TO BE TURNED. IT IS GETTING VERY AN…
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I AM HAVING A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE ROTORS WARPING. I HAD THEM TURNED AT AROUND 18,000 MILES AFTER FINDING SIGNS OF WARPINGWHICN INCLUDED VIBRATIONS WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED. NOW ABOUT 8,000 MILES LATER I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ALL OVER AGAIN AND ONCE AGAIN THE ROTORS NEED TO BE TURNED. IT IS GETTING VERY ANNOYING AND I KNOW FOR FACT THAT THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS.
FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM SQUEALING EVERY TIME I APPLY THE BRAKES. IT GETS WORSE AS THE WEATHER GETS HOTTER. I TOOK TO THE DEALER, THE FIRST TIME THEY APPLIED SOME CHEMICAL TO STOP IT FROM SQUEALING, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED 2 WEEKS LATER. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY FORD COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND CANNOT D…
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FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM SQUEALING EVERY TIME I APPLY THE BRAKES. IT GETS WORSE AS THE WEATHER GETS HOTTER. I TOOK TO THE DEALER, THE FIRST TIME THEY APPLIED SOME CHEMICAL TO STOP IT FROM SQUEALING, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED 2 WEEKS LATER. WHEN I TOOK IT BACK I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY FORD COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND CANNOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR THE BRAKES TO SQUEAL. *AK
BRAKES PULSATED WHEN APPLIED AT OR ABOVE 50 MILES PER HOUR. TOOK INTO DEALER FOR SERVICE AND FOUND THAT FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED. DEALER RESURFACED THE ROTORS AND SAID THAT GM KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ROTORS. WITH LESS SURFACE AREA ON THE ROTORS NOW, I AM WORRIED THEY WILL WARP AGAIN IN LESS MILES. THEY SHOULD BE REPLAC…
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BRAKES PULSATED WHEN APPLIED AT OR ABOVE 50 MILES PER HOUR. TOOK INTO DEALER FOR SERVICE AND FOUND THAT FRONT ROTORS WERE WARPED. DEALER RESURFACED THE ROTORS AND SAID THAT GM KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ROTORS. WITH LESS SURFACE AREA ON THE ROTORS NOW, I AM WORRIED THEY WILL WARP AGAIN IN LESS MILES. THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH HIGHER QUALITY ROTORS TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING. *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.