1984 Pontiac Fiero problems & reliability
30 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1984 Pontiac Fiero. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 16 | 53% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 30% |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 10% |
| Engine | 2 | 7% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3% |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1984 pontiac fiero (n/a). The contact stated that the head bolt would become separated from the engine whenever the vehicle was started. The failure caused oil to leak onto the manifold and engine block. In addition, the oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The…”
Engine · filed Dec 11, 2013
“A friend was driving my 1984 pontiac fiero when the engine suddenly caught fire. After an investigation by the local fire department, they determined an oil like substance was sprayed on the manifold. My friend was arrested for arson & I was arrested for criminal solicitation. After going through the court procedures…”
Engine · filed Aug 1, 2013
“I purchased a 1984 pontiac fiero on april, 4 2003. I have read about the safety recall on this auto. From the information I have gathered, nhtsa campaign id number : 89v232000 concerning engine fire applies to this automobile. I have researched this safety recall and determined the required work has not been performed…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 18, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- REAR DISC BRAKES
Compliance Investigation C90001 · opened Feb 21, 1990 · closed Jul 31, 1991
- REAR DISC BRAKES
Engineering Analysis EA88036 · opened Jul 22, 1988 · closed Aug 30, 1991
- THROTTLE CABLE BINDING
Preliminary Evaluation PE88033 · opened Mar 10, 1988 · closed May 6, 1988
- TIE ROD BREAKAGE
Defect Petition DP88002 · opened Oct 7, 1987 · closed May 18, 1988
- ENGINE FIRES
Defect Petition DP87023 · opened Jul 17, 1987 · closed Oct 19, 1987
- REAR BRAKES
Engineering Analysis EA87008 · opened Dec 17, 1986 · closed Jul 22, 1988
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA86021 · opened Jul 18, 1986 · closed May 8, 1990 · led to recall 87V181000
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Preliminary Evaluation PE85016 · opened Dec 3, 1984 · closed Mar 22, 1985 · led to recall 85V034000
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1984 Pontiac Fiero in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1984 Pontiac Fiero?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.