1989 Pontiac Firebird problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 Pontiac Firebird. 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1989 Pontiac Firebird vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 7 | 35% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 15% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 10% |
| Steering | 2 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
| Tires | 1 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% |
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
“Consumer is requesting information in regards to recall concerns for 1989 firebird . *mr the seat belt does not retract properly leaving an enormous amount of slack. *nm”
Seat Belts · filed May 6, 2005
“While driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly caught fire. The cause of why this happened was undetermined.”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 7, 2005
“Gm won't fix the recalls for my 1989 pontiac firebird. They say that there are no recalls for my vehicle, but there are. *jb”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 20, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Pontiac Firebird.
No serial data communications using the tech 1 with a 1986 or newer camaro, firebird or corvette with a 5.0 or 5.7 litre engine. Sit bulletin 1450640. *tt
01697 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1989 Pontiac Firebird 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 1989 Pontiac Firebird?
- · 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.