AI Damage1986 Pontiac 6000: common problems
Owners of the 1986 Pontiac 6000 filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 38% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 31% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 4 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 6 Parking brake 6% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 6% of all complaints
- Steering: 6 complaints (38% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (31% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (6% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (6% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The left and right sub-frame that supports the engine and transmission broke (rusted out maybe) at the front ,around the isolators. This dropped everything down about 6-8inches. Luckily this happened at a very low speed. The vehicle was very hard to steer and really shouldn't have been driven anywhere.
Gen motors rack and pinion gears have been defective since1980 when they were first produced. I am a retired factory service representative for general motors and I know this for a fact.
Brakes: rear brakes and calipers have been replaced and the parking brake does not work after having rear brakes ,rotors , calipers and parking brake cables replaced.
Seat belts: the seat belt retractor on driver's side. Seizes, causing the seat belt to be inoperative.
Driver side seat track and anchors broke, causing the seat to fall back.
Automatic transmission failure.(other vehicles on 506366,601615)
Plastic in windshield froze, followed by cloudiness/haziness, resulting in poor visibility.
Received recall 9 years ago and still having the same problem. Please describe. Tt
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,042 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 6000 has 10 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 16, above average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1986 Pontiac 6000?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, service brakes, powertrain. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (13%), brake failure (6%), overheating, coolant loss (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1986 Pontiac 6000?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1986 Pontiac 6000 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1986 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.