AI Damage1987 Pontiac 6000: common problems
Owners of the 1987 Pontiac 6000 filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 17% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 17% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 17% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 3 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 2 complaints (11% 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
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
I wish I would have thought of nhtsa before now because this car has been nothing but problems (power steering, spark knocking, and engine valve cover leaking to name a few). I looked at the number of technical bulletins on this car and was shocked!
Was pulling out of parking space about 5mph when vehicle suddenly accelerated. Had no warning. Vehicle hit truck across street. Had vehicle towed to dealer.
Fuel tank fuel lines and brake lines are rusting. Fuel tank is seeping gasoline when full.
Consumer stated that engine cradle cracked at the control arm. There was a recall on the 1988 models, but this vehicle was not included. Consumer took vehicle to repair shop, and was told that engine cradle cracked, and it would be expensive to fix the engine cradle.
This is referring to a current recall that needs to be expanded. Your current recall # is 88v048000 under the nhtsa guidelines. This recall includes cars for one month of production for one year. The problem exists in all years of the car, 88 and earlier.
Vehicle experienced underhood fire while driving. While passing another vehicle at 68 mph the vehicle made a popping sound and the vehicle's speed reduced. The consumer then noticed smoke emitting from the engine compartment and pulled onto the shoulder.
Brake fluid was leaking inside the vehicle and when driving and applying the brakes, the brakes were hard and the consumer had to push down hard on the brakes to get the vehicle to stop. Recall for this problem for vehicles manufactured by sep. '86, this vehicle manufactured dec. '86, but has the same problems.
Consumer complaint that manufacturer's defect caused failure of rack & pinion steering.
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 8,622 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 6000 has 10 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1987 Pontiac 6000?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, structure. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (11%), smoke, burning smell, fire (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 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 1987 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 1987 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 2026-11-05.