AI Damage1983 Pontiac Firebird: common problems
Owners of the 1983 Pontiac Firebird filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and parking brake. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 75% of all complaints
- 2 Parking brake 50% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (75% of all).
- Parking brake: 2 complaints (50% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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 front seat belts in my firebird have failed and the manufacturer no longer has parts available. They were subject to a recall, 85v169000, in 1985.
Dt*: the contact stated the driver's side seat belt does not retract after being extended and the parking brake does not hold the vehicle. There is a nhtsa recall, # 85v169000, 91v055000 regarding the seat belt webbing and parking brake.
Dt: the contact stated the driver's side seat belt does not retract after being extended and the parking brake does not hold the vehicle. There is a nhtsa recall, # 85v169000, 91v055000 regarding the seat belt webbing and parking brake.
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 15,524 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Firebird has 22 complaints (27 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
Other years of this model
- Firebird 19783 sources
- Firebird 19823 sources
- Firebird 198411 sources
- Firebird 198516 sources
- Firebird 198619 sources
- Firebird 198710 sources
- Firebird 198810 sources
- Firebird 198920 sources
- Firebird 19909 sources
- Firebird 199127 sources
- Firebird 199227 sources
- Firebird 199318 sources
- Firebird 199459 sources
- Firebird 199584 sources
- Firebird 199641 sources
- Firebird 199749 sources
- Firebird 199863 sources
- Firebird 199947 sources
- Firebird 200024 sources
- Firebird 200124 sources
- Firebird 200221 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1983 Pontiac Firebird?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, parking brake. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (75%), rollaway, parking brake (50%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1983 Pontiac Firebird?
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 1983 Pontiac Firebird 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 1983 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.