AI Damage1984 Pontiac Firebird: common problems
Owners of the 1984 Pontiac Firebird filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and structure. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 36% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 36% of all complaints
- 3 Parking brake 27% of all complaints
- 4 Seats 27% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 18% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 7 Wheels 9% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 4 complaints (36% of all).
- Structure: 4 complaints (36% of all).
- Parking brake: 3 complaints (27% of all).
- Seats: 3 complaints (27% of all).
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (18% 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
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 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 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Parking brake | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 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.
Those recalls are as follows: fuel system, gasoline, parking brake:conventional, seat belts: rear:buckle assembly, seat belts:front:webbing, seats:front assembly:recliner, service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, and, wheels:cap/cover/hub. The engine size was unknown.
While driving hit a pothole and wheels started to wobble from side to side. Consumer could not steer properly,. Took vehicle to dealership, and mechanic indicated that frame rail was cracked which was located behind steering box.
I am not sure that this is a neccessary filing. I was researching recalls for a used car that I purchased and wanted to confirm that the vehicle did in fact have problems with the components indicated. If I am going about the procedure in a wrong manner please advise(and direct).
Consumer was making a routine service inspection of vehicle when noticed the frame was broken at the steering box. Dealer notified.
The vehicle is included in the parking brake recall, but pontiac will not send him a letter so he can get the recall fixed. 95v055000. Please describe.
Plastic components of seat belt buckle broke , preventing belt from fastening.
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 10,521 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Firebird has 22 complaints (27 years in the data). This year has 11, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Parking brake. Electric parking brake, codes, calipers.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
Other years of this model
- Firebird 19783 sources
- Firebird 19823 sources
- Firebird 19834 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 1984 Pontiac Firebird?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, structure, parking brake. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (27%), rollaway, parking brake (18%), brake failure (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1984 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 1984 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 1984 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.