1990 Pontiac Firebird reliability: common problems

Owners of the 1990 Pontiac Firebird filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 9
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 22% of all complaints
3 Engine and cooling 11% of all complaints
4 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
5 Steering 11% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 3 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 2 complaints (22% of all).
Engine and cooling: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Seat belts: 1 complaints (11% of all).
Steering: 1 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.

3.1 L · petrol · 6 cyl
5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 9 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 33%
airbags did not deploy1 · 11%
overheating, coolant loss1 · 11%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 11%
seat belts1 · 11%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	3	1
Electrical system	2	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Steering	1	0
Vehicle speed control	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Driver's side airbag did not deploy in a frontal collision (12:00) at 45 mph. Tt
Air bags · crash · 1996-02-07 · NHTSA complaint #978810
Inside plastic parts broke on driver side seat belt. Replacement does not stay buckled. Recalls - search results search results report date : december 2, 2014 at 11:21 pm nhtsa campaign id number : 90v105000 vehicle make / model: model year(s): chevrolet / camaro 1984-1990 pontiac / firebird 1984-1990 manufacturer:…
Seat belts · 2014-12-02 · NHTSA complaint #10661845
Purchassed car 9/98 from accent auto another chance finance, returned to dealer with overheating problems next day. They said it was a minor problem & said it was fixed. Continued to overheat, was brought back to dealer at least 1 time a month.
Engine and cooling · 1999-07-01 · NHTSA complaint #708125
The air bag is coming out constantly from the steering wheel for any reason.please describe.
Air bags · 1996-03-04 · NHTSA complaint #980054
The throttle got stuck when vehicle was going 60mph and would not slow down. Please describe. Tt
Vehicle speed control · 1995-12-06 · NHTSA complaint #976165
Vehicle fire when turning on ignition, engine compartment fire. Tt
Electrical system · 1995-04-18 · NHTSA complaint #963930
Steering wheel broke while driving and fell into drver's lap. Tt
Steering · 1995-04-18 · NHTSA complaint #963919

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19954
19963
19991
20141

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 11,368 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Firebird has 22 complaints (27 years in the data). This year has 9, below average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1990 Pontiac Firebird?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%), airbags did not deploy (11%), overheating, coolant loss (11%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1990 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 1990 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 1990 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.