2000 Pontiac Firebird: common problems

Owners of the 2000 Pontiac Firebird filed 24 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 24
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Exterior lighting 17% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
3 Tires 17% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
5 Seat belts 13% of all complaints
6 Air bags 8% of all complaints
7 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
8 Equipment 8% of all complaints

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

Exterior lighting: 4 complaints (17% of all).
Service brakes: 4 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Tires: 4 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 3 complaints (13% of all).
Seat belts: 3 complaints (13% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints

Drive: RWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 24 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

headlights and tail lights6 · 25%
seat belts3 · 13%
A/C or heater2 · 8%
tires: bulges, blowouts2 · 8%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 4%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 4%
infotainment or screen glitches1 · 4%
stalls while driving1 · 4%
vibration1 · 4%
warning lights, check engine1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Exterior lighting	4	0
Service brakes	4	1
Tires	4	1
Electrical system	3	0
Seat belts	3	0
Air bags	2	2
Engine and cooling	2	0
Equipment	2	0
Powertrain	2	0
Seats	2	0
Steering	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	0
Visibility	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.

2000 pontiac firebird front right tire blew out. When the tire blewout it caused the vehicle to swerve to the right and hit a concrete barrier. The vehicle sustained minor damage to the right front quarter panel and wheel area. The consumer was not injured (ohio traffic crash report).
Tires · crash · 2005-12-28 · NHTSA complaint #10146443
While driving 35 mph another vehicle ran a stop sign. The consumer applied the brake but the vehicle skid about 15 feet before hitting a wall. The front end was completed damaged. Neither air bag deployed upon impact. The driver suffered some injuries. This happened 13 april 2003.
Air bags · crash · 2003-05-07 · NHTSA complaint #10019367
Front brakes locked down and abs did not kick in. This happen twice, the first time on nov.22, 2001 and the cost to repair the vehicle that time was around $2600.00. I have taken the car to gmc after the second accident and they say the brakes are fine.my insurance company ask me to report the problem with nhtsa.
Service brakes · crash · 2002-03-08 · NHTSA complaint #759055
35m.p.h. Direct frontal impact into side of auto with no employ of air bags.
Air bags · crash · 2001-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #749088
The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 90V105000 (Seat Belts) during a State Inspection; however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The local dealer and several other dealers were contacted and informed the contact that the recall part had been discontinued.
Seat belts · 2026-03-24 · NHTSA complaint #11726707
I had to replace the window motor on the driver side and the window motor and regulator on the passenger side. Everyone I have encountered with my generation firebird has had this problem.
Visibility · 2008-09-06 · NHTSA complaint #10241205
The tires also caused the vehicle to vibrate. The tire company replaced the first four tires and, after another failure, replaced them with another set of four kumho tires. The replacement tires also failed. The contact refused to take the tire brand and insisted on another tire manufacturer.
Tires · 2008-07-28 · NHTSA complaint #10236026
2000 pontiac firebird had a faulty intake manifold gasket. The consumer stated he had to pay for 3 separate repairs.
Engine and cooling · 2006-08-01 · NHTSA complaint #10164748

When owners complained

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

20004
20016
20024
20032
20041
20053
20061
20082
20151
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,585 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 21% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Firebird has 22 complaints (27 years in the data). This year has 24, about average.

What to check before buying

Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2000 Pontiac Firebird?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, service brakes, tires. Total complaints: 24. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (25%), seat belts (13%), A/C or heater (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 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 2000 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 2000 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.