AI Damage1986 Pontiac Parisienne: common problems
Owners of the 1986 Pontiac Parisienne filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 12
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 83% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 4 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- 5 Wheels 8% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 10 complaints (83% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 1 complaints (8% of all).
- Wheels: 1 complaints (8% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 5 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 3-speed
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 12 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 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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 accelerator stuck and went to full throttle and the brakes could not stop the car. Please describe.
In one incident, brakes failed completely at highway speed; by sheer luck I was able to avoid causing an accident. This brake system has been recalled, but gm refuses to work on my car because the vin number is not included in the recall.
Brakes failed on several occasions, power master assembly replaced several times however brakes continue to fail.
Steering wheel locked up while attempting to make a turn, brakes applied; very low speed. Upon acceleration vehicle does not pick up speed there is a horrible smell of prestone in the vehicle, the windows fog up and it has pre ignition, the power steering fluid and oil disappears as quickly as consumer puts in.
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 10,162 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 28% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Parisienne has 8 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 12, 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.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1986 Pontiac Parisienne?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (42%), steering or power steering problems (8%), windows, sunroof (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1986 Pontiac Parisienne?
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 1986 Pontiac Parisienne 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 1986 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.