1996 Pontiac Firebird Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Firebird years
- About as many complaints as other years 5th of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 41 complaints with NHTSA about the 1996 Pontiac Firebird. That ranks 5th out of 8 Firebird model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (12 complaints, 29%). Complaints mention 5 crashes, 4 fires, 1 injury. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 41owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1996 Pontiac Firebird problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 29% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 8 | 20% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 17% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 15% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 7% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1996 Pontiac Firebird recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 1996 Pontiac Firebird.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fuel tube retaining clip failure (EA97024) — opened Nov 13, 1997, closed Sep 29, 1998.
- Fuel tub retaining clip failure (PE97036) — opened Jul 24, 1997, closed Nov 13, 1997.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a cosco safety seat light and comfy safety seat (na), model number: ic-108bvn (na). The seat was manufactured on november 6, 2013. The safety seat was being utilized in a 1996 pontiac firebird. The contact stated that the bottom left latch became difficult to release when…
1996 pontiac firebird seat back collapsed into the back seat. Consumer states that he violently turned the wheel to the left on the highway to avoid and accident when his seat collapsed into the rear seat causing him to lose control. *kb the consumer was rear ended, because when the seat broke, he…
The plastic gears that drive the headlight pods on my 1996 pontiac firebird have failed. Retraction of the headlight causes loud grinding noises. Occaisionally, one or other of the headlight pods does not rasie when the headlights are turned on. It can only be a matter of time before the pods no…
This is the second time i've had to replace the mirror on the drivers side of this car. The mirror breaks off of the controls which makes it flop around. You can't use it to drive with, nor can you get it to stay still. You can't replace just the mirror either. You have to buy the whole piece…
While driving at 65 mph flames were coming from vehicle. Dealer notified. *ak *ts *jb
Other Pontiac Firebird years
← 1995 Firebird · 1997 Firebird →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 Firebird | 21 | 1 |
| 2001 Firebird | 24 | 0 |
| 2000 Firebird | 24 | 0 |
| 1999 Firebird | 47 | 1 |
| 1998 Firebird | 63 | 0 |
| 1997 Firebird | 49 | 1 |
| 1996 | 41 | 0 |
| 1995 Firebird | 84 | 1 |
See all Pontiac Firebird problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Pontiac models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Pontiac Firebird?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 12 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Pontiac Firebird?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 1996 Pontiac Firebird a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Firebird model years, the 1996 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.