1997 Pontiac Firebird Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Firebird years
- About as many complaints as other years 3rd of 8 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 49 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Pontiac Firebird. That ranks 3rd out of 8 Firebird model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (13 complaints, 27%), typically at around 118,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 49owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 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 | 13 | 27% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 10% | 119,280 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 10% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 8% | 60 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 8% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 2% | 119,280 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | 119,280 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Pontiac Firebird recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:front:retractor
Problem: These vehicles were manufactured with seat belt retractors out of design position which can cause the retractor to lock-up on slopes less severe than the fmvss requirement. This does not comply with fmvss no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
Risk: In the event of a vehicle collision, unbelted occupants are more at risk of injury than those using seat belts.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the seat belts for proper front seat belt retractor position. Retractors found to be improperly positioned will be reinstalled correctly.
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.
Hi my Pontiac firebird got Impounded properly parked for 3 hrs on private property on the same property where Iâm a Tenant at [XXX] Las Vegas it was towed illegally and was in pound yard where I was charged $474.64 by tow guys 3823 losse rd 89030 they did not put sticker they illegally towed no…
While i was driving on the middle lane on beltway 495 heading to work- i saw a huge tire high in the air & dropping in front of my car. I took my foot off the accelerator. It hit the front grille & went underneath my car causing it to fly over the tire. I landed safely on the middle lane. ( at the…
I was driving my car making an exit off the freeway & as i looked over my shoulder too make sure it was safe to merge over i seen there was smoke coming out of the tailpipe i went to turn back around & smoke was also coming from the sides of the steering wheel , i went too put my eyes back on the…
The turning signal light sockets on the 1997 firebird (and probably other model years) burn up after a time causing signal failure and marker light failure. The cause is the excessive heat given off by the daytime running lights. Pontiac used the turning signal element of the light assembly as a…
At 118,000 miles i had my front brakes changed for the third time. I asked the person changing the brakes to check the rear brakes since they have never been changed. I had asked previous people to look at them when inspecting brakes and i was always told they were fine. This time the person really…
Other Pontiac Firebird years
← 1996 Firebird · 1998 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 | 49 | 1 |
| 1996 Firebird | 41 | 0 |
| 1995 Firebird | 84 | 1 |
See all Pontiac Firebird problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Pontiac models
Embed this 1997 Pontiac Firebird badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Pontiac Firebird?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 13 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Pontiac Firebird?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 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 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.