IllustrationEMERGENCY BRAKE WILL NOT KEEP CAR FROM ROLLING AWAY. I GOT A RECALL ON IT. PONTIAC SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT ANYTIME IN THE FUTURE THAT I WANTED BECAUSE THE CAR WAS BEING SAVED AS A COLLECTABLE. THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE IT WAS SAFETY RELATED THERE WAS NO TIME FRAME. NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO AVOID FIXING THE PROBLEM.
1986 Pontiac Fiero
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Fiero years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 1 of 26 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Parking Brake. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports5 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
26 reportsWHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
OIL LEAK FROM UNKNOWN ORIGIN. LOCATED APPROXIMATELY AT UPPER PART OF ENGINE DOWN TO PULLY AND BELTS. ALSO WIRES LOCATED NEAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IN ENGINE ARE EXTREMELY HOT, DISCOLORED AND BRITTLE HARNESS..CONCERN FOR ? OF FIRE, ESPECIALLY WITH OIL LEAKAGE NEAR BY...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON..AND IS UNKNOWN PROBLEM TO THE D…
Read full complaint
OIL LEAK FROM UNKNOWN ORIGIN. LOCATED APPROXIMATELY AT UPPER PART OF ENGINE DOWN TO PULLY AND BELTS. ALSO WIRES LOCATED NEAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT IN ENGINE ARE EXTREMELY HOT, DISCOLORED AND BRITTLE HARNESS..CONCERN FOR ? OF FIRE, ESPECIALLY WITH OIL LEAKAGE NEAR BY...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON..AND IS UNKNOWN PROBLEM TO THE DEALER
1986 PONTIAC FIERO THAT THE DEALER SAYS IS NOT IN THERE DATA BASE AND HAS NOT HAD THE RECALLS DONE TO IT I HAVE THE RECALL #S THE DATES AND A VERY DETAILED OUT-LINE OF THE RECALLS THAT WERE TO BE DONE. A MECHANIC LOOKED AT MY CAR AND THE TSB BULLITIONS I HAVE AND SAID THE CAR CLEARLY HAS NOT HAD THE RECALLS DONE. THE DEALER …
Read full complaint
1986 PONTIAC FIERO THAT THE DEALER SAYS IS NOT IN THERE DATA BASE AND HAS NOT HAD THE RECALLS DONE TO IT I HAVE THE RECALL #S THE DATES AND A VERY DETAILED OUT-LINE OF THE RECALLS THAT WERE TO BE DONE. A MECHANIC LOOKED AT MY CAR AND THE TSB BULLITIONS I HAVE AND SAID THE CAR CLEARLY HAS NOT HAD THE RECALLS DONE. THE DEALER AND GM CLAIM IT'S UP TO THE OTHER ONE WHO HAS TO LOOK AT IT THE DEALER AT FIRST SAID THAT MY CAR WAS NOT INVOLVED. BUT WHEN I READ THE TSB TO HIM, AND GAVE HIM THE CAMPAIGN NUMBERS AND READ FROM THEM VEBATUM HE SAID THECOMPUTER ONLY GOES BACK TEN YEARS! AND I READ TO HIM "DEALERS ARE TO SERVICE ALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THS CAMPAIGN AT NO CHARGE TO OWNERS, REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE,AGE OF VEHICLE,OR OWNERSHIP, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD." AND SAID TO CALL PONTIAC CUSTOMER CARES 800 PM CARES. THEY RESPONDED BY SAYING ITS UP TO THE DEALER. WE CANT MAKE THEM LOOK AT YOUR CAR . THEN I CALLED THE DEALER BACK AND HE SAID THE PROBLEM IS IF THEY DO THE WORK, GM MAY NOT PAY THEM FOR WORK PERFORMED. CALLED BACK PONTIAC CARES THEY SAID IT IS UP TO THE DEALER TO TAKE CARE OF IT. I SAID I WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE NHTSA AND FILE A COMPLAINT AND GM SAID GO AHEAD. SO THIS IS WHERE IM AT ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY NEEDED AS THE CAR HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME DAVID W ANDREGG. *RECALL 89V232. *AK
THE METAL IN THE LOCKING PORTION OF THE SEATBELT SNAPPED AND IT FLEW OFF AND SMACKED ME IN THE FACE WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT WAS THE DRIVER'S SEATBELT AND THE PLASTIC CASING AROUD THE BELT BROKE WHEN IT DID THIS. *AK
APPARENTLY, THIS CAR IS INFAMOUS FOR FIRES, BUT I WAS NOT WARNED UPON PURCHASE 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS, PLUS I HAD SPENT CLOSE TO $400 ON REPAIRS AFTER PURCHASE AND IT DID PASS SAFETY INSPECTION 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO BURSTING INTO FLAMES
4 SPEED SHIFTER ASSY WILL NOT ENGAGE BACK UP LIGHT SWITCH AND IS HARD TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE GEAR AT TIMES. I HAVE REPLACED SHIFTER TWICE, THIS BEING THE 3RD ONE FOR THE CAR. EACH TIME THE FAILURE HAS BEEN DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR ON TWO RIVITS COMING LOOSE ON FORWARD RIGHT SIDE OF ASSY AND THE SUBSQUENTAL WEAR OF SHIFT EGAGEMENT …
Read full complaint
4 SPEED SHIFTER ASSY WILL NOT ENGAGE BACK UP LIGHT SWITCH AND IS HARD TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE GEAR AT TIMES. I HAVE REPLACED SHIFTER TWICE, THIS BEING THE 3RD ONE FOR THE CAR. EACH TIME THE FAILURE HAS BEEN DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR ON TWO RIVITS COMING LOOSE ON FORWARD RIGHT SIDE OF ASSY AND THE SUBSQUENTAL WEAR OF SHIFT EGAGEMENT ARM MECHANISM FOR REVERSE GEAR. UNLESS YOU HOLD THE GEARSHIFT ARM IN THE FULL REVEARSE POSITION, YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY BACKUP LIGHTS. AT TIMES THE SHIFTING MECHANISM WILL JAM AND YOU CANNOT SHIFT .
WHILE DRIVING OIL IS GETTING INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SMOKE. SMOKE IS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AND THERE IS AN OIL SPILLAGE WHICH IS GETTING INTO THE PASSENGERS COMPARTMENT. *AK
UNABLE TO RECEIVE PROPER RECALL WORK ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, DUE TO DEALER PROBLEM.
AN OIL LEAK COMING FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, CAUSING OIL TO SPILL ON THE ENGINE, AND SMOKE IS COMING FROM FROM VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIR SERVICE TWICE, AND THE DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Official recalls
391V055000 · Parking Brake:conventional
Apr 11, 1991
PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTER FAILS TO OPERATE AND DO NOT WORK AFTER BRAKE PAD WEAR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: PARKING BRAKES WILL NOT COMPLETELY HOLD A PARKED VEHICLEWHEN PARKED ON A SLOPE, CAUSING UNINTENDED VEHICLE ROLLAWAY WHICH COULD RESULTIN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: REPLACE NONFUNCTIONING PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTERS.
90V104000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline
Apr 23, 1990
PCV GROMMET OIL LEAKS, TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LEAKS, PISTON CONNECTING ROD FAILURES BREAKING THROUGH ENGINE WALL CAUSING OIL SPILLAGE, FUEL RAIL LEAKS, COOLANT LEAKS, ROCKER COVER OIL LEAKS, AND MAINTENANCE OR SERVICE RELATED FACTORS, COULD CAUSE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE CAN SPREAD TO THE PASSENGERCOMPARTMENT AND INJURE OCCUPANTS.
Remedy: CORRECT OR INSTALL NEW COMPONENTS TO PREVENT UNREASONABLE FIRE RISK.
89V232000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline
Dec 28, 1989
DUE TO AN INTERACTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ENVIRONMENT AND MAINTENANCE OR SERVICE RELATED FACTORS, THERE IS A RISK OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE CAN SPREAD TO THE PASSENGERCOMPARTMENT AND INJURE OCCUPANTS.
Remedy: CORRECT OR INSTALL NEW ENGINE COMPONENTS TO PREVENT UNREASONABLE FIRE RISK.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
7C90001 · Rear Disc Brakes
Opened Feb 21, 1990 · Closed Jul 31, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
EA89022 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Mar 31, 1989 · Closed Jul 13, 1990
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline
SUMMARY:MANY SUBJECT VEHICLE OWNERS REPORTED ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES,AND SIX FIRES RESULTED IN SIX INJURIES.===
PE89023 · Engine Compartment Fires
Opened Dec 13, 1988 · Closed Mar 31, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
PE89005 · Rear Hub Carrier Failure
Opened Oct 18, 1988 · Closed Dec 29, 1988
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
There is no summary currently available
EA88036 · Rear Disc Brakes
Opened Jul 22, 1988 · Closed Aug 30, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
SUMMARY: CORROSION IN THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER PREVENTS AUTOMATIC ADJUSTMENT FOR PAD WEAR. THIS MAY EVENTUALLY CAUSE LOSS OF REAR SERVICE BRAKE AND PARKING BRAKE. GM HAS ADDED CORROSION PROTECTION AND CHANGED SPRING RATE TO CORRECT PROBLEM. SAME BASIC DESIGN USED ON ALL MODELS IDENTIFIED.
DP88002 · Tie Rod Breakage
Opened Oct 7, 1987 · Closed May 18, 1988
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other
TIE ROD BREAKAGE
EA87008 · Rear Brakes
Opened Dec 17, 1986 · Closed Jul 22, 1988
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:GMREVIEWED THE MATTER AND...HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SAFETY-RELATED BRAKE CONDITION THAT REQUIRESFIELD CORRECTION.ANALYSIS:IT APPEARS THAT THE PARKING BRAKE ACTUATION SYSTEM OR THEPISTONS WITHIN THE CALIPER CAN SEIZE PROHIBITING REAR DISC BRAKE FUNC-TION.A SEIZED CALIPERS CAN RESULT IN UNEVEN BRAKE OPERATION (PULL)AND/OR TOTAL LOSS OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE FUNCTION.STATUS:TEST REQUEST AT ETF AND NEAR COMPLETION.AWAITING GM RESPONSE TO JUNE 17, 1988 INFORMATION REQUEST.===