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Pontiac FirebirdModel year report

1998 Pontiac Firebird Problems

Complaints
63filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
69,500miles, 4 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 3.8L 6-cyl RWD · 17 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1998 Pontiac Firebird (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems, typically pulsation or shudder when stopping that returns after rotor service, and often appears within the first 10,000 to 30,000 miles. A smaller but consistent group reports headlight doors that fail to open or run continuously, and several complaints describe airbags that did not deploy in collisions. Reported mileages in the sample range widely, from near-new vehicles to cars past 90,000 miles.

  1. Brakes

    Brake pulsation and rotor warping

    • 13 complaints (21%)
    • typically at 1.5 yrs old
    • filed 1998–2001

    Complaints describe a shudder or vibration through the steering wheel and pedal when braking, often most noticeable at highway speeds or once the brakes are hot, and less noticeable when cold. Owners say rotors were turned or replaced, sometimes repeatedly within a few thousand miles, and the vibration returned. Several say the dealer called it normal wear or declined further work once the warranty period ended. Reported from as little as a few months of ownership and around 7,000 to 30,000 miles, with recurrence after each brake service.

    What to check: Drive the car and brake firmly from highway speed to feel for steering wheel shake; ask for brake service records and whether rotors or pads were replaced recently.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The rear rotors squeak when the brakes are pushed, a grove has developed in one of my rear rotors. Also, when I firmly apply the brakes the steering wheel vibrates. Dealer was notified and stated that pads and rotors are only warranteed for 12k/12months. The vehicle is still operational, I am however concerned that the problem may worsen.”

    NHTSA complaint #705498, filed 1999-04

    “Rotors are constantly warping,steering wheel vibrates during stops. I have had the rotors turned 3 times and it is doing it again. My ground effects are also constantly coming loose have had this problem worked on alot and they are loose again.”

    NHTSA complaint #712586, filed 1999-09
  2. Air bags

    Airbags did not deploy in a crash

    • 7 complaints (11%)
    • median 92,000 mi at 6.3 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 1999–2004

    Several complaints describe frontal or rollover collisions in which the airbags did not inflate, including impacts where the vehicle was totaled and occupants were injured. A separate complaint notes both bags deploying with such force that the windshield broke and chemicals entered the cabin. Owners generally report the vehicle was inspected afterward without a clear explanation for the non-deployment. Reported across a range of mileages, including events after 90,000 miles; most are crash reports rather than mileage-based failures.

    What to check: Ask whether the airbag system has ever been serviced or the warning lamp diagnosed, and confirm the airbag light comes on at startup and goes out.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving 30 MPH the vehicle was involved in a head on collision. The dual air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was totaled due to severe damage. Driver hit shoulder on the steering wheel that caused a ligament tear, and passenger suffered a cut on the head.”

    NHTSA complaint #10057367, filed 2004-03, 92,000 miles

    “Consumer was driving on the highway, and hit a deer on the driver's side and the deer flew onto the roof of the car . The car crashed into a ditch of water, and went under water. Electrical system locked the doors. The t-top glass roof would not open. Passenger's window was opened, to get consumer out. Also, driver's airbag did not deploy at all.”

    NHTSA complaint #835511, filed 1999-03
  3. Vehicle speed control

    Throttle sticking or unintended acceleration

    • 5 complaints (8%)
    • median 55,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
    • filed 1999–2005

    Complaints describe the accelerator sticking near the floor, in one case because a floor mat slid over the pedal, leaving the car accelerating until the driver shifted to neutral or shut off the engine. Other reports describe the engine speeding up on its own at highway speed, with braking reportedly failing to slow the car. One owner says the engine was damaged after being shut down at speed. Reported from very low mileage up to about 55,000 miles in the sample.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Check that the floor mat is secured and does not sit over the pedal, and have the throttle cable and pedal assembly inspected for binding.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Bought the car in jan. Of 98, and didn't have any problems with it until 700 miles. That is when the gas pedal stuck for the first time. It went to the floor and I didn't have any control over it. Luckily I was on a rural road and shut the car off and it stopped. It happened 2 times after that, one time taking me 100 MPH. The final time I was in heavy traffic and had no choice but to put it in neutral, which blew my motor and cost me 4000 to replace. I would appreciate some help because this is a life threating problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10140506, filed 2005-10, 55,000 miles

    “While driving at 65 MPH and without prior warning, vehicle accelerated between 120 MPH and140 MPH, causing the consumer to apply the brakes which didn't stop the vehicle. Consumer used the emergency brake, and the vehicle came to a complete stop.”

    NHTSA complaint #836298, filed 1999-03

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the brakes, including a highway-speed test stop, and on the pop-up headlight motors. Ask for service records showing recent brake work and confirm the airbag warning light behaves normally.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 39 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 63 consumer complaints for the 1998 Pontiac Firebird. 4 of the complaints include a mileage, and 0% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 69,500 miles. Of all complaints, 8 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 5 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 25 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Electrical system (2), Equipment (2), Seats (2), Transmission and drivetrain (2), Wheels (2), Engine cooling (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Brakes: “When the car was still only a few months old, I began to experience brake shudder in the streering wheel when slowing down and stopping. Returned car to dealer for brake related complaint. They turned only front rotors. Refused to even look at rears. Returned again a few months later for same problem. Service manager said rotors were within factory specs and refused to do anything about it. Thrid time into dealer, rotors were turned again. This is the 4th time I have this problem. Car is beginning to shudder badly when braking. Calls to dealership owner unreturned. …”

NHTSA complaint #704187, filed 1999-03

Air bags: “Vehicle was involved in an accident with another vehicle which fishtailed consumer's car, causing vehicle to spin out of control without hitting anything. Both air bags deployed, causing damages to front windshield which tore open, allowing chemicals to escape, making it difficult for consumer to breath and control vehicle. Dealer/manufacturer notified.”

NHTSA complaint #838470, filed 1999-05

Exterior lighting: “Rear tail light has a design flaw. It allows moisture inside the tail light and has caused problems with numerous replacement bulbs and a build-up of moisture. I feel if this continues, it will eventually damage the entire electrical system. The inside of the tail light cover appears very dark, almost as if the tail light bulb is burned out, therefore causing law enforcement to follow and watch my every move on some instances.”

NHTSA complaint #10049076, filed 2003-12

Steering: “Due to the location of the pump steering hose which is too low to the ground, road debris may severe the hose, and cause a power steering leak, which could result in steering diffuclty. Please provide further information.”

NHTSA complaint #835048, filed 1999-02

Mileage when problems were reported

0% of the 4 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 61,000 and 78,000 miles.

0%0–100%10–250%25–5050%50–7550%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (4 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 69,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

19982620002002200420062022
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 1998 Pontiac Firebird. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Firebird · coupe not rated4 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1998 Pontiac Firebird version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Firebird/Formula RWD3.8L 6-cyl5-speed manual172821$3,200
Firebird/Formula RWD3.8L 6-cyl4-speed automatic172620$3,350
Firebird/Formula RWD5.7L 8-cyl6-speed manual162419$4,350
Firebird/Formula RWD5.7L 8-cyl4-speed automatic162218$4,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 1998 Pontiac Firebird in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 25 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 25 bulletins →

Other model years of the Pontiac Firebird

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20022117,9761—21—Stable
20012421,2900—21—Stable
20002437,5000—20—Stable
19994741,5001—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19986369,5000—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19974989,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19964157,0000—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199584147,7001—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199459157,0001—20Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19931813,3000—20—Stable
19922750,0002—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19912768,3003—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19909—2—18—Not enough data
198920—2—18—Rising
19881080,2282—18—Not enough data
19871063,0001—18—Not enough data
1986192,0002—18—Stable
198516100,0004—19—Stable
198411100,0006—19—Not enough data

All Pontiac Firebird model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Pontiac Firebird?

Owners of this model year most often describe brake problems, typically pulsation or shudder when stopping that returns after rotor service, and often appears within the first 10,000 to 30,000 miles. The issues reported most often: Brake pulsation and rotor warping; Airbags did not deploy in a crash; Throttle sticking or unintended acceleration.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1998 Pontiac Firebird have?

NHTSA recorded 63 consumer complaints for the 1998 Pontiac Firebird as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1998 Pontiac Firebird is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 28 complaints (44% of the total), followed by air bags with 7.

Has the 1998 Pontiac Firebird been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1998 Pontiac Firebird get?

The EPA rates the 1998 Pontiac Firebird (Firebird/Formula, 3.8L 6-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,350 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1998 Pontiac Firebird reported?

Among the 4 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 69,500 miles and the middle half falls between 61,000 and 78,000 miles; 0% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.