13th Sep 2006, 06:43
In reading the original review, it appears that the Fiero owner expected a lifetime warranty from GM on a high mile, old sled.
Why do so many people on this site expect the manufacturer to step in and pay for repairs on a vehicle with 80-100k miles or even more? How would you feel if you sold your house, and five years later you get a phone call from the new owners saying they need a new roof or furnace and they expect you to pay for it?
13th Sep 2006, 21:54
What did the original reviewer expect from a 17 year-old
(when purchased) vehicle with 200,000 kilometers on it?
What did he expect from GM? Oh wait! I know!!! A life-time warranty!!!
16th Dec 2006, 18:15
Thanks for the great review. I have an 86 2M4 and love it with 95,000 kilometers on it. Yes the usual things have gone wrong, but what disturbs me is how negative a lot of these comments are. Guys, get off your soap boxes and give these people a break. Not everyone is as savvy or mechanical as all of you.
17th Dec 2006, 11:11
"Not everyone is as savvy or mechanical as all of you."
Exactly the point. Someone who is NOT knowledgeable of automotive mechanics (which appears to be what you are trying to say) has no business buying a 17 year old car of any make/model, that already has over 200K km on it, and then when having to pay mechanics to fix the inevitable mechanical problems that it has, somehow expects the manufacturer to take responsibility for the problems!
Save your money, take the bus until you can afford to buy a later model car that hopefully will not require as many repairs!
17th Dec 2006, 16:22
You said it!! Heck if you people want much fewer repairs, buy a new or 1-2 yr old car! Moving parts can break. Wow shocker.
20th Dec 2006, 19:31
How about pointing out to someone who is not mechanical the ways in which to take care of the Fiero such as parts suppliers, specialty dealers etc. Instead, you guys just chastise people who have made some beginner mistakes. This owner isn't blaming the manufacturer and is obviously frustrated. Stop the harasement and give some constructive criticism. 'nough said!
23rd Dec 2006, 21:20
Some "constructive criticism", eh?
OK, here's some: stop taking your car to Larry, Moe and Curly's Garage. The reviewer may not have known a fuel filter from a distributor cap, but it sounds like the "mechanics" he went to were not a whole lot smarter, based on all the things they screwed up!
24th May 2007, 21:00
Why do you keep blaming the car's reliability when the mechanics are the ones that screwed it up? That's not Pontiac's fault, and you should have taken that into consideration when you wrote your review.
18th Oct 2007, 00:07
Have any of you ever read the 1984 consumer reports magazine? They compared the fiero to the vw gti. Sorry, but the gti won hands down in every category. The fiero was not a good car. Just read the trouble index from all the years it was built. It ranked much worse than average. The style was great, but sorry the japanese cars were then and now better. This magazine gets its info from owners and does not take any soliciters. Pick up a copy you will be truly informed on the fiero.
18th Oct 2007, 05:27
Well, obviously the Fiero wasn't that great of a car. It was a real parts bin car and what not, mainly due to the fact that funding was cut from the fiero project, so it could have been an outstanding car had the budget allowed. But we think it's a great car regardless. For the price and category it was in it was great.
You don't have to go comparing it to a VW and saying which is better (obviously you like VWs a lot) when you don't need to... VW by the way is a German car, not Japanese.
2nd Nov 2007, 20:15
I purchased a 1984 Fiero (4cyl/4spd) in 1986. Drove it for 13 years. Only sold it because my wife was pregnant with our second child.
I replaced just about everything under the hood at least once, including the engine at 125,000 miles. I am not very mechanically inclined, but with the help of more knowledgeable family members, we did the work without the help of a paid mechanic.
Two memorable repairs were due to hitting wildlife.
One was when I hit a dog that darted in front of me and I had to replace the nose, left fender, hood, and headlight motor assembly.
The other was when I hit a bird at 110 mph. It was in the road at night and must have jumped a little too late. All that I saw was a flash in front of the headlights and a smash into the windshield. I nearly soiled myself.
Thank goodness for car insurance.
My oldest just got her drivers license and I wish I had held onto that car, she would have loved it, I did!
18th Aug 2008, 01:05
Wow - Many devoted people are true to the Fiero.
I like the looks, but from what I am reading pulling out engines and replacing everything tells me it is not a car to drive everyday.
I know of 2 mechanics who would not buy these cars because of reliability issues. I also know of an auto inspector who told his wife " No Way".
If a person wants a car that always needs constant care then the Fiero is great. For me I want to put in the key and drive for 30-40k miles and then maybe have a problem.
Thanks but no thanks.
It tells me that if it were such a great car they would still make it. The looks are awesome but that's where the fun ends.
The Accord is still around and has outlived the Fiero for decades. That's what reliable quality cars are supposed to be built like.
23rd Nov 2008, 20:57
I bought my 84 Fiero SE in 2000. It was in bad shape in that the rear right bearing needed fixing. Of course there was the headlight problem. Other than that the work I put into it has been to improve its performance. High flow cat, Holley EFI, K&N filter, stronger coil... Love the car!!!
20th Sep 2009, 17:24
What a shame. Pontiac is dead. A goner. I think though they should have never built a car like the Fiero. There were 17 deaths reported from fires and 1 was a 18 month old baby. GM knew of the fire problem but ignored it. This info comes from a retired engineer. The Fiero was an awesome looking car, but come on GM, if you know a car is going to catch on fire, for GODS SAKE don't put it into production. This is capitalism at its best. I am sorry to say but GM deserved what it got. First the Corvair, x-cars, Fiero. Poor management got them what they deserved. Look at the Toyota MR2- excellent reliability record and no FIRES. Pontiac is dead, let's hope GM learns. But I bet in a few years they will be gone. Too bad.
20th Sep 2009, 19:25
"I am sorry to say but GM deserved what it got. First the Corvair, x-cars, Fiero. Poor management got them what they deserved."
Yeah - look at the GM U-Body minvans! You should see their crash test for a head-on collision! (Chevy Venture, Pontiac Montana, Buick GL8, and Oldsmobile Silhouette)
6th Aug 2006, 21:24
I agree that leaving these vehicles out to pasture over the winter time is a bad idea. I had an 86 2M6 which had jet engine acceleration and was a real joy to drive. One winter neighbours let me store it in their garage. The next, I left it in the driveway while I drove another winter car. The battery died mid way through a very cold winter and I didn't start or move it for three months.
At the end of the winter I learned I had damaged the calipers, rotors and emergency brake to the tune of over $1000 (including labour). I sold the car for very little money rather than repair it. It would soon be in need of a second replacement clutch which would have put the repair bill closer to the $2000 mark.
Like a previous poster I felt badly about having to give up the car, but at the time I was a student and really couldn't fathom investing another $1700 to $2000 in repairs.