1986 Pontiac Firebird review from North America
"Once in a lifetime car"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
My dad bought this car brand new and I have had it since 1996. Absolutely nothing went wrong with this car for the first 10 years besides routine maintenance. One minor problem is the headlights tend to need replacing quite often since they are vulnerable to rocks.
Alternator had to be replaced at about 200,000kms.
Paint started to rust then peel at about 320,000kms.
Door hinges became weak, especially noticeable in the winter time around 360,000kms.
Engine tends to flutter and rev itself for a couple minutes while idling. This started around 395,000kms and nobody has been able to identify this problem.
This car is currently at 401,000kms and still running pretty well.
General comments?
I cannot imagine a more well-made car than the '86 Firebird. This car has really made it over 15 years with very minor repair costs. Only now, at approaching 400,000kms, is it starting to show signs of breaking down. I definitely wish newer GM cars were made like this one.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Year of manufacture | 1986 |
| First year of ownership | 1986 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.8 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 30 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 401000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Toyota Celica |
| Date of Entry | 2nd November, 2002 |