2001 Pontiac Firebird
The Verdict
The 2001 Pontiac Firebird has 35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (10 complaints) and body (8 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 92/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Pontiac Firebird, consider the 2002 model year which has 14% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2002 has 14% fewer complaints
View the 2002 Pontiac Firebird dashboard →
Klunk Score: Smooth Ride
This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
FRONT TURN SIGNALS GO OUT EVERY FEW WEEKS. THE PROBLEM IS THE DESIGN OF THE SOCKET, WHICH IS NOT SEALED WELL CAUSING THE SOCKET TO SHORT OUT. I HAVE REPLACED THE SOCKET AND LIGHT-BULBS MULTIPLE TIMES. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I FEEL TURN SIGNALS ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT, AND ACCIDENTS COULD AND DO OCCUR WITHOUT THEM. ALSO, SINCE THE SOCKETS ARE SHORTING OUT, I AM WORRIED THAT A BIGGER ELECTRICAL PROBLEM COULD MANIFEST BECAUSE OF THAT. I KNOW THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THESE CARS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS, BUT I AM CONFUSED WHY A RECALL FOR SUCH A BAD AND DANGEROUS DESIGN HAS NOT BEEN PUT INTO PLACE.
VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING POORLY WITH DECREASED GAS MILEAGE, SAT IN VEHICLE WHILE IDLING AND NOTICED ROUGH IDLE. SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED 10 MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE BACKFIRED AND WOULD NO LONGER IDLE AT ALL. SAME PROBLEM THE FOLLOWING MORNING, NEEDED A MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY. REPLACED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR, VACUUM LINE AND OIL CHANGE. (GAS IN OIL) *TR
HAVE A 01 GRAND AM GT WITH THE TURN SIGNAL CLICKING NOISE THAT IS COMING FROM THE DASH. WHEN I HIT A BUMP ON THE ROAD OR TOUCH MY TURNING SIGNAL LEVER IT WILL START CLICKING. HOWEVER, IT WILL MAKE THIS MORSE CODE CLICKING NOISE THAT IS SAYING GM WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM, HAND OVER 300 DOLLARS. I KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE BECAUSE THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER SAID SO. HE ALSO STATED THAT THEY DO A TON OF THESE REPAIRS, ESPECIALLY 01 TO 04 PONTIAC GRAND AM'S. *TR
LEAK IN BOTH UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS. HAD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED TWICE AND NOW VEHICLE STILL ISN'T RUNNING CORRECTLY.....COST OF $600.00 PLUS MANY HEADACHES.
FIRESTONE TIRE DEFECTIVE: TREADS COMPLETELY PEELED OFF. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED UPON ENTERING THE VEHICLE, A BURNING ODOR WAS DETECTED. THE CONTACT OPENED THE TRUNK AND NOTICED A BEACH TOWEL HAD TWO BURN MARKS ON IT. THE TOWEL WAS MOVED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC.
ANTI-THEFT KEEPS GOING OFF. THERE IS BROKEN WIRE IN OUR IGNITION.
DT: WIRING LOOSENED ON FRONT HEADLIGHTS, HAD TO PULL OVER AT NIGHT, AND PLUG IN AGAI. CHECKED FUSES TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE THE ACTUAL ONES. ALSO, THE BULBS THAT WORKED THE BLINKERS FAILED, AND THE BACK LIGHTS WENT IN/OUT DUE TO A SHORT. *AK
2001 PONTIAC MONTANA, 48K MILES. LEAKS WATER ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AREA, DRIVERS SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW DOES NOT ROLL UP WITHOUT HELP, ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK ON PASSENGER SIDE, OVERHEATS, I'M TOLD IT WAS THE HEAD GASKET OR INTAKE GASKET WHICH I AM ALSO TOLD IS VERY COMMON FOR THESE CARS AROUND 50K MILES.
AUTO REAR WINDOW FAILURE. BOTH REAR WINDOWS HAVE FAILED ON THIS CAR. THEY EACH CYCLED LESS THAN 10 TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. THE LAST INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN I CLOSED THE REAR DOOR AND THE WINDOW FELL DOWN. *JB
2001 PONTIAC MONTANA MINI VAN 1. VAN WOULD NOT START DAY OF TEST DRIVING. 2. AFTER ONLY THREE WEEKS, HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. SENT IN TO BE FIXED AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE METAL SHAVINGS IN THE PAN. 3. PASSENGER POWER DOOR LOCK WOULD NOT ALWAYS UNLOCK, SENT IN MORE THAN ONCE FOR THIS. FIXED , WORKS FOR NOW? 4. PASSENGER POWER REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT ALWAYS WORK. REPLACED MOTOR. 5. PASSENGER POWER WINDOW WENT DOWN WOULD NOT GO BACK UP. FIXED , WORKS SO FAR. 6.PASSENGER POWER SLIDER DOOR JAMS SOMETIMES. 7. PASSENGER POWER SLIDER DOOR WILL ONLY WORK MANUALLY OCCASIONALLY. 8. LIGHTS WENT OUT INSIDE AND OUT TWICE AT NIGHT. 9. LIGHTS FLICKER INSIDE AND OUT WHEN PUTTING WINDOWS UP OR DOWN OR TO DO ANYTHING ELECTRICAL. 10.BAD ODOR IN VENTS EVEN AFTER REPLACING FILTER. I FEEL THAT I HAVE REALLY BEEN LET DOWN WITH THIS VAN AND THE SERVICE I HAVE RECEIVED. I FEEL THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THESE VANS AFTER DOING SOME INVESTIGATING AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PROBLEMS I HAVE ADDRESSED TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN. THANK YOU AND I REALLY HOPE THIS WILL GET YOUR ATTENTION!!!! *JB
FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR PANEL WAS LOOSE. *NM THIS WAS A RECURRENT ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED THE WINDOW TO COME OFF TRACK WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO TRAPPING THE CONSUMERS WIFE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE DOOR HAD BEEN STRESSED AT THE FACTORY DURING IT'S CONSTRUCTION. THE DOOR WAS UN-REPAIRABLE. *SC *JB
PAINT ON ROOF BEHIND T-TOPS BUBBLING AND LEAKING FLUID ON REST OF PAINT. TOOK TO DEALER AND SAID NOTHING CAN BE DONE BECAUSE AFTER WARRANTY. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE CAR THAT IS MEANT TO LOOK GOOD. THIS IS AN EYE SORE.*AK
EXCESSIVE VALVE CLATTER AND CONSUMPTION OF FUEL. *AK
AT 6,000 MILES, MY CAR BEGAN TO SHUDDER AT THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD PULSE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS WARPED ROTORS. I'VE HAD THEM RESURFACED THREE TIMES NOW! WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THE ENGINEERING OF THESE ROTORS? ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS I HAD A HARD TIME STOPPING TO AVOID A COLLISION. IT IS NOT SAFE AND DEFINATELY NOT NORMAL FOR ROTORS TO WARP SO FAST. WHY WON'T GM DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!!*AK
(1) THE FIRST DAY THAT I NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS WHEN THE DASH LIGHTS WERE HESITATING. WHEN I FIRST TURNED THE CAR ON AND PUT THE HEADLIGHTS ON WHEN IT WAS DARK. (2) NEXT THE HESITATION BECAME A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AND THE MILEAGE BURNED OUT, AND I WAS IN FEAR OF DRIVING MY CAR AT NIGHT, BECAUSE OF MY LIGHTS BURNING OUT. IF IT DID BURN OUT AT NIGHT I COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, FOR THE FAILURE OF SOMEONE NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE ME COMING. (3) I MADE AN APPOINTMENT. TO HAVE THE CAR FIXED AT THE PONTIAC DEALER ON JULY 13, 2004 AND I DROVE IT TO ITS APT. AT 7:30 A.M. THEY SAY IT WILL TAKE 3 TO 4 DAYS TO FIX DUE TO THE PART HAVING BE SENT OUT TO BE FIXED. THEY ALSO SAID IT WILL BE AN EXPENSIVE JOB. I DO NOT HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP [VALLEY CHEVROLET IN WILKES BARRE, PA] REFUSED TO INCORPORATE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY INTO MY LOAN ON THE CAR, SO THEREFORE I COULD NOT AFFORD AN ADDITIONAL $1,500 FOR THE WARRANTY. SO NOW I AM STUCK HAVING TO FIX A PART ON THE CAR THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE, PARTLY BECAUSE THE CAR IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD. *LA
ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND RESURFACED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I HAVE REPORTED TWO CASES TO PONTIAC AND THYE WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURES EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CLEARLY A CONSISTANT FAILURE ON THE FIREBIRD MODEL ACROSS SEVERAL YEARS. WARP ROTORS CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM. *AK
TURN SIGNALS OPERATE SPORADICALLY, WHETHER STANDING OR MOVING. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS AND THE DEALER FOUND NOTHING WRONG.
INTERMITTENTLY SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
THE FRONT ROTORS/BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES SINCE I GOT THE CAR. THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN THE CAR HAD 196 MILES ON IT, AND HAVE BEEN REPLACED ABOUT EVERY 8,000 TO 12,000. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED ABOUT 2,000 MILES AGO AND THE FRONT END IS VIBRATING AGAIN NOW. THE CAR HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT BOUGHT AND EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 60,000 MILES. THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAS LOCKED UP TWO TIMES WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE CAR TO SPIN ACROSS FOUR LANES, THE FIRST TIME AND DOING A 180 WHILE ON AN ON RAMP RIGHT AFTER LEAVING LONG PONTIAC OF CHATTANOOGA. EVER TIME I TAKE THE CAR TO THEM THEY JUST TELL ME THAT THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND TELL ME IT IS OK. *JB
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