1978 Pontiac FIREBIRD: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
202,175 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1978 model year. Data snapshot: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Electrical System:Starter Assembly:Solenoid is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 3 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System:Starter Assembly:Solenoid | 2 |
| Tires:Sidewall | 1 |
Electrical System:Starter Assembly:Solenoid: 2; Tires:Sidewall: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 1 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 2 |
Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 2
150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2005 | 2 |
2003: 1; 2005: 2
Pattern summary
Electrical System:Starter Assembly:Solenoid leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10014734 · 2003-03-31 (March 31, 2003)
THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES RIPPED AND BUBBLED UP. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 23,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014734 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10136158 · 2005-09-12 (September 12, 2005)
MY ORIGINAL 1978 PONTIAC FB FORUM ON OCCASION HAS HOT STARTING PROBLEMS (MEANING THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START UNTIL THE STARTER SOLENOID COOLS DOWN). THIS HEAT RELATED PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE STARTER SOLENOID BEING TO CLOSE TO THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MY CONCERN IS IF THE VEHICLE BREAKS DOWN ON THE ROAD WITHOUT A SHOULDER AND CAN'T START, IT MIGHT OBSTRUCT TRAFFIC AND BE A POSSIBLE HAZARD, MOREOVER IF IT CAN'T START DUE TO HEATING PROBLEM DURING ANOTHER TYPE OF EMERGENCY SUCH AS A FLOOD OR TSUNAMI IT COULD BE DISASTROUS. WHY DOESN'T GM FI…
Owner-reported narrative. 202,179 miles reported. Look up ODI 10136158 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10136425 · 2005-09-14 (September 14, 2005)
WAS THERE A RECALL ON PONTIAC FIREBIRDS FOR HOT STARTING PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE STARTER AND SOLENOID BEING MOUNTED ON THE ENGINE BLOCK, CLOSE TOO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD? IT OCCURS WHEN THE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD EFFECT THE STARTER SOLENOID SO THAT NO CHARGE GETS THROUGH TO THE STARTER. AS A RESULT, THE CAR WILL NOT START UNTIL THE SOLENOID COOLS DOWN. WHY CAN'T THE SOLENOID BE MOUNTED ELSEWHERE? I BELIEVE THAT GM NEVER ADDRESSED THE HOT STARTING PROBLEM IT IS A DANGER, ESPECIALLY IF ONE BREAKS DOWN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WIT…
Owner-reported narrative. 202,175 miles reported. Look up ODI 10136425 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
78V139000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Fan
Reported: 1978-06-13 (June 13, 1978)
THE HUB PORTION OF THE FAN BLADE ASSEMBLY COULD CRACK DUE TO HIGH STRESS LEVELS GENERATED DURING ENGINE OPERATING CONDITIONS. EVENTUALLY, THE BLADE COULD BREAK APART AT THE HUB AND BLADE PIECES COULD BE PROPELLED INTO THE ENGINE. IF THE HOOD IS OPEN WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, THE FRAGMENTS WOULD BE FREE TO FLY FROM THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALER WILL REPLACE THE FAN BLADE ASSEMBLY WITHOUT CHARGE TO OWNER.
NHTSA campaign record ↗