1985 Pontiac Fiero Problems: Engine (18 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 1985 Pontiac Fiero is Engine (72% of 18 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 18 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 1985 Pontiac Fiero?

13 of 18 filings named Engine (72% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Parking brake (3 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Engine and Parking brake. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 1984 has 30 reports on file; this year has 18. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 1985 Pontiac Fiero

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Parking brake. Hold the truck on a slope with the parking brake and see if it creeps.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 13 complaints · 72.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 0
  • Deaths 0
All Pontiac Fiero years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 13 of 18 owner complaints (72.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 13 complaints, 72.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 3 fire reports 13 · 72.2% Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE): 3 complaints, 16.7% of reports Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE) 3 · 16.7% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 1 complaints, 5.6% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 · 5.6% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 1 complaints, 5.6% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 · 5.6% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 15 complaints, 83.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 3 fire reports 15 · 83.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 13 72.2% 1 crashes · 3 fires
Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE) 3 16.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 5.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 5.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 15 83.3% 0 crashes · 3 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 1995; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 1989. 1995-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1996-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1996-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1996-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 1997-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 1999-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2000-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2001-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Dec 1986 Jul 2008 Recall campaign 89V232000 ◆ Recall campaign 89V232000 Recall campaign 90V104000 ◆ Recall campaign 90V104000 Recall campaign 91V055000 ◆ Recall campaign 91V055000 Recall campaign 06E043000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E043000 Investigation EA87008 ● Investigation EA87008 Investigation DP88002 ● Investigation DP88002 Investigation EA88036 ● Investigation EA88036 Investigation PE89023 ● Investigation PE89023 Investigation EA89022 ● Investigation EA89022 Investigation C90001 ● Investigation C90001
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1995-Q1 Owner reports 2
1996-Q1 Owner reports 1
1996-Q3 Owner reports 2
1996-Q4 Owner reports 2
1997-Q1 Owner reports 1
1999-Q1 Owner reports 2
1999-Q3 Owner reports 2
2000-Q4 Owner reports 1
2001-Q3 Owner reports 2
2002-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 89V232000
Recall campaign 1 90V104000
Recall campaign 1 91V055000
Recall campaign 1 06E043000
Defect investigation 1 EA87008
Defect investigation 1 DP88002
Defect investigation 1 EA88036
Defect investigation 1 PE89023
Defect investigation 1 EA89022
Defect investigation 1 C90001
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Engine and Parking brake.

  1. Recall campaign 06E043000

    Safety recall 06E043000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN INADEQUATE SEAL AT THE CONNECTION, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FUEL LEAK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 89V232000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE CAN SPREAD TO THE PASSENGERCOMPARTMENT AND INJURE OCCUPANTS.
    Remedy:
    CORRECT OR INSTALL NEW ENGINE COMPONENTS TO PREVENT UNREASONABLE FIRE RISK.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 90V104000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE CAN SPREAD TO THE PASSENGERCOMPARTMENT AND INJURE OCCUPANTS.
    Remedy:
    CORRECT OR INSTALL NEW COMPONENTS TO PREVENT UNREASONABLE FIRE RISK.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 91V055000

    Parking brake

    Report date
    Component:
    Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE)
    Consequence:
    PARKING BRAKES WILL NOT COMPLETELY HOLD A PARKED VEHICLEWHEN PARKED ON A SLOPE, CAUSING UNINTENDED VEHICLE ROLLAWAY WHICH COULD RESULTIN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
    Remedy:
    REPLACE NONFUNCTIONING PARKING BRAKE ADJUSTERS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 18 complaints · page 1 of 1
2008-07-26Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE)
NHTSA ODI 10235825
CrashFireInjuryDeath
GM WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECALLS ON MY CAR. I HAVE CALLED GM CUSTOMER CARE AT LEAST 4 TIMES AND THEY WON'T HELP ME. IT HAS NOT BEEN THROUGH ANY OF THE 2 IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALLS APPLICABLE TO IT. *TR
2008-03-17Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10221399
CrashFireInjuryDeath
VEHICLE HAS EXHAUST LEAK. PER VIN # RECALL 88C24 APPLIES TO VEHICLE, I'VE READ THE RECALL INFO, AND THERE ARE NO UPDATED PARTS INSTALLED. IVE CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER AND THEY CAN NOT CHECK FOR RECALLS DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. I'VE CONTACTED PONTIAC THEY SAY THERE IS NO OPEN RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. YET PER THE INFO IT DOES APPLIY AND WAS NOT DONE, PONTIAC COULD NOT TELL ME IF IT WAS DONE PER THERE RECORDS. I'VE GOT A FILE # AT PONTIAC 71-611369143
2002-05-02Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 10009192
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I BELIEVE MY VEHICLE IS SUBJECT TO PONTIAC'S PRODUCT SAFETY CAMPAIGN #88-C-24 WHICH I CURRENTLY HAVE A COPY OF SAME. THE RECALL ADDRESSES COOLANT LEAKS, OIL LEAKS, AND IMPROPER SEALING OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT LID ALLOWING FOR PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE FRONT (LEFT) EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MY MANIFOLD IS CRACKED DUE TO SUCH DECK LID FAILURE. IN CONTACTING PONTIAC(GM), THEY ALSO STATE THAT EITHER MY VEHICLE HAS ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE RECALL(NO RECALL CAMPAIGN STICKER ARE ATTACHED TO MY CAR), OR THAT THE DOCUMENT I POSSESS IS FRAUDULENT. PONTIAC WILL NOT ANSWER MY LETTERS IN WRITTEN FORMAT, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN REQUESTED TO DO SO. THEY ALSO STATE THAT THE CAMPAIGN NUMBER(88-C-24) DOES NOT EXIST IN THEIR FILES. I NEED HELP IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. *TS ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS***761457
2001-09-13Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 896309
CrashFireInjuryDeath
RECALLS 89 V 232 000/ENGINE AND 90 V 104 000/ENGINE: VEHICLE HAD AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WHILE TRAVELING 15-20 MPH. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.*AK
2001-07-25Parking brake (PARKING BRAKE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 749182
CrashFireInjuryDeath
PONTIAC REFUSES TO PERFORM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 91V055000. THEIR POSITION IS THE RECALL HAS ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED. I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE 1990, WELL BEFORE THE RECALL DATE, AND THE RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PERFORMED. SMAIL AUTOMOTIVE REFUSES TO INSPECT THE CAR TO VERIFY THAT REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THEY ARE RELYING ON INACCURATE INFORMATION FROM THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM. I WOULD LIKE PONTIAC TO PROVIDE PROOF THAT THE RECALL HAS BEEN PERFORMED. MY CAR HAS NOT BEEN TO A GENERAL MOTORS SERVICE DEPARTMENT SINCE I'VE OWNED IT. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE ME. *AK
2000-11-29Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 875713
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CONSUMER STARTED CAR AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A CAR WITHOUT A MUFFLER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR BECAUSE RECALL CAMPAIN HAD EXPIRED. *AK
1999-07-27Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 843581
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ADJUSTER FAILS TO OPERATE. THE PADS WERE WORN OUT. IT WOULD FAIL TO HOLD WHEN ENGAGED. CAN ROLL IN ON INCLINE. 91V055000
1999-07-21Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 842871
CrashFireInjuryDeath
DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR MFR. RECALL 88C-28, EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AND NHTSA RECALL # 90V-104000, ENGINE. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO HONOR RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS TOO LONG AGO. CAN NHTSA HELP IN THIS MATTER. *AK
1999-03-08Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 782034
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CLUTCH AND SLAVE CYLINDER FAILED DUE TO SPRINGS CATCHING THE FINGERS IN THE PRESSURE PLATE STRIPPING THE RELEASE BEARING. YUH
1999-02-11Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 703183
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY CAR STARTED TO DEVELOP WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN EXHAUST LEAK FROM NORMAL WEAR & TEAR. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL EXHAUST SPECIALTY SHOPS (I.E. COLE MUFFLER, MIDAS, ETC.) TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CORRECTED AT MY EXPENSE WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE ONE OF THE GARAGES HAD TOLD ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUAL PROBLEM (MANUFACTURER DEFECT) ON THIS PARTICULAR MAKE & MODEL & THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. WHEN I CONTACTED MY LOCAL PONTIAC DEALER THEY HELPED ME VERY LITTLE & INSISTED THAT I MAKE 700.00 WORTH OF REPAIRS MYSELF TO CORRECT IT. DISCOURAGED & UPSET I TRIED TO CONTACT GENERAL MOTORS MYSELF DIRECT. GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT EVEN ADMIT THAT THERE HAS EVER BEEN ANY KIND OF RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE & HAS DONE ABSOLUTLY NOTHING TO HELP ME OR RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. (MY COMPLAINT / CASE NUMBER WITH GM IS #99027524) ON 12/31/98 WHILE TRAVELING OUT OF TOWN TO VISIT RELATIVES THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE & EXHAUST FUMES & AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. AFTER PULLING OVER & MAKING AN EMERGENCY STOP I WAS TOLD THAT IT JUST MAY HAVE BURNED THROUGH & WAS NOT ON FIRE. ALL I WANT IS SOME HELP FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. TO DATE MY COMPLAINTS GO UN-ANSWERED. I AM NOW DEALING WITH CONSTANT EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT & MAKING MYSELF & PASSENGERS SICK TO OUR STOMACHES WITH THE CONSTANT CARBON MONOXIDE SMELL & YET FACE THE RISK OF A POSSIBLE FIRE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP THAT YOU PEOPLE MAY BE ABLE TO GIVE ME IN GETTING THIS SITUATION SETTLED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. I ALSO SEE AFTER SEARCHING OVER YOUR DATABASE FOR RECALL INFORMATION THAT THERE WAS ALSO A RECALL FOR THE PARKING BRAKE ALSO AN ITEM THAT HASN'T WORKED ON MY CAR FOR YEARS!!! AGAIN GENERAL MOTORS, PONTIC, & THEIR RELATED DEALERS HAVE NO RECORD OF THIS BEING AN ACTUAL COMPLAINT AND/OR RECALL AT ANY TIME! IT JUST SEEMS IRONIC THAT THEY WILL NOT HELP IN ANY WAY

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 1985 Pontiac Fiero?

Owners named Engine most often — 13 of 18 reports (72%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 1985 Pontiac Fiero?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Engine and Parking brake. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 1985 Pontiac Fiero?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources