1992 Pontiac Sunbird Problems and Recalls (30 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird is Brakes (20% of 30 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird?
6 of 30 filings named Brakes (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (5 reports).
This snapshot lists no safety recalls for this year. That is not a clean bill of health. Still check the VIN at nhtsa.gov.
The 1991 has 26 reports on file; this year has 30. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 2
- Fires 1
- Injuries 1
- Deaths 0
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.
“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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 6 | 20.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 5 | 16.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 5 | 16.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 3 | 10.0% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 3 | 10.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 2 | 6.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 2 | 6.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 1 | 3.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 1 | 3.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 23 | 76.7% | 2 crashes · 1 fires |
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.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 1995-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1995-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 1996-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1996-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1996-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1996-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 1997-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1997-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1998-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1998-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1999-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 1999-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 1999-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 1999-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2000-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 91V166000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 92V048000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 93V190000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E012000 |
Safety Recalls (4)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
-
Recall campaign 09E012000
Safety recall 09E012000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
-
Recall campaign 91V166000
Safety recall 91V166000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- IF THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH IS NOT ENGAGED, AND THEPRIMARY HOOD LATCH WAS ALSO NOT ENGAGED, THE HOOD COULD OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. IFTHIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, THE HOOD MAY CONTACT THE WINDSHIELD,REDUCING THE FORWARD VISION AREA OF THE DRIVER AND A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
- Remedy:
- INSPECT HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLIES AND, WHERE NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING.
-
Recall campaign 92V048000
Safety recall 92V048000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- IF THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL CABLE STICKS OR BREAKS IT CANRESULT IN LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL. IF LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL OCCURS WHILE THEVEHICLE IS IN MOTION, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
- Remedy:
- REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL CABLE ASSEMBLY.
-
Recall campaign 93V190000
Safety recall 93V190000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- IF THIS OCCURS, LOSS OF NORMAL THROTTLE CONTROL CAN RESULT, OR THE THROTTLE WILL NOT RETURN TO IDLE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS RELEASED, CAUSING POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL ASSEMBLY.
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.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird?
Owners named Brakes most often — 6 of 30 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 1992 Pontiac Sunbird?
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. This snapshot lists none, which is not a clean bill of health. 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 1992 Pontiac Sunbird?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. 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.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.