Selling a dead or damaged Pontiac Fiero

A burned, seized or stalled Fiero can still be sold. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

A cheap-to-build mid-engine two-seater

Wikipedia lists production from August 1983 to August 16, 1988, at a reopened plant in Pontiac, Michigan, and 370,168 cars built. The engine sits behind the seats and drives the rear wheels: a 2.5-liter four or a 2.8-liter V6. Transmissions were a 3-speed automatic, a 4-speed Muncie manual, or 5-speed manuals from Getrag and Isuzu.

The budget shaped the car. Wikipedia puts the development cost at 400 million dollars, a fraction of a typical GM program, and says the original brake and suspension designs gave way to parts from the X and T platforms to save money. Its plastic body over a spaceframe helped it earn a five-star NHTSA frontal crash rating.

The engine fire problem, recall by recall

Engine and engine cooling is named in 60 of the 102 complaints, and it's the top component on every model year.

Wikipedia says the fires were first thought to come from antifreeze leaking out of poorly installed hoses, when the real cause was defective connecting rods. It quotes a note from a Saginaw foundry manager that "60 percent to 90 percent of the rods produced do not exhibit defects", which means at least 1 in 10 was defective.

• 87V181 (1984 only): NHTSA cites an unreasonable risk of connecting rod failure and engine compartment fires. 125,440 vehicles.
• 89V232 (1984-1988): engine compartment fire risk from the engine bay environment combined with maintenance or service factors. 244,000 vehicles.
• 90V104 (1985-1988): a long list of leaks and failures, including PCV grommet oil leaks, transmission oil cooler leaks, connecting rods breaking through the engine wall, fuel rail leaks, coolant leaks and rocker cover leaks. 102,162 vehicles.

The remedy for all three was to correct or install new engine components. Vehicle counts are whole-campaign numbers.

The parking brake

Parking brake complaints come second, with 12, all from 1984 to 1987. Recall 91V055 covers 1984-1986 cars whose parking brake adjusters stop working after the pads wear; dealers replaced them. The campaign counts 179,036 vehicles. The 1984 also has 9 electrical system complaints.

Complaints and recalls by year

Fiero figures pulled from NHTSA complaints as of October 10, 2026. No complaint after the 1986 reports a fire, though engine complaints continue. A 1988 has had slightly fewer years than a 1984 to gather reports; at this age the gap hardly shows.

Fix it or sell it?

Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which of the four campaigns were done. If the car burned, the question is usually settled: see fire damage. For an unfinished Fiero project with a worn engine, put a written quote next to local sale prices for a running Fiero with that engine. Old project car walks through the decision.

Selling the Fiero whole

• Have the VIN, the engine (four or V6), the transmission and what's wrong.
• Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
• Say where it sits and whether it rolls. Garage, carport, back lot: the truck meets the car there, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.
• Leave the body panels and parts on. If you've already sold the engine or wheels, say so.
• Have the title ready. Lost it? Start with selling with no title.

Other Pontiacs: the Solstice, Firebird, or every Pontiac we cover.