1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 5.7 V8 from North America

Summary:

I absolutely love my car!

Faults:

Before we could even get the car home, the fuel pump went out on the Dealer lot (thank god they ate the cost on that!)

The SERVICE ENGINE SOON light came on only 150 miles later. It was determined that one of the four O2 sensors have gone out! : (

Hopefully this is ALL that goes wrong!!

General Comments:

I LOVE my car!! It is the coolest!! I own a '68 Bird and this one is almost as much fun to drive as that. It is by far more comfortable to drive than the '68. Nostalgia-wise the '68 takes it hands down!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd April, 2003

1998 Pontiac Firebird WS6 5.7 from North America

Summary:

Definitely a chick magnet

Faults:

I've had the car approximately a year. I've got a growl coming from the rearend. I was told it is the carrier. I went to the dealer and they changed the differiental fluid, telling me it was to thin. I had just changed it less than 1000 km prior. Useless dealer service. This noise makes me very nervous.

General Comments:

This car is extremely fast from the factory.

Handles beautifully.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th April, 2002

1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 Ram Air gasoline from North America

Summary:

A high speed risk

Faults:

Well, almost nothing went wrong with the car in the time I've had it. Many owners have said there seems to be some kind of rattling, and I haven't noticed this on my car.

The monsoon stereo system has had some problems, but that probably from me playing it so loud.

I have also noticed that the leather seating started to wear quite quickly, compared to what I've seen on my friend's cars with leather seating.

General Comments:

This car is meant to pack serious speed, or as they call it "A HIGH PERFORMANCE VEHICLE". This baby has 310 HP and runs at top speeds of 256 KM or 156 MPH.

This car has an amazing 6 gears, which is obviously meant only for racing inside a track (yeah right).

Even at low speeds the car makes an astonishing roar, which sounds much louder than most cars.

The stereo is unbelievable, it is 500 watts all together. It throws out so much noise, from mellowing out classical to spitting out rock tunes, it's the best.

The luxury in this car is quite amazing for a sport car of its class, leather seats, big stereo, CD player, t-tops, it has it all.

But yet for most this car is a huge risk to buy, first of all it is 15 to 30 grand used, and yet people have problems with the car, from rattling to blowing gaskets. There are apparently years and versions of this car that were made poorly. It also seems to be a hog to pay for including gas, insurance, replacements. I'm not going to start talking about the dealer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th August, 2001

16th Feb 2004, 21:35

I once owned a 1989 Firebird Formula and was very satisfied with the performance and overall quality of the car. Due to insurance and other issued I decided to trade it in for a Grand Prix GTP, boy that was a mistake, subsequently I ht I traded it in for a 1999 Firebird, still not satisfied I traded that in for a 1998 Bright Red Trans Am.

Muscle, power, looks and sound. The car is five years old and I see no serious problems with it. The previous owner took good care or car, but neglected the stereo system. I have made one simple modification that increased the horsepower by 10. I am looking into adding an after market RAM AIR system. Overall I am completely satisfied with the car. Pontiac should have kept the car in its inventory.

1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 5.7L from North America

Summary:

A high performance beast!

Faults:

The only problem I have with this car is the rattles. If it was just one or two slight rattles, it would be one thing. This car rattles constantly. I have had it looked at by my boyfriend, my father and the dealership numerous times... no one can figure out where they are coming from.

General Comments:

This was (and is) my dream car. It has definitely been a fun car to drive. I am a very petite 22 year old female. Needless to say I can leave unexpected drivers in the dust. No one fears me until they get a long good glimpse of my tail lights.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 25th June, 2001

23rd Apr 2003, 12:06

Where do the rattles seem to be coming from? I just bought a '98 TA with 40,000 miles on it and I hear a rattle occasionally. It seems to be coming from the rear of the car. I believe it may be a heat shield for the exhaust. We are going to put it on a lift to get a better look at the underside of it. Otherwise... I LOVE MY CAR!! I also own a '68. The 30yr newer version is almost as much fun as her big sister :) Either way the guys turn their heads!!

Mary-Beth, St. Charles, MO.

3rd Sep 2003, 17:08

I drove my 98 TA off the lot years ago... I would recommend that you take your car to a shop that specializes in these cars, not the dealer. They make these cars with an independent front/rear suspension. Over time the frame starts to warp because of this, creating many rattles (have you noticed body panels not fitting correctly? This was one of the signs that we had, along with the noise.) On mine, I had the car's frame structure locked together. They also did a lot of other things to my car, but that awful rattle is gone...

Nicole.

3rd Feb 2008, 11:10

The car does not have an independent rear suspension, it's a live rear axle.

5th Jul 2009, 13:20

Everyone that has one of these cars should either get subframe connectors welded in or get the bolt in ones. This takes away many of the rattles and dash noise and will also make the car much easier to launch from a stop.

1998 Pontiac Firebird Coupe 3.8 V6 from North America

Summary:

Very pretty, but could use more power.

Faults:

The headlight motor was damaged when I purchased the car, but this was fixed by the dealer.

General Comments:

This car is very muscular looking. I love the feeling I get when I walk up to it in a parking lot.

It could use some more power, though. I don't understand why they wouldn't put a more powerful v6 into it. I know that if I want power, I should get a v8, but my father wouldn't let me.

The transmission isn't smooth at all. Sometimes the gears don't mesh and you have to pump the clutch a couple of times.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th June, 2001

1998 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 350 LS1 from North America

Summary:

This car was a great bargain for the price you spend on them

Faults:

The only thing that has gone wrong is the shifter will turn on you when you shift hard. I think the bushing is going out or something. It has made the shifting a little slow.

General Comments:

Other than the shifter, the car is a fun car to drive with lots of power under your foot to grab at any point you want. I also like how mean the car looks. Looks like it is mad and on the tear!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th June, 2001

1998 Pontiac Firebird 3.8 from North America

Summary:

Great performance, poorly built

Faults:

Water pump, rattles in dash, front rotors warped, headlight motor, turn signal switch in steering column loose causing brake light not to work sometimes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 15th May, 2000

2nd May 2001, 09:45

Maybe you should learn how to take care of your car, and you shouldn't have bought the weak version of Firebird.

26th Jun 2001, 08:03

I don't think the rattles in the car always have everything to do with how well you take care of the car. I have a 1998 Trans Am that I baby and it has constant rattles. I take VERY good care of my car and I have heard that the Camaro and the Firebird body styles are known for noise.

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