What Caused Pontiac Fieros To Catch Fire?

Hardcore Pontiac Fiero fans eagerly slot the little rear-wheel-drive two-seater among the most iconic sports cars Pontiac ever made. While the Fiero can't compete with other famous Pontiac muscle cars like the GTO Judge or Firebird Trans Am, its mid-engine design was inarguably forward-thinking among American automakers.

The Fiero's design was cutting-edge enough that for a time Pontiac dealerships sold versions whose third-party body kit looked like the Ferrari 308. The resemblance was close enough to prompt the Italian automaker to sue Pontiac, bringing the project to a halt. However, other aftermarket body kits remained available to transform the Fiero into Ferrari, Lamborghini, and other exotic car look-alikes.

The first Pontiac Fiero, launched in 1984, was the model with the most fire-related issues, as subsequent models largely addressed the inaugural year's shortcomings. In all, only around 300 (one in 400) 1984 Fieros actually caught fire due to its design shortcomings.

The fire issue was mostly due to limited engine-bay space. First, there was the decision to use a small 3-quart oil pan that consistently starved the engine for oil, causing it to run hot. Add in a batch of bad piston connecting rods that could knock a hole in the engine upon failure, releasing hot oil onto hot components waiting to ignite. If the Fiero's engine oil didn't catch fire there was also a chance that an electrical wiring harness could contact the exhaust manifold in the limited space and cause an electrical fire.

If you're looking for an American-made mid-engine two-seater sports car with limited horsepower (it's no Corvette), the Pontiac Fiero is a great budget-friendly option. As mentioned, available body kits allow the Fiero to be practically anything you can imagine. And while Fieros from 1985 to the end of production in 1988 were far less likely to catch fire, even 1984 models still around should have been corrected under recall.

A top-of-the-line 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT carried a manufacturer's suggested retail price around $14,000 when new. Nicer pre-owned Fieros are worth surprisingly more today. 

The Fiero GT appeared in 1985, and about halfway through the 1986 model year, a new version arrived with fastback styling. Over the course of its short production run, Fiero trims also included Base, Sport, SE, Indy, and Mera editions. Engine offerings ranged from a 92-horsepower inline four-cylinder with 134 pound-feet of torque to a 2.8-liter V6 with 140 horsepower and 160 pound-feet of torque, introduced in 1985. Transmission options included a three-speed automatic, or four- or five-speed manual transmissions.

[Featured image by Drygolin via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]