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2000 Pontiac Firebird

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 Firebird.

Body PASSENGER CAR

Defined by its passenger car classification and an engine requiring 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil, the 2000 Pontiac Firebird enters the record with a clean slate of zero recalls. Its 41 total owner complaints predominantly target the engine and engine cooling systems, situating this model year in a moderate position across the 1990-2002 timeline. While it avoids the peak dissatisfaction of 1995, which saw 95 complaints, it falls well above the 1990 low of just 10 complaints, meaning the 2000 Firebird represents a stabilized but still flawed middle chapter in the model's reliability history.

Model year2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 75 · 690 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731172. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 75 · 690 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215-60R10OEM · verified

Wheel / rim8-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731172 alt 12731175
Engine air filter	25042562
Fuel filter	25166285 alt 25121293
Spark plug	12621258 alt 12681664
Front wiper blades	22143969 discontinued
Serpentine belt	12569527 alt 19172681
Thermostat	24505924 alt 12561155

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	193.3 in
Overall width	74.4 in
Overall height	52 in
Wheelbase	101.2 in
Curb weight	3488 lb
Track (front / rear)	60.6 / 60.6 in

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Firebird of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

5.0 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 5.00 sec — 2000 Trans Am WS6 Coupe

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2000	Trans Am WS6 Coupe 5.7L V8	5.00 sec	13.50 sec	320 hp	RWD
1999	Trans Am Convertible 5.7L V8	5.30 sec	13.90 sec	320 hp	RWD
1998	Trans Am Coupe 5.7L V8	5.10 sec	13.40 sec	305 hp	RWD
1998	Formula Coupe 5.7L V8	5.30 sec	13.80 sec	305 hp	RWD
1998	Trans Am Coupe 5.7L V8	5.50 sec	14.00 sec	305 hp	RWD
2002	Trans Am Collector Edition Coupe 5.7L V8	5.10 sec	13.50 sec	325 hp	RWD
1996	Trans Am WS6 Coupe 5.7L V8	5.40 sec	14.00 sec	285 hp	RWD
1996	Formula WS6 Coupe 5.7L V8	5.50 sec	14.10 sec	285 hp	RWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Lower: 11 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	Studs: 11 ft-lbs, nuts: 13 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

100 ft-lbs

Ignition

Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	41-921
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.50 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	GM part number 12345923 or equivalent.
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	75
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	690 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	75

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum	55.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	48-55

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	74 ft-lbs / 23 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	100 ft-lbs / 74 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.26 in / 1.02 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.26 in / 1.02 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.223 in / 0.98 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

110 ft. lbs., step 2: 76

110 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

1	37 ft. lbs.	37 ft. lbs
2	120 degrees.	120 degrees
3	Bolts 1-4	30 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep M11 Bolts 1-10:

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees.	90 degrees
3	Bolts 1-8	90 degrees
1	22

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

3.6 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.4

3.6 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., step 2: 18

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 mi	Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 50,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2000 Pontiac Firebird sits in the later portion of the fourth generation (1993–2002), where the complaint trend is clearly declining from a peak of 95 in 1995 to 41 in 2000—a figure lower than every year from 1994 through 1999. Recalls are absent for 2000, matching the pattern of zero recalls seen in 1998 and 2001, a marked improvement over the 2–5 recalls per year common in the early 1990s. However, the 2000 model year records a dramatic spike in Technical Service Bulletins (286), far exceeding the 94 of 1999 and continuing the upward trend that reaches 347 by 2002; this suggests GM was proactively addressing many non-safety issues through bulletins rather than recalls. The top complaint areas are engine/cooling, tires, and brakes, with 4 crash and 3 fire complaints—moderate numbers that align with the generation’s overall pattern. Given the low complaint count and zero recalls, the 2000 Firebird is a relatively solid buy compared to earlier, more problematic years, but the high TSB volume means you should verify that common fixes have been applied before purchasing.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

286

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

4 involved a crash · 3 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99’00’01 ’02

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 41 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling7

Tires4

Service Brakes, Hydraulic4

Exterior Lighting3

Seats3

Seat Belts2

Visibility2

Electrical System2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 286 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
General Communication	2024-08-26	Electrical System	Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It…
18-NA-099	2024-06-17	Unknown Or Other	This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is…
24-NA-098	2024-06-06	Electrical System	This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming…
06-06-01-019C	2024-03-14	Engine And Engine Cooling	This bulletin advises the technician of possible location of an internal coolant leak…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Firebird. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 75 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731172 Engine air filter 25042562 Fuel filter 25166285 Spark plug 12621258

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2000 Firebird take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2000 Firebird have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.