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1987 Pontiac Fiero

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1987 Fiero.

The 1987 Pontiac Fiero is a vehicle with an engine that requires 3 quarts of oil using either 10W-30 or 5W-30 viscosity. Its reliability history is marked by three recalls and a total of 19 owner complaints. These reports indicate that the most frequent issues are concentrated within the engine and engine cooling areas.

Model year1988 1987 1986 1985 1984

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175
Engine air filter	25043317 alt 25040881
Fuel filter	25171792 discontinued
Spark plug	05614046 alt 19300874
Front wiper blades	15184702
Serpentine belt	10036500 alt 9433727
Thermostat	10192505 alt 10115800

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	162.6 in
Overall width	68.9 in
Overall height	46.9 in
Wheelbase	93.3 in
Curb weight	2551 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)	44/56

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

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

7.5–11.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.50 sec — 1988 Formula Coupe

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1988	Formula Coupe 2.8L V6	7.50 sec	15.70 sec	135 hp	RWD
1988	Formula Coupe 2.8L V6	8.00 sec	16.00 sec	135 hp	RWD
1984	SE Coupe 2.5L I-4	10.50 sec	17.70 sec	92 hp	RWD
1984	SE Coupe 2.5L I-4	10.90 sec	18.10 sec	92 hp	RWD
1984	SE Coupe 2.5L I-4	11.20 sec	17.60 sec	92 hp	RWD
1984	SE Coupe 2.5L I-4	11.60 sec	18.20 sec	92 hp	RWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 3 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	3 qt
Engine Oil	10W-30 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	4 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1050017 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 30,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 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.

At 7,500 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · PCV System (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)

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 provided federal record does not include 1987 itself; it only lists 1991, 1994, and 1996, each with exactly one complaint, zero recalls, zero investigations, and one TSB, so no meaningful before-and-after arc for the target year can be drawn from these figures. Within the target-year complaint data, engine-related issues dominate: “Engine & Engine Cooling” accounts for 8 complaints, “Engine” for 2, and a combined “Engine & Engine Cooling/Electrical System” category for 2, against just 1 equipment complaint. The target year records zero crash complaints and zero fire complaints. Because the federal record is sparse and omits 1987, the data neither confirm a standout problem year nor establish a clear improvement trend; they simply show low later-year reporting and engine-cooling as the primary complaint theme. A prospective buyer should treat engine-cooling condition as the key inspection point, while the absence of crash or fire complaints in the target-year data is reassuring. On balance, the limited federal data do not flag 1987 as a high-risk year, but they are too incomplete to recommend it strongly as the “best” Fiero year.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’91 ’94 ’96

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 19 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling8

Engine2

Engine & Engine Cooling,Electrical System2

Equipment1

Steering1

Engine & Engine Cooling,Power Train1

Electrical System1

Visibility1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06E043000Fuel System, GasolineReported 19/05/2006

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION…

90V104000Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:GasolineReported 23/04/1990

PCV GROMMET OIL LEAKS, TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LEAKS, PISTON CONNECTING ROD FAILURES BREAKING THROUGH ENGINE WALL CAUSING OIL SPILLAGE, FUEL RAIL LEAKS, COOLANT LEAKS, ROCKER COVER OIL LEAKS, AND MAINTENANCE OR SERVICE… Remedy: CORRECT OR INSTALL NEW COMPONENTS TO PREVENT UNREASONABLE FIRE RISK.

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 Fiero. 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.

Vehicles taking 3 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 25043317 Fuel filter 25171792 Spark plug 05614046

Reference guides

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

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1987 Fiero take?

3 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 0 degrees F: 10W-30, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 1987 Fiero have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.