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1992 Pontiac Sunbird

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1992 Sunbird.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 1992 Pontiac Sunbird is a compact passenger car that sits on Pontiac’s G-body platform, requiring a modest 4‑quart fill of 5W‑30 API engine oil. With only 39 total owner complaints that year—primarily in the service brakes and hydraulic area—and a modest recall count of four, this model represents a relatively low‑issue entry in the Sunbird’s decade‑long reliability record, which peaked at 46 complaints in 1993 and dipped to just one in 1995. This places the 1992 model squarely in the middle of a generally reliable era, suggesting it was a solid, if unremarkable, choice for buyers of the time.

Model year1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12737092. Note the factory fuel filter and front wiper blades are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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	12737092 alt 25322835
Engine air filter	24577608 alt 25043119
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued
Spark plug	19354423 alt 19354418
Front wiper blades	22110234 discontinued
Thermostat	10192505 alt 24507563

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	180.3 in
Overall width	66.1 in
Overall height	53.5 in
Wheelbase	101.2 in
Curb weight	2491 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil.

Lubricants & capacities

Engine Coolant	ETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1052884 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) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 mi	Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 mi	Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 mi	Distributor Cap (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Ignition Timing (inspect) · 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 1992 Pontiac Sunbird occupies the upward slope of a reliability curve that peaks in 1993–1994, registering 39 complaints compared to 15 in 1990 and 37 in 1991, while recalls remained elevated at four instances. Technical service bulletins surged to 19, nearly doubling from the previous year’s nine and approaching the generational high of 22 recorded in 1993, suggesting intensive manufacturer diagnostic activity as the model line approached its defect-reporting apex. Federal records identify Service Brakes, Hydraulic and Engine & Engine Cooling as the top complaint areas with 10 and 6 filings respectively, though the data does not specify underlying failure modes; additionally, the year logged three crash-related and one fire-related complaint. With investigations dropping to one from the three seen in 1990–1991, yet advisory volume escalating sharply, 1992 represents a year of increasing documented problems but not yet the generational peak. For a prospective buyer, 1992 offers a slightly lower risk profile than the 1993–1994 peak years, provided the specific vehicle has documented resolution of the brake and cooling system complaints that dominated the federal record for this model year.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

3 involved a crash · 1 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91’92’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 39 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic10

Engine & Engine Cooling6

Vehicle Speed Control4

Electrical System4

Seats2

Structure2

Seat Belts2

Steering2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09E012000Exterior LightingReported 07/04/2009

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE… Remedy: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT…

91V166000Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:LatchReported 23/09/1991

THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING IS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED OR MISSING, LEADING TO A CONDITION WHERE THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH DOES NOT ENGAGE THE SECONDARY STRIKER. Remedy: INSPECT HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLIES AND, WHERE NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW SECONDARY HOOD LATCH SPRING.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 19 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
130089009	2013-09-01	Engine And Engine Cooling	Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
04152004	2004-04-15	Service Brakes, Air	VEHICLES MAY SET ANYONE OR A COMBINATION OF FRONT-WHEEL SPEED SENSOR ANTI-LOCK BRAKE…
00966B	2004-01-01	Service Brakes, Air	ABS FRONT WHEEL SPEED CODES - JUMPER HARNESS. *TT
00966	2004-01-01	Service Brakes, Air	ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) FRONT WHEEL SPEED CODES - JUMPER HARNESS. *TT
990730030A	2001-04-01	Power Train	OWNERS OF SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRA-MATIC 3T40, 4T60, 4T60-E OR 4T65-E TRANSAXLES…

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 Sunbird. 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 4 qt Engine oil filter 12737092 Engine air filter 24577608 Fuel filter 25121293 Spark plug 19354423

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 1992 Sunbird take?

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

Does the 1992 Sunbird have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.