Best tires for the Pontiac Firebird
Top picks across four categories for the Pontiac Firebird, anchored to the current-generation OEM size 235/55R16. Every recommendation is selected from our 22,000-tire catalog by ranking on UTQG treadwear, mileage warranty, cabin-noise rating, and season class; no commission-weighted reordering.
Daily driver
Best all-season touring
Long warranty, low noise, balanced ride. The one-tire compromise that works for 80% of owners.
Cooper
Cobra radial GT 235/55R16
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Kumho
Solus KH16 235/55R16
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Kumho
Solus TA31
Touring-tuned all-season compound; balanced ride, grip, and tread life for everyday driving.
Lowest cost per mile
Best budget
Best price-per-warranty-mile in this size. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options, not safety.
Kumho
Solus TA31
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Cooper
Cobra radial GT 235/55R16
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Kumho
Solus KH16 235/55R16
Lowest sticker price in this size that still meets the OEM load index. Trade-off is shorter warranty vs premium options.
Side-by-side
Pick the trade-off that matches your driving
| All-season Cooper Cobra Radial GT 235/55R16 | Best budget Kumho Solus TA31 |
|
|---|---|---|
| UTQG treadwear | - | 500 |
| Mileage warranty | - | - |
| Cabin noise | - | - |
| Season class | - | - |
| Type | - | - |
OEM tire sizes by year
What size does the pontiac firebird use?
Recommendations on this page are anchored to the latest model-year's OEM size. Confirm yours against the driver-door placard before purchase.
| Year | OEM size | |
|---|---|---|
| 1971–1981 | 225/70R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1982 | 215/65R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1983–1984 | 205/70R14 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1985–1987 | 235/60R15 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1988–1992 | 245/50R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1993 | 235/55R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1994–1995 | 245/50R16 | Year-specific fitment → |
| 1996–2002 | 275/40R17 | Year-specific fitment → |
How we ranked these tires for the pontiac firebird
We started with the latest model-year's OEM tire size; 235/55R16; and filtered our catalog of 22,000+ tires to those offered in that exact size. From there, four parallel rankings:
- Best all-season ranks on a weighted score: tire type matches passenger car segment, season is "all-season", premium brand bonus (Michelin / Continental / Bridgestone / Pirelli / Goodyear / Nokian).
- Best budget ranks on cost-per-warranty-mile; the lower the better. Premium brands get no bonus here.
- Best quiet ranks on the EU tire-label dB rating; lower is quieter.
- Best winter filters to tires marked 3PMSF severe-snow rated or all-weather class, with a small premium-brand bonus because winter-compound R&D is capital-intensive.
For sedans and compacts, the all-season touring tire below is the best default; long warranty, low cabin noise, reasonable cost per mile. Switch to the quiet pick if highway droning is a deal-breaker; switch to the winter pick if you see significant snow each year. Use the side-by-side comparison above to weigh the trade-offs against your specific driving; highway-heavy, winter-state, performance-oriented, or budget-constrained.
NHTSA-reported issues for pontiac firebird
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Reported across: 2002 – 2002 (1 year)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation is the most common description, in 20% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 10 reports covering every model year of the Pontiac Firebird that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 20% | 20% | 1.0× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 20% | 8% | 2.4× |
| Tread or belt separation | 10% | 13% | 0.7× |
| Sidewall failure | 10% | 15% | 0.7× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 10% | 9% | 1.1× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Pontiac Firebird. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE TIRE EXPLOSIVELY FAILED DUE TO SIDEWALL RUPTURE AT APPROX. 60 MPH ON A PORTION OF I-820 IN N. RICHLAND HILLS, TX. IT A MIRACLE THAT A MAJOR ACCIDENT DID NOT HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF THE TIRE FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTREME VIBRATION, SEVERAL REPAIRS ON THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AND ROTATION OF THE TIRES DID NOT REMEDY VIBRATION PROBLEMS, REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES SOLVED THE VIBRATION PROBLEM, THE FIRESTONE FIREHAWK TIRES WERE EXPERIENCING TREAD SEPARATION WHICH CAUSED THE VIBRATION PROBLEM. *MJS
2000 PONTIAC FIREBIRD FRONT RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS WHEN THE TIRE BLEWOUT IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A CONCRETE BARRIER. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT QUARTER PANEL AND WHEEL AREA. THE CONSUMER WAS NOT INJURED (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT).
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE WIDE TIRES EQUIPPED ON THIS VEHICLE CAUSED 2 ACCIDENTS IN WHICH VEHICLE FISH-TAILED AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL RESULTING IN A CRASH, ON ONE OCCASION CONSUMER HIT HIS HEAD, BUT WAS NOT INJURED, BOTH ACCIDENTS OCCURRED IN SNOWY, WET ROAD CONDITIONS. (TIRE MAKE/MODEL NOT PROVIDED) *SLC
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Pontiac Firebird →
FAQ
What's the best all-season tire for the Pontiac Firebird?
Should I get a cheaper tire for my Pontiac Firebird?
Does the Pontiac Firebird need winter tires?
Can I run a different tire size on my Pontiac Firebird?
Where can I buy these tires?
Last verified 2026-10-07.