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2008 Pontiac G8

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

59 reports with mileage · 12 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

14 reports
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Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2015
Electrical System

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL) HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DELAY WHO MADE THE CONTACT AWARE THAT IT MAY TAKE ANOTHER EIGHT MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUF…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL) HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED FOR REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DELAY WHO MADE THE CONTACT AWARE THAT IT MAY TAKE ANOTHER EIGHT MONTHS FOR THE PARTS TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

NHTSA ODI #10682466

87,000 miles · Apr 3, 2014
Electrical System

THE KEY FOB CONTAINS THE IGNITION KEY AND UNFOLDS WITH A BUTTON PRESS, BUT THE SPRING MECHANISM HOLDING IT OPEN IS A BIT WEAK. WHEN YOU HAVE IT ATTACHED TO A KEY CHAIN, THE WEIGHT OF THE KEYS CAN FAIRLY EASILY MAKE THE KEY FOB FOLD OVER IN AN "L" SHAPE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING OFTEN, AND BEING 6…

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THE KEY FOB CONTAINS THE IGNITION KEY AND UNFOLDS WITH A BUTTON PRESS, BUT THE SPRING MECHANISM HOLDING IT OPEN IS A BIT WEAK. WHEN YOU HAVE IT ATTACHED TO A KEY CHAIN, THE WEIGHT OF THE KEYS CAN FAIRLY EASILY MAKE THE KEY FOB FOLD OVER IN AN "L" SHAPE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING OFTEN, AND BEING 6 FT 1 IN TALL, MY KNEE BUMPED THE KEYS WHILE I WAS PUTTING MY FOOT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE GAS PEDAL AND ON THE BRAKE. DUE TO THE FOLDED OVER KEY FOB ATTACHED TO THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THERE WAS ENOUGH LEVERAGE PLACED ON THE IGNITION SWITCH, TURNING THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION, AND THE CAR SHUT OFF WHILE ROLLING ALONG IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10577272

45,020 miles · Jun 6, 2011
Electrical System

AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE KEY WILL ONLY TURN HALFWAY. THIS RESULTS IN THE KEY BEING STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY, BUT TENDS TO GET WORSE THE MORE FREQUENTLY THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. ONLY WAY I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY IS TO TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND ROTATE THRU THE GEARS. SOMETIMES …

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AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE KEY WILL ONLY TURN HALFWAY. THIS RESULTS IN THE KEY BEING STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY, BUT TENDS TO GET WORSE THE MORE FREQUENTLY THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. ONLY WAY I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY IS TO TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND ROTATE THRU THE GEARS. SOMETIMES IT TAKES 5 OR 6 TRIES. ALSO THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS WILL NOT OPERATE ALL THE TIME EITHER AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE MIRROR AND THE KEY IGNITION RUN THRU THE SAME WIRE HARNESS IN THE SHIFTER MECHANISM. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP 2 SEPARATE TIMES. THE FIRST TIME THEY COULD NOT MIMIC THE SITUATION, BUT THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED 5 TIMES AFTER 3 DAYS OF TESTING. THIS CONDITION APPEARS TO HAVE HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS BASED ON INFO I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET. I AM WORKING WITH GM TO GET THIS RESOLVED BUT I BELIEVE A RECALL SHOULD BE AT LEAST INVESTIGATED SINCE MY VEHICLE IS ONLY 2.5 YEARS OLD AND OTHERS OWNERS HAVE HAD A SIMILAR CONDITION OCCUR. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THE DEALER IS REPLACING THE FLOOR SHIFTER AND THE WIRE HARNESS. NOT SURE IF THIS WILL WORK BUT HOPE SO. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10405286

249 miles · Apr 14, 2008
Electrical System

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT CANNOT READ THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES WHILE DRIVING DURING THE DAYTIME. THERE IS NO RECALL REGARDING THIS FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURS WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS APPROXIMATELY RANGING FROM 20 TO 40 MPH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 350 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 249.

NHTSA ODI #10224447

Official recalls

4

15V399000 · Seat Belts

Jun 23, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles manufactured October 15, 2010, to October 22, 2013, and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles manufactured July 25, 2007, to February 18, 2009. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt tensioner assembly which includes the steel cable, free of charge. These replacement parts reposition the tensioner cable out of the path of entry into the vehicle and uses a more flexible cable, set at a more upright angle. The recall began on July 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 15206.

14V540000 · Electrical System:ignition

Sep 9, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles manufactured October 15, 2010, to December 6, 2013, and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles manufactured July 25, 2007, to February 18, 2009. In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position could cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the key blade from the original flip key/RKE transmitter assemblies, and cut and fit a revised key blade and housing assembly, in which the blade has been indexed by 90 degrees, to the original RKE transmitter assembly. GM issued an interim notification to owners on December 31, 2014. The recall began on February 4, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14445. Note: Until the recall has been performed, it is very important that drivers adjust their seat and steering column to allow clearance between their knee and the ignition key.

11V534000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Nov 4, 2011

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 PONTIAC G8 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 2, 2007 THROUGH JANUARY 22, 2009. A 5TH PERCENTILE FEMALE ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICE (ATD) IN A 30 MPH FRONTAL BARRIER TEST EXCEEDED THE HEAD INJURY CRITERIA (HIC) REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD. WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT POSITIONED FULL FORWARD, THE SEAT POSITION SENSOR WILL CAUSE A 30 MILLISECONDS DEPLOYMENT DELAY BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGES OF THE DUAL-STAGE FRONTAL PASSENGER AIR BAG.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THIS DELAY MAY RESULT IN INCREASED HEAD INJURY TO CERTAIN FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.

Remedy: GM DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 30, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.

09V172000 · Service Brakes, Air:antilock:control Unit/module; Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems

May 21, 2009

GM IS RECALLING 35,038 MY 2008-2009 PONTIAC G8 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT" AND FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS". THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE BRAKE LAMPS MAY BE CONTINUALLY ILLUMINATED AND FAIL TO WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING. ALSO CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY HAVE INCORRECT VALUES PROGRAMMED INTO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM THAT WILL NOT ILLUMINATE THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE TELLTALE UNTIL TIRE PRESSURE FALLS BELOW VALUES REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: INAPPROPRIATE, NON-STANDARD LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR DRIVING ON A SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER-INFLATED TIRE CAUSES THE TIRE TO OVERHEAT AND CAN LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE BRAKE POSITION SENSOR AND THE REMOTE CONTROL DOOR LOCK RECEIVER WITH THE CORRECT VALUES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JUNE 5, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GM PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems

GM IS RECALLING 35,038 MY 2008-2009 PONTIAC G8 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT" AND FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS". THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE BRAKE LAMPS MAY BE CONTINUALLY ILLUMINATED AND FAIL TO WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING. ALSO CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY HAVE INCORRECT VALUES PROGRAMMED INTO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM THAT WILL NOT ILLUMINATE THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE TELLTALE UNTIL TIRE PRESSURE FALLS BELOW VALUES REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.

Consequence: INAPPROPRIATE, NON-STANDARD LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR DRIVING ON A SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER-INFLATED TIRE CAUSES THE TIRE TO OVERHEAT AND CAN LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE BRAKE POSITION SENSOR AND THE REMOTE CONTROL DOOR LOCK RECEIVER WITH THE CORRECT VALUES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JUNE 5, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GM PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.

Service Brakes, Air:antilock:control Unit/module

GM IS RECALLING 35,038 MY 2008-2009 PONTIAC G8 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT" AND FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS". THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE BRAKE LAMPS MAY BE CONTINUALLY ILLUMINATED AND FAIL TO WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING. ALSO CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY HAVE INCORRECT VALUES PROGRAMMED INTO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM THAT WILL NOT ILLUMINATE THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE TELLTALE UNTIL TIRE PRESSURE FALLS BELOW VALUES REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.

Consequence: INAPPROPRIATE, NON-STANDARD LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR DRIVING ON A SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER-INFLATED TIRE CAUSES THE TIRE TO OVERHEAT AND CAN LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE BRAKE POSITION SENSOR AND THE REMOTE CONTROL DOOR LOCK RECEIVER WITH THE CORRECT VALUES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JUNE 5, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GM PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.