IllustrationAIRBAG FAULT LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF, SEEMS THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON TO THIS VEHICLE. LIGHT COMES ON WHEN CAR IS STARTED AND COMPLETES IN SAFETY CHECK.
2009 Pontiac G8
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all G8 years →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
330–25K
2925–50K
3950–75K
1475–100K
8100–150K
3150K+
126 reports with mileage · 18 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 69 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
144 reportsTHE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR CONTINUOUSLY SHOWS UP EVEN THOUGH ALL TIRE PRESSURES ARE CORRECT. THESE INCORRECT DISPLAYS HAVE BEEN APPEARING FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS AND TAKE A LONG TIME TO GO AWAY BEFORE REAPPEARING AGAIN. AS A RESULT YOU WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. OUR DEALER SAYS THAT OTHER OWNERS HAV…
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THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR CONTINUOUSLY SHOWS UP EVEN THOUGH ALL TIRE PRESSURES ARE CORRECT. THESE INCORRECT DISPLAYS HAVE BEEN APPEARING FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS AND TAKE A LONG TIME TO GO AWAY BEFORE REAPPEARING AGAIN. AS A RESULT YOU WILL NEVER REALLY KNOW IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TIRES. OUR DEALER SAYS THAT OTHER OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND GM STOPPED PAYING FOR REPAIRS.
A TAPPING NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING - WHETHER THE CAR WAS AT IDLE OR MOVING. THE TAPPING WOULD NOT CEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE #2 VALVE LIFTER HAD COLLAPSED INTO THE CAMSHAFT AND DAMAGED THE CAMSHAFT. ALL 16 LIFTERS, CAMSHAFT AND ASSOCIATED GASKETS WERE REPLACED. H…
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A TAPPING NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING - WHETHER THE CAR WAS AT IDLE OR MOVING. THE TAPPING WOULD NOT CEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE #2 VALVE LIFTER HAD COLLAPSED INTO THE CAMSHAFT AND DAMAGED THE CAMSHAFT. ALL 16 LIFTERS, CAMSHAFT AND ASSOCIATED GASKETS WERE REPLACED. HAD WE CONTINUED DRIVING THE CAR, MORE DEFECTIVE LIFTERS WOULD HAVE COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. AT THAT POINT, THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE LIFTERS ARE DEFECTIVE IN ALL GM CARS WITH THIS ENGINE (SEE SERVICE BULLETIN 10-06-01-007D).
I'VE BEEN READING THROUGH THE COMPLAINTS AND IT SEEMS TO BE A BROKEN RECORD OF "AIRBAG" ISSUES. MINE JUST STARTED A WEEK AGO AT 50,000+. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THE NORMAL COST TO MAYBE GET IT FIXED OVER PERHAPS SEVERAL VISITS IS 1K+. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE TO ACTUALLY GET A RECALL INITIATED? UNTIL THE…
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I'VE BEEN READING THROUGH THE COMPLAINTS AND IT SEEMS TO BE A BROKEN RECORD OF "AIRBAG" ISSUES. MINE JUST STARTED A WEEK AGO AT 50,000+. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THE NORMAL COST TO MAYBE GET IT FIXED OVER PERHAPS SEVERAL VISITS IS 1K+. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE TO ACTUALLY GET A RECALL INITIATED? UNTIL THEN, WHY WON'T ANYONE DO SOMETHING TO SILENCE THE LOUD ANNOYING AIRBAG ALARM? IT IS VERY DISTRACTING, AND I BELIEVE MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE THAN THE POSSIBILITY OF THE AIRBAG NOT DEPLOYING. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP US.
AT STARTUP, VEHICLE DISPLAYS MESSAGE "AIRBAG FAULT" AND AIRBAGS ARE INOPERABLE. MANY OTHERS WITH GM VEHICLES HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES AND IT HAS BEEN TRACED TO A FAILED PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR (GM PART NUMBER 92225595). THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THE FAULT CAUSES THE AIRBAG TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF TH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
PASSENGER PRESENCE DETECTION SYSTEM FAILURE DISABLING THE SYSTEM UNTIL THE MODULE/SENSOR IS REPLACED. DEALER PRICING IS AROUND $1000 TO REPLACE MODULE/SENSOR. SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT GM ISN'T COVERING AS A SAFETY DEFECT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). UPON RECEIVING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT INSERT INTO THE IGNITION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,722.…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V540000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). UPON RECEIVING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT INSERT INTO THE IGNITION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,722.
Official recalls
415V399000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.