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2009 Pontiac Solstice

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Pontiac Solstice do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 97.5.

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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

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

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

20 reports with mileage · 16 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 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seats. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

36 reports
19,000 miles · Apr 1, 2014
Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSIS. THE WARNING LIGHT WAS RESET. THE MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,00…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSIS. THE WARNING LIGHT WAS RESET. THE MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000. THE VEHICLE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,500.

NHTSA ODI #10576347

28,514 miles · Feb 28, 2014
Electrical System

THEY IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE CAR KEPT RUNNING EVEN WHEN I TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10566497

5,100 miles · Nov 5, 2013
Air BagsSeat Belts

PURCHASED USED 2009 SOLSTICE ON 9/30/13. PREVIOUS PROBLEM WITH PREVIOUS OWNER BUT MOSSY MOTORS, NEW ORLEANS,LA SAID MOST LIKELY MINOR PROBLEM. ANY TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED OR MOVING 0 TO 70 MILES PER HOUR THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON MANY TIMES INTERMITTENTLY, ALONG WITH THE RED WARNING SEATBELT LIGHT. I DO NOT KNOW IF …

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PURCHASED USED 2009 SOLSTICE ON 9/30/13. PREVIOUS PROBLEM WITH PREVIOUS OWNER BUT MOSSY MOTORS, NEW ORLEANS,LA SAID MOST LIKELY MINOR PROBLEM. ANY TIME BRAKES ARE APPLIED OR MOVING 0 TO 70 MILES PER HOUR THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON MANY TIMES INTERMITTENTLY, ALONG WITH THE RED WARNING SEATBELT LIGHT. I DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS DRIVER OR PASSENGER. I DO KNOW THAT PREVIOUS OWNER HAD SAME PROBLEM AS PER CAR FAX. I AM UNSURE IF MOSSY MOTORS IN NEW ORLEANS WILL FIX IT. SMALL CAR WITHOUT AIRBAG PROTECTION AND SEATBELT DEFAULT SPELLS FATALITY IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT. GM SHOULD HAVE TO RECALL THIS CAR AS THEY HAVE RECALLED SOME 300,000 FOR LIKE AIR BAG/SEATBELT DEFAULTS. THE INTERNET DISCUSSIONS FOR LIKE SOLSTICE PROBLEMS IS INCREDIBLY HIGH WITH REPAIR COSTS THAT ARE NOT AFFORDABLE. PLEASE DO AS YOUR WEB PAGE STATES AND INVESTIGATE THIS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10550941

22,500 miles · Jul 13, 2013
Air Bags

RECEIVED A "SERVICE AIR BAG" NOTICE ON THE DASH. IT IS NOT TRIGGERED EVERY TIME THE CAR RUNS BUT IN READING FORUMS TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM, THERE SEEMS TO BE AN BIGGER ISSUE DATING BACK TO 2011. MORE AND MORE SOLSTICE AND SATURN SKY CAR OWNERS ARE ASKING THIS SAME QUESTION. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR CONTROL…

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RECEIVED A "SERVICE AIR BAG" NOTICE ON THE DASH. IT IS NOT TRIGGERED EVERY TIME THE CAR RUNS BUT IN READING FORUMS TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM, THERE SEEMS TO BE AN BIGGER ISSUE DATING BACK TO 2011. MORE AND MORE SOLSTICE AND SATURN SKY CAR OWNERS ARE ASKING THIS SAME QUESTION. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR CONTROL UNIT UNDER THE SEAT BUT THE FIX IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE SEAT. ANY RECALL FOR THIS WOULD BE SAFER FOR MY FAMILY AND OTHERS AS WELL. THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ODI #10524652

36,512 miles · Jun 30, 2013
Air Bags

PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR NOT FUNCTIONING. SERVICE AIRBAG WARNING STAYS ON AS WELL AS IDIOT LIGHT ON DASH. LIGHT ON DASH INDICATES PASSENGER AIRBAG IS NOT ACTIVATED. TRAVELING ALONG FREEWAY AND SENSOR APPEARED TO BE WORKING FINE AND THEN LIGHTS AND WARNING WENT ON. CONTINUED TRAVELING AND ONE TIME IT STARTED FUNCTIONING AND…

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PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR NOT FUNCTIONING. SERVICE AIRBAG WARNING STAYS ON AS WELL AS IDIOT LIGHT ON DASH. LIGHT ON DASH INDICATES PASSENGER AIRBAG IS NOT ACTIVATED. TRAVELING ALONG FREEWAY AND SENSOR APPEARED TO BE WORKING FINE AND THEN LIGHTS AND WARNING WENT ON. CONTINUED TRAVELING AND ONE TIME IT STARTED FUNCTIONING AND THEN WENT OUT AGAIN AFTER MAYBE FIVE MINUTES. TRAVELED AN ADDITIONAL 4,000 MILES, BECAUSE WE WERE ON VACATION, AND MY WIFE DID NOT AND DOES NOT HAVE THE SECURITY OF HAVING HER AIRBAG FUNCTIONAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10522499

29,700 miles · Oct 25, 2012
Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING OFF INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHEN A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS PRESENT AND THE OCCUPANT'S WEIGHT WAS 125 POUNDS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FRONT SEAT SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE PE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THE AIR BAG WARNING OFF INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHEN A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS PRESENT AND THE OCCUPANT'S WEIGHT WAS 125 POUNDS. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FRONT SEAT SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST IN WHICH A TROUBLE CODE WAS NOT DETECTED; HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS DUPLICATED INVOLVING THE AIR BAG INDICATOR MALFUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,700. UPDATED 11/28/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHEN THE EMPLOYEE/ADVISOR WAS ASKED TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND THE AIR BAG ON/OFF SIGNALED OFF. UPDATED

NHTSA ODI #10482206

Official recalls

3

17V061000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

Jan 26, 2017

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. The Passenger Air Bag Suppression System (PPS) sensor may become bent or damaged within the front passenger seat, possibly disabling the front passenger air bag.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the front passenger air bag does not deploy as intended, the front passenger has an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: The remedy for this recall is still under development. A permanent remedy is currently under development. The recall began February 26, 2018. Owners may contact Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 17036.

14V171000 · Electrical System:ignition

Apr 10, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.

14V047000 · Air Bags; Electrical System:ignition:switch

Feb 10, 2014

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

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.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GM’s recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

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.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GM’s recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

Electrical System:ignition:switch

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

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.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GM’s recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

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

2

DP20002 · Hvac Blower Motor Connector

Opened Feb 7, 2020 · Closed Oct 27, 2022

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:wiring:interior/under Dash

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Defect Petition received December 12, 2019 requesting an investigation into the possibility of passenger compartment fires attributed to overheating HVAC blower motor connectors in Model Years (MY) 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky vehicles.An analysis of General Motors (GM) complaint data and information in NHTSA?s databases identified thirteen unique vehicle identification numbers (VINs) with reported incidents that could pertain to blower motor overheating, smoking, or melting in the 90,938 MY2006-2010 Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice vehicles produced. Two of the thirteen cited incidents reported smoke and thermal damage that may be attributed to the HVAC blower motor although neither incident was confirmed through vehicle inspection. One incident, a MY2008 Saturn Sky with substantial field exposure from a frontal collision, could not have the root cause identified. The other, a MY2007 Pontiac Solstice, did not inform the manufacturer nor take the vehicle to a dealer for evaluation.Most of the 13 incidents reported an overheated or discolored connector with attendant loss of HVAC blower fan function. GM reported 354 warranty claims with the subject components for the Sky and Solstice, none of which included a report of fire and only one report of smoke. Over a period of ten to fourteen years in service, there are two reports of smoke or thermal damage.While the subject Sky and Solstice vehicles and the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles do share common components, the Sky and Solstice vehicles have demonstrated very different behavior and their HVAC system has a lower power draw than the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles. The recalled H3 and H3T vehicles generate over triple the failure rate of the Sky and Solstice vehicles. GM suggested in its response to the ODI?s information request that this difference was due to the larger interior volume of a recalled Hummer vehicle imposing a heavier electrical load and duty cycle on its HVAC blower. The duty cycle is defined as how long it takes for the vehicle to cool down enough before the HVAC blower motor fan speed is lowered or turned off completely.Additionally, due to the size differential between the Sky and Solstice vehicles and the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles, the parts have a different power draw. The Sky and Solstice vehicles, due to their smaller size, draw less wattage, which reduces the likelihood of a thermal event. This condition in the Sky and Solstice vehicles typically leads to an inoperable HVAC blower motor as opposed to a thermal event.Despite the commonality of parts in the Sky and Solstice vehicles with those that were the basis of a safety recall, the subject vehicles have not demonstrated a safety defect trend that would likely lead to a safety recall or merit further investigation by the ODI. The subject vehicles have a low rate of reported thermal events over the ten to fourteen years they have been in service with the most recent occurring in 2017 with no confirmed fires. The HVAC blower motor was not confirmed to be the root cause for either thermal event cited above.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA?s possession, information submitted by GM in response to an information request, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner?s allegation, NHTSA does not believe that the petition warrants a formal investigation at this time. Consequently, the petition is denied.The entire petition denial can be viewed in the October 14, 2022 Federal Register under DP20-002.(https://www.f

DP16001 · Passenger Sensing System Sensor Mat

Opened May 16, 2016 · Closed Apr 24, 2017

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting the opening of an investigation into the air bag system on model year 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky, the subject vehicles.The petitioner raised the issue of failure of the Passenger Sensing System for the front passenger seating position.On January 26, 2017, General Motors filed a defect information report recalling the subject vehicles to address the issue raised by the petition.In view of the recall, ODI considers the petition moot and is closing the action.The closing of the petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.