There are 7 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2008 Pontiac G8in NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC G8. WHILE PARKING, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND IT FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/09/15*LJ UPDATED 9/5/2017*CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT AND REAR WINDSHIELDS WERE DEFECTIVE AND THE GLASS CONTAINED BUBBLES THAT CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE REAR DEFROSTER NO LONGER FUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE REAR WINDSHIELD COULD BE REPLACED AT LOW COST. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT ENGAGE. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT REPAIRED BECAUSE THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. NEITHER WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DISPLAYS UNACCEPTABLE LATENCY DURING DOWNSHIFTS AND UNPREDICTABLE TRANSMISSION RESPONSE TO THROTTLE INPUTS . THIS RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE VEHICLE BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY DURING FREEWAY MERGES OR OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF ENGINE POWER IS REQUIRED. THIS IS AN ONGOING, CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT I BELIEVE IS RELATED TO POOR PROGRAMMING OF THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. *TR
MY SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY 2008 PONTIAC G8 GT ARE AS FOLLOWS: LAGGY THROTTLE/TRANSMISSION RESPONSE CAUSES PRECARIOUS POSITIONS. HAMPERS ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE. MAY CAUSE CAR TO ACCELERATE FASTER THAN INTENDED RESULTING IN A ACCIDENT. FOR EXAMPLE PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PART WAY RESULTS IN A LONG DELAY BEFORE THE CAR RESPONDS. WHEN THE CAR DOES RESPOND IT MAY ACCELERATE AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN INTENDED. THERE IS NO ACTUAL ACCELERATION FEEDBACK WHILE PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL BECAUSE OF THE DELAY. IF I HAD INTENDED TO ACCELERATE USING SAY 1/4 THROTTLE AND BECAUSE OF THE CARS LACK OF RESPONSE ONE MAY MISTAKENLY PRESS THE THROTTLE TO THE 1/2 POSITION THE CAR WOULD EVENTUALLY "ENGAGE" ABRUPTLY AT THE 1/2 THROTTLE POSITION. THE RESULT IS THAT THE CAR WILL ABRUPTLY ACCELERATE AT A MUCH FASTER THAN INTENDED SPEED POTENTIALLY CAUSING A COLLISION. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS WHEN ENTERING A HIGH SPEED ROAD WITHOUT AN ENTRANCE RAMP (90 DEG RIGHT TURN) WHEN THE PEDDLE IS DEPRESSED TO 3/4 THROTTLE TO ENTER, THE CAR WILL SLOWLY MOVE INTO THE ROADWAY AND DELAY BEFORE "ENGAGING" CAUSING OTHER MOTORISTS TO BRAKE. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHEN A NON-ATTENTIVE MOTORIST WERE APPROACHING IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALER ANT THEY STATE THAT IS THE WAY IT IS AND ITS FINE. I DISAGREE. I HAVE DRIVEN EVERY KIND OF CAR ONE COULD IMAGINE AND I NEVER HAD A CAR THAT HAD THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I BELIEVE GM SHOULD CORRECT IT. CAR: 2008 PONTIAC G8 GT *TR
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION EXHIBITS DIFFERENT TENDENCIES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THIS LEADS TO UNPREDICTABLE VEHICLE RESPONSE. IN ONE PARTICULAR OCCASION I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AND ACCELERATED. THE CAR HESITATED FOR A GOOD 2 SECONDS BEFORE ACCELERATING LEAVING ME TO HAVE TO GO OFF THE SHOULDER BECAUSE THE CARS FROM BEHIND HAD CAUGHT UP. THIS IS AN EVERYDAY PROBLEM AND RUINS THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CAR. *TR
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DISPLAYS UNACCEPTABLE LATENCY DURING DOWNSHIFTS AND UNPREDICTABLE RESPONSE TO THROTTLE INPUTS . THIS RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE VEHICLE BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY DURING FREEWAY MERGES OR OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF ENGINE POWER IS REQUIRED. THIS IS AN ONGOING, CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT I BELIEVE IS RELATED TO POOR PROGRAMMING OF THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. *TR
SLOW THROTTLE RESPONSE, LATENCY WHEN DOWNSHIFTING CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026