Pontiac · G8 · 2009
4
Recalls
144
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2009 Pontiac G8 has 4 recalls and 144 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: air bags (59 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 28, 2026
The 2009 Pontiac G8 page works best as a research starting point. Complaint totals show how much owner-reported activity exists, while recalls and investigations help show whether any of that activity turned into formal safety action.
Because this is a newer-era vehicle page, it usually helps to compare this year against nearby model years before deciding whether a complaint pattern looks isolated or persistent. On this page, the most prominent complaint area is air bags with 59 reported complaints.
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
If you are researching a used vehicle, start with the complaint categories, compare them against the recall list, and then check nearby model years to see whether the same issue profile repeats. That usually produces a better buying or research signal than treating the raw complaint total as a standalone safety ranking.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
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.
Remedy Status
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.
Was leaving for a road trip and the rear passenger door would not latch when closed. We were an hour from home, so I had to use a bungee cord to hold the door closed for the drive back. My son had to sit in the middle seat. That door is rarely used. I have ordered the part and it...
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The contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G8. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, he noticed that the airbag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the airbag warning light remained illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure...
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The contact owns a 2009 PONTIAC G8. The contact stated that at start-up, the airbag default warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact proceeded to drive and noticed that the light was no longer on the instrument panel. Neither the dealer nor the manufactu...
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The contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G8. The contact stated that the airbag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that the front passenger’s side airbag sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. Upon...
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7/17/21 (about 94500 miles) - While driving in heavy rain on a congested highway, with my windshield wipers turned on (of course), the wipers suddenly stopped working. This could have easily killed me and my family. The wipers would not turn back on, no matter what I did. At a...
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A month ago my passenger air bag light came on indicating there is an issue with the Passenger Air Bag system. This occurs even when there is no one in the passenger seat. This completely disables the airbag system in my car for my passengers and I can no longer reliably transpo...
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ABS LIGHTS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING CAR ON HIGHWAY IT STARTED SHOWING AIR BAG FAULT WARNING ON THE CENTER CONSOLE SCREEN AND CORRESPONDING LIGHT CAME ON. CONSULTED WITH LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSIS INDICATED NEED TO REPLACE THE "PASSENGER PRESENCE MODULE". THE COST QUOTED BY GM DEALERSHIP IS $855...
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G8. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO B...
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TODAY I WOKE UP AND STARTING RECEIVING THE AIR BAG FAULT ERROR. CONTACTED MY LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT'S THE PASSENGER SIDE MODULE THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY QUOTED ME $1200 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. THIS IS A SAFETY CRITICAL COMPONENT THAT SHOULD NOT FAIL AS IT DISABL...
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Showing 10 recent complaints from 144 total
View Full Complaint LogThe strongest comparison flow is usually: exact vehicle-year page, then nearby years of the same model, then other 2009 Pontiac models. That sequence helps separate one-off year spikes from broader make-wide patterns.
The 2009 Pontiac G8 has 4 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 144 owner-reported complaints for the 2009 Pontiac G8.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2009 Pontiac G8.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2009 Pontiac G8 are air bags (59 reports), suspension (17 reports), electrical system (8 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 4 recalls on record for the 2009 Pontiac G8. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.