2008 Pontiac G8 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
No verdict The 2008 Pontiac G8 has a complaint index of 50, ranking 2nd-worst out of 3 model years tracked, well below the 2009's index of 100. Airbags (35% of complaints) and Electrical System (20%) are the top reported problem areas, with 4 recalls on file.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 50/100
- #2 of 3 G8 years
- Verdict
- No verdict
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 71
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 2
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 2
- Top issue
- Airbags
- Best nearby year
- —
- no alternative with data
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 19
- 16 city / 24.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
Top 2008 Pontiac G8 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags25 (35%)
- Electrical System14 (20%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (15%)
- Steering8 (11%)
- Transmission & Powertrain8 (11%)
- Engine7 (10%)
- Structure & Body5 (7%)
- Other4 (6%)
- Brakes2 (3%)
- Seat Belts2 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Steering wheel reportedly seized while cornering at highway speed, in one case leading to a crash into a tree with airbag deployment.
- Steering seizure was also reported at lower speed, causing loss of control and a crash into a median where the airbags failed to deploy.
- Instrument panel gauges were described as unreadable in daylight or sunlight due to glare and low-contrast dial design.
- Automatic transmission showed lag or delayed response during downshifts, especially noticeable during freeway merges or throttle input under moderate power.
- Owners described unpredictable acceleration behavior after a delay in throttle response, raising concern about accident avoidance in heavy traffic.
- One fire was reported starting in the engine compartment after the car was parked in a garage, which spread to the owner's house.
2008 Pontiac G8 recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 15V399000Jun 23, 2015Seat Belts47,042 vehicles
Seat belts
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.
Risk: 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.
- NHTSA 14V540000Sep 9, 2014Electrical System47,043 vehicles
Electrical system:ignition
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.
Risk: 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.
- NHTSA 11V534000Nov 4, 2011Airbags38,444 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
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.
Risk: 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.
2008 Pontiac G8 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 16 MPG
- Highway
- 24.5 MPG
- Combined
- 19 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,850
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2008 compared with other G8 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Pontiac G8 a bad year?
- Compared with other G8 model years, the 2008 has a complaint index of 50, ranking 2nd of 3 years. It is not the worst year on record; the 2009 has a higher complaint index of 100.
- What are the most common problems on the 2008 Pontiac G8?
- NHTSA data shows Airbags as the top problem area at 35% of complaints, followed by Electrical System at 20% and Suspension, Wheels & Tires at 15%.
- Does the 2008 Pontiac G8 have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2008 Pontiac G8, covering seat belts, electrical system (key blade/RKE transmitter), airbags (sensing and diagnostic module), and suspension/lighting components.
- How many complaints does NHTSA have on file for the 2008 Pontiac G8?
- NHTSA lists 71 complaints for the 2008 Pontiac G8, including 2 crashes, 1 fire, and 2 injuries.
- What is the median mileage for failures reported on the 2008 Pontiac G8?
- Across all complaints, the median mileage at failure is 53,000 miles, though this varies by system, from 4,000 miles for transmission issues to 87,500 miles for electrical system issues.