YearToAvoid

2009 Pontiac G8 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

No verdict

Complaint Index

100/100

#1 most-complained of 3 G8 years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2009 Pontiac G8 has 144 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 100 out of 100 — the highest of 3 G8 model years. The most reported problem area is airbags (69 complaints, 48% of the total). Complaints report 6 crashes, 1 fire, and 8 injuries.

Complaints
144
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
6 / 1
Injuries / deaths
8 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
16.5
14 city / 22 hwy

Top 2009 Pontiac G8 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags69 (48%)
  2. Suspension, Wheels & Tires27 (19%)
  3. Electrical System25 (17%)
  4. Brakes13 (9%)
  5. Structure & Body9 (6%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain9 (6%)
  7. Steering6 (4%)
  8. Engine5 (3%)
  9. Fuel System5 (3%)
  10. Seat Belts4 (3%)
2009 Pontiac G8 complaints: complaints filed per quarter132008 Q32010 Q22012 Q22014 Q22016 Q12017 Q42020 Q1
175 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q3 to 2023 Q3; peak 2014 Q2 (13).

2009 Pontiac G8 recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 4 recalls for the 2009 Pontiac G8 →

2009 Pontiac G8 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
14 MPG
Highway
22 MPG
Combined
16.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,950
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
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.

2009 compared with other G8 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100200820092010
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2008No verdict5071419
2009No verdict100144416.5
2010No verdict010—

All Pontiac G8 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Pontiac G8 a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Pontiac G8 ranks worst among G8 model years (Complaint Index 100/100). It has 144 complaints and 4 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Pontiac G8?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (69 complaints), suspension, wheels & tires (27 complaints), and electrical system (25 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 50,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Pontiac G8 have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2009 Pontiac G8, most recently reported 2015, covering seat belts, electrical system, airbags, and suspension, wheels & tires.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Pontiac G8?
EPA rates the 2009 Pontiac G8 at 16.5 MPG combined (14 city / 22 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,950. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.