2009 Pontiac G8 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
No verdict The 2009 Pontiac G8 has a complaint index of 100, the highest among the three model years with data, and ranks worst overall. Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 48% of complaints, with 4 crashes and 8 injuries reported. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for this year.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 100/100
- #1 of 3 G8 years
- Verdict
- No verdict
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 144
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 6
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 8
- Top issue
- Airbags
- Best nearby year
- —
- no alternative with data
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 16.5
- 14 city / 22 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 8 / 0
Top 2009 Pontiac G8 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags69 (48%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires27 (19%)
- Electrical System25 (17%)
- Brakes13 (9%)
- Structure & Body9 (6%)
- Transmission & Powertrain9 (6%)
- Steering6 (4%)
- Engine5 (3%)
- Fuel System5 (3%)
- Seat Belts4 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report airbags failing to deploy in moderate-speed frontal and rear-end crashes, at a median mileage of 56,000.
- Some drivers describe an 'airbag fault' warning light accompanied by smoke inside the cabin after a collision.
- Seat belt tensioner assemblies reportedly separated from the buckle during crashes, requiring dealer diagnosis.
- Owners describe the automatic transmission failing to downshift promptly when accelerating to merge, sometimes with vibration at lower speeds.
- One owner reported the steering wheel seizing while braking at low speed, resulting in a rear-end collision.
- A driver noted the vehicle came equipped with summer-only tires despite being advertised with all-season tires, creating unsafe winter driving conditions.
2009 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.
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
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2009 Pontiac G8 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 G8 has the highest complaint index (100) of the three model years with data, ranking worst overall. Airbags make up 48% of its complaints.
- Does the 2009 Pontiac G8 have airbag problems?
- Yes. Airbags are the top problem area with 69 complaints, 48% of all complaints for the year, and NHTSA recall 11V534000 addresses a frontal airbag sensing and diagnostic module issue.
- How many recalls does the 2009 Pontiac G8 have?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2009 Pontiac G8, covering seat belts, electrical system (key blade), airbags, and suspension/wheels/tires-related lamp and sensor issues.
- What is the median mileage for airbag complaints on the 2009 G8?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 56,000 miles at the time airbag-related complaints were reported.
- How does the 2009 G8 compare to the 2008 G8?
- The 2009 G8 has a complaint index of 100 versus 50 for the 2008 model, with 144 complaints compared to 71, making 2009 the worse year by complaint volume.