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NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2008–2010

Pontiac G8 recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 216 owner complaints for the Pontiac G8, covering model years 2008 to 2010. The 2009 model year drew the most complaints (144), and Air Bags is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Pontiac G8 VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

  • 4 recall campaigns on file
  • 216 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
  • 3 model years with data (2008–2010)
  • most complaints: 2009 (144 for that model year)
  • top component: Air Bags (94 complaints)
  • latest recall 15V399000 (reported Jun 23, 2015)
  • 8 complaints reporting a crash (3.7%)
  • 2 complaints reporting a fire (0.9%)
  • 9 complaints reporting an injury (4.2%)
  • 0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Pontiac G8 complaints by model year

3 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2009 model year has the most complaints: 144 of 216, or 66.7%. Next come 2008 (71) and 2010 (1).

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years
Pontiac G8 owner complaints to NHTSA by model year, 2008–2010Column chart of 216 complaints across 3 model years. The highest is 2009 with 144. The full figures are in the table below the chart.2008: 71 complaints7120082009: 144 complaints14420092010: 1 complaint12010
Pontiac G8 complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Pontiac G8 complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model yearComplaintsReporting a crashReporting a fireReporting an injuryReporting a death
2008712120
20091446170
201010000
All model years2168290

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Pontiac G8 components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Air Bags is the component named most often, in 94 complaints (43.5% of all 216), followed by Electrical System (34) and Suspension (30).

Components named most often in Pontiac G8 complaints (top 15)
Components named most often in Pontiac G8 complaints (top 15)
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints
Air Bags9443.5%
Electrical System3415.7%
Suspension3013.9%
Power Train177.9%
Steering156.9%
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)83.7%
Engine83.7%
Service Brakes83.7%
Exterior Lighting73.2%
Seats73.2%
Tires73.2%
Seat Belts62.8%
Structure62.8%
Unknown or Other62.8%
Fuel System, Gasoline41.9%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

  • They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
  • Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
  • Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
  • One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
  • Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Pontiac G8 recalls

4 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name G8, newest first. The 4 campaigns cover model years 2008 to 2009. The 2008 and 2009 model years appear in the most campaigns (4 each).

  • 4 recall campaigns
Pontiac G8 recall campaigns covering each model year
2008: 4 campaigns2009: 4 campaigns

  1. NHTSA campaign 15V399000

    Reported

    Seat Belts

    Model years 2008–2009

    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.

    Consequence:
    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.

    Filed by General Motors, LLC

  2. NHTSA campaign 14V540000

    Reported

    Electrical System › Ignition

    Model years 2008–2009

    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.

    Consequence:
    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.

    Filed by General Motors, LLC

  3. NHTSA campaign 11V534000

    Reported

    Air Bags › Frontal › Sensor/Control Module-Inactive

    Model years 2008–2009

    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.

    Consequence:
    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.

    Filed by General Motors, LLC

  4. NHTSA campaign 09V172000

    Reported

    Tires › Pressure Monitoring and Regulating Systems; Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Control Unit/Module

    Model years 2008–2009

    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.

    Consequence:
    Inappropriate, non-standard lights could increase the risk of a crash or driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
    Remedy:
    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.

    Filed by General Motors, LLC

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it; older campaigns, which NHTSA stores in capital letters, are shown in sentence case. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means
What each recall field means
FieldWhat it tells you
Campaign numberNHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
ComponentThe system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
SummaryWhat the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
ConsequenceThe safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
RemedyWhat the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.
  • Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
  • A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
  • Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Pontiac G8 questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Pontiac G8 have?

NHTSA lists 4 vehicle recall campaigns for the Pontiac G8, covering model years 2008 to 2010. The most recent, 15V399000, was reported on June 23, 2015 and is filed under “Seat belts”. The 2008 and 2009 model years are covered by the most campaigns (4 each).

Which Pontiac G8 model year has the most complaints?

The 2009 model year, with 144 of the 216 complaints in NHTSA’s file (66.7%). The next are 2008 (71) and 2010 (1). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Pontiac G8 complaint?

Air Bags is the component named most often: 94 complaints, or 43.5% of all 216. Electrical System (34) and Suspension (30) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Pontiac G8?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Pontiac dealer.

How many Pontiac G8 complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 216 complaints, 8 report a crash, 2 a fire, 9 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

Other Pontiac models

8 models · most complaints first

The Pontiac models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Pontiac VIN decoder with every Pontiac model page, WMI code and VIN note.

All Pontiac models and WMI codesLook up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.