Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Pontiac G6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's daughter owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side air bag deployed without warning. There was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bag to deploy. The contact's daughter did not sustain any injury, and no medical attention was received. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Pontiac G6. While driving 25 MPH, strong winds and rain forced the vehicle to crash into a cement barrier. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the lower back, hip, and chest that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. The vehicle was destroyed. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, the contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
I have not driven my car for a day and I am inside my home and I come outside and my car is smoking and my car is smoking inside because the air bag has blowed up and it's on fire and how could a air bag blow up when it was parked for a day ,
As driver approached a 2 lane construction zone, the vehicle started to drift to the right. Driver attempted to contain vehicle in traffic lane but the steering wheel was not responsive. At some point the power steering assistance module reactivated but only managed to drive the vehicle into the concrete barriers on both sides of the highway resulting in heavy front-end passenger side damage and contact damage to all corners of the vehicle. Despite traveling both back and forth across two lanes several times and making contact with the barriers each time, neither front air bag deployed. Driver's head came in contact with his side window causing temporary loss of consciousness. Passenger's air bag cover was knocked askew but as noted did not activate. Emt's administered medical assistance at the scene, but did not transport. Vehicle was towed from scene and subsequently judged "totaled". …
I was driving down the road and all of a sudden my car jerked to the right and put me and my kids into the ditch. This has happened twice. The second time it did it in the same direction(right) but when I hit the ditch smoke was coming into the heat vents while my kids were in the car. Brought it to the dealership they told me that my power steering line was broke and also I had a major oil leak and that it was a fire hazard. They then told me the price of how much to fix it. It is no longer under warranty. I don't feel I should have to pay for something that seems to be factory mistake. I've also had an incident of my car shutting off while driving. The ignition turned off while driving only going around a corner. I only had three keys on my ring at this time. This car has been the most dangerous car I've ever owned. The brakes and oil light constantly come on. …
The air bag light came on suddenly in September 2014. I took my car to a local dealership. The service person told me that the passenger front seat opds module was faulty. He said the cost to replace the seat bottom would be around $750 for parts and labor. He also explained that the issue was internal and not a result of any damage that I or a passenger in that seat could have caused. I would hope to see GM issue a safety recall notice to repair this problem. I have heard the same complaint from 2 other GM vehicle owners. I know that seems like a very small number, but I live in a town that has a population of 500 people. I'm sure there are more GM vehicle owners in the U.S. Experiencing the same problem. This is a safety issue. Lives could be lost in the event of a crash. The passenger air bag is not going to deploy during a crash if the sensor inside the seat is faulty. …
I purchased the car with about 114000 miles on it. The airbag light was on but no indication as to why it is on. It has never been in an accident according to reports. I had service complete the 2 outstanding recalls on the car. I also replaced the front brakes only to take it back a week later and replace the driver side caliper also. The other day while driving home, I experienced vibrating in my brakes when braking. At that time no ABS light came on or tc control lights, however when hubby was getting ready to test drive it, the ABS light and both tc lights came on and have stayed on. Brakes are working fine at the moment, I took it to a service center and checked for additional recalls (because I read about one on this issue somewhere the other day when searching) but they assured me there are no recalls for such an issue with my VIN. The car currently only has 123,000 miles on it. …
On 05/11/16 at approximately 5:49 pm, this 2008 Pontiac G6, while traveling in a forward direction on a public road and in dry surface conditions, moderate temperatures, was brought to a rapid stop due to changing traffic conditions. The driver was restrained via the seat belt. Four seconds later, this 2008 Pontiac G6 was struck in the rear by a 2005 Pontiac vehicle traveling at moderate speed and possible driver inattention. Significant rear, frontal, underside and side areas of both vehicles were damaged. Both vehicles were not drivable and were towed from the accident scene to a secure lot. The 2008 Pontiac G6 airbags did not inflate upon impact or thereafter. The 2005 Pontiac airbags(2) did inflate and also suffered a passenger side broken front windshield. The occupants and one canine in one and or both vehicles did suffer unknown injuries. …
On dec. 30th after an oil change the warning system on the dash had the air bag light on and center console said the air bag system needed service. This however went away when the vehicle was shut down at home and never came back till today jan. 8th, 2015 when there was a passenger but again went off and stayed off after a 5.9 mile trip, the dash indicator read passenger system was not engaged during said trip. The starting mileage on the second incident was 129033.3 and the first was approximately 410 miles prior. I can provide this number if needed as it was recorded for the oil change. This vehicle is currently subject to two other recalls one is 13036 the other 14152, and when the airbag warning started I was already awaiting service on these. …
Airbag complaints in other G6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2008 Pontiac G6?
NHTSA has 101 complaints about the air bags of the 2008 Pontiac G6, 9% of the model year's 1,080 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Pontiac G6 airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2008 Pontiac G6, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Pontiac G6 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 19 crashes, 1 fire and 14 injuries and 3 deaths to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.