Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Pontiac G6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2009 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving at 30-35 mph, the contact was in the right turn lane when making a turn a vehicle in front of them was making a left turn but did not see the contact which caused the contact to crash into the front passenger side of the vehicle. The contact did not have time to stop. The contact was concerned that no air bags deployed. There was no medical treatment at the scene. No one was injured. A police report was filed. There was damage on the contact front bumper and grill and pushed metal into the radiator. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer where the contact insurance inspected the vehicle and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximate 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle crashed into the rear of a second vehicle causing significant damage to the front end. The contact indicated that during the incident, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact's face struck the steering wheel causing serious facial injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. No further information was available. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed and the manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 83,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2009 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact lost consciousness and crashed into a ditch. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact sustained facial and rib cage injuries that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.
My 2009 Pontiac G6 had approximately 75,000 miles when the air bag light first came on. In the beginning, the light appeared intermittently and seemed to be linked to a sensor malfunction in the passenger seat. Certain seat positions and passengers (weight?) could fix the problem but only for the duration of the ride. Over a period of many months to a year, the service air bag light would intermittently click on. Eventually, the light came on and it is now on every time I drive. This type of repair is very expensive and I was told the cost would be a minimum of 400$, without replacing the actual air bag if necessary. On another visit at GM for a recall, I was told the distributor for these air bags May have sold faulty equipment to more than just GM. I was told to report this so that the government and GM would know. …
I purchased car new in 2009 and have had problem after problem starting with exhaust system just weeks after I got it. It has had 3 recalls but I more are due. The headlights started going one after another and at one time all front lights were out at the same time. I had them repaired with new connector. Currently, the left headlight is out again and a new headlamp and another connector was installed and still will not stay on. Other owners I have spoken with have the same problems that I am having. But what can we do? I've been experiencing power steering going out occasionally for no apparent reason what so ever. There is a recall but my car is not covered under the recall although there were 2009 models that were. I was told my VIN number wasn't included in the recall. The air bag alert stays on. I had it diagnosed along with the seat belt alert and both need to be replaced. …
"air bag fault" message is displayed in the info center on the dash and air bag warning light is illuminated on my 2009 Pontiac g8 gt. Codes u0170 and b0081 were read at dealership. Parts #92225595 (module) and #92220398 (sensor) are required at an installed cost of approximately $1100. Entire air bag system is disabled due to this malfunction. Research of NHTSA complaints indicates this is a very common malfunction on the Pontiac g8 and there have been some accidents. I am extremely concerned about this warning message and the use of the car has been limited knowing that the airbag will not be deployed in an accident. I noticed that the part number has changed to a higher/different number than the original module part number. …
I was parked in a mostly vacant parking lot about 8 pm. I got into the vehicle after coming out of the grocery store. I put key into ignition but did not shift out of park or move the car. I turned on the dome light to look for something on the passenger seat. As I was leaning toward passenger door, the head curtain and seat side air bags deployed literally in my face. Only the air bags on the passenger side. It was very loud and some powdery type substance had been dispensed into the air. It made interior surfaces feel a bit slippery , had a strong odor and made my eyes burn. Having never experienced air bags deploying ,it seemed like my car had just exploded.for a moment I could not see or hear. I then removed the key and opened drivers door. I saw something dusty float out on the air. I had no idea what had happened. …
Takata recall shortly after I bought my 2009 Pontiac G6 the words power steering in my car pops up on my dash which locks up my steering wheel as I'm driving there has been multiple times I've almost got in to accident luckily I new a little bit about computers and I found a way to drive it even with that bad malfunction which I'll have to turn my engine off reposition my steering wheel and turn it back on I call it reset basically this kinda tells the computer in the car that it's nothing wrong with the power steering and once I took it to get check out they said that it was fine that I should be OK well that was a lie I know I'm not the only one having this problem with my Pontiac G6 2009 I am very concerned about my safety and my children safety I feel like this is a huge problem and if this doesn't get looked into somebody is going to get hurt real bad especially on the highway I …
My vehicles air bags code showing on display. It stays on whether car is parked and running or while driving. I'm afraid I'll have an accident and the air bags won't work. I question whether they ever worked. I had a dog run out in front of my vehicle and couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting dog. Damaged front on passenger side of car and air bags did not deploy. Now I'm driving on interstate highways, major metro streets, and I'm concerned for safety. I've found numerous complaints about air bags not deploying and major harm to drivers and passengers. I don't want to become a statistic. Reports have been filed over a long range of years and I feel there's enough information to make the call for GM to recall these vehicles and either replace the problem part(s) or buy back the vehicles. …
Lights on the car starting coming on the air bag lights stay on now and will not go off .the heater in the seats also stopped working .and now when I turn the steering wheels there is a grinding sound .I thought it was the cv axles replaced ,and it did no good .it continues to make the grinding sounds when I turn ,and its hard to turn the steering wheel at times it locks up .the electric systems seems to act strange with lights blinking on the dash board sometimes .many times I have trouble starting the car and have had the starter checked out and they cannot find a problem ,when it does this all the lights start flashing .once I was driving in the mountains at a speed around 45 miles an hour and my car completely cut off on top of the mountains.
Airbag complaints in other G6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2009 Pontiac G6?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the air bags of the 2009 Pontiac G6, 6% of the model year's 713 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Pontiac G6 airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2009 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 2009 Pontiac G6 airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 0 fires and 8 injuries 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.