Airbag complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I lost my low beams about a year ago and also one high beam. Just one month ago that headlight went out also. I have read that there are wiring problems r/t the Pontiac G6. I am unable to drive my car at night without headlights. The fuses, bulbs and relay switches are intact and working. My mechanic says it's a wiring problem. Is the manufacturing company responsible for this kind of problem? Other electrical issues are present. When my seatbelt is on I get a message that it is not. Sometimes if I wiggle or reinsert it the light goes out, but more often than not it is on. I also get messages that says my airbag isn't working on drivers side. The check engine light goes on and off if I hit a good size bump. I also had a mechanic spray WD40 under my drivers seat and that made the check engine light go out for several months.
On April 16th 2016 I was in a car accident. Me and a friend were driving back to his house the road at night, when a deer crossed the road, I attempted to maneuver to Dodge the deer and ended up going off the road and losing control of my vehicle. My car hit a fence line, as well a multiple small trees. The car was totaled yet my airbags did not deploy. I've already contacted my insurance company, and as everything starts to settle with them I'd like to know if there is anything I can do because of the fact that my airbags didn't deploy. We were both bruised up pretty badly, and had to go the the emergency room, and my friends wrist was broken in the crash.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the air bag warning light and check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the vehicle was nearly involved in a T-bone crash. The contact forcefully turned the steering wheel to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, it was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 251,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag, stability trac, traction control, and brake warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact had to forcefully depress the brake pedal to shift the vehicle out of park(P). The cruise control also intermittently failed to activate and deactivate. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Related recalls (2)
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the right front passenger seats in these vehicles are built with a passenger air bag sensing system.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger sensing system free of charge. The recall will begin on April 17, 2007. Owners May contact Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Air bags › Frontal
Certain vehicles originally built with cloth seats that were equipped with an automatic air bag passenger sensing system and later reupholstered with aftermarket leather seat cover kits are involved. Testing has indicated that the aftermarket leather seat covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
Remedy: Because a replacement leather seat cover that is compatible with the passenger sensing system is not available, general motors (GM) will repurchase these vehicles in accordance with the terms stated in GM's letter to…
Frequently asked questions
Which Pontiac G6 years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (118), 2006 (117), 2008 (101), 2009 (40) and 2010 (18) model years. Airbag complaints make up 10% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Pontiac G6 airbag problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 07V-146 (sensor/control module-inactive, Mar 30, 2007); 06V-417 (frontal, Oct 31, 2006). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Pontiac G6 airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles; 26% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (36 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (8).
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.