Most common 2009 Pontiac G8 problems
Share of the 144 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac G8 complaints by model year
2009 Pontiac G8 recalls (4)
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt tensioner assembly which includes the steel cable, free of charge.
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.
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…
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.
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.
Tires › Pressure monitoring and regulating systems
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".
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.
What 2009 Pontiac G8 owners say
Air bags all 69 →
The contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G8. The contact stated that the airbag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that the front passenger's side airbag sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V534000 (Air Bags) however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.
The contact owns a 2009 PONTIAC G8. The contact stated that at start-up, the airbag default warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact proceeded to drive and noticed that the light was no longer on the instrument panel. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Suspension all 20 →
While driving the vehicle the front suspension shakes and clunks while driving at any speed. Both ball joins have tears in the rubber boots which I'm sure causes water and road debre to enter ball joint and corrode. This is a huge safety concern for me and when a ball joint lets go it can be fatal sending the car in any unchosen direction. Please note this is happening to every single Pontiac G8 owner I've come across. This is life threatening, ball joint lets go on the highway and the car will go into a roll. Thank you for your time and consideration
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G8. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle pulled to the left and vibrated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the sway bar, tie rod, and hob needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 146,000. Updated 07/27/16
Electrical system all 20 →
A month ago my passenger air bag light came on indicating there is an issue with the Passenger Air Bag system. This occurs even when there is no one in the passenger seat. This completely disables the airbag system in my car for my passengers and I can no longer reliably transport other passengers for fear of getting into an accident and the air bag not deploying. These parts are not normal mechanical pieces that wear and tear over the course of the cars life, and with a quote from the dealership of almost $1000.00 it is unreasonable for me to pay as this is a HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, not only to passengers but to myself as I am unsure if this will effect the Drivers Air Bag System. I dont think its fair that with the car only being 12 years old that I should have to pay and replace a faulty air bag system, when this is a common issue with the 2009 Pontiac G8. …
7/17/21 (about 94500 miles) - While driving in heavy rain on a congested highway, with my windshield wipers turned on (of course), the wipers suddenly stopped working. This could have easily killed me and my family. The wipers would not turn back on, no matter what I did. At a rest stop that afternoon, and then later during extensive testing, I found that turning the wipers on would never actually make the wipers activate--but it would cause the engine to shut off and caused the car to issue numerous, varying error codes related to numerous vehicle systems (including ABS). Through much difficulty, I was able to find that this was caused by a faulty electrical ground at what's known on the Pontiac G8 as ground point G102. The electrical ground was restored via ground connection elsewhere, and the wipers resumed functioning. …
2009 Pontiac G8 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 24 / 18 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 20 / 15 |
| 6.2L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 13 / 20 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Pontiac G8 a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the G8 to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 144 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Pontiac G8?
The air bags — 69 complaints, 48% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal › sensor/control module. Next are the suspension (20) and electrical system (20).
How many recalls does the 2009 Pontiac G8 have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2009 Pontiac G8, the most recent from June 23, 2015 (seat belts). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2009 Pontiac G8 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 50,000 miles; 49% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.