Most common 2008 Pontiac Solstice problems
Share of the 159 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac Solstice complaints by model year
Best Solstice years: 2010, 2009. Years to avoid: 2007, 2006, 2008. Compare all years →
2008 Pontiac Solstice recalls (4)
Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. The Passenger Air Bag Suppression System (PPS) sensor may become bent or damaged within the front passenger seat, possibly disabling the front passenger air bag.
Remedy: The remedy for this recall is still under development. A permanent remedy is currently under development. The recall began February 26, 2018.
Electrical system › Ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the…
Air bags
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect.
Seat belts › Front › Anchorage
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207, "seating systems." and standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." these vehicles May have one to four inboard seat stud fasteners that do not meet specification for strength.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the inboard seat studs and, if necessary, remove the stud and install a bolt free of charge. The recall began on October 10, 2007.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2008 Pontiac Solstice:
Inadequate brake power assist
In model year (my) 2007, Pontiac solstice and Saturn sky vehicles equipped with the 2.0l turbocharged engine used an auxiliary vacuum pump to supplement the engine as a source of vacuum to the brake booster during low vacuum conditions, such as immediately after a cold start.the vacuum pump operation was controlled by switches that sensed booster vacuum, turning the pump on when booster vacuum dropped below a…
HVAC Blower Motor Connector
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Defect Petition received December 12, 2019 requesting an investigation into the possibility of passenger compartment fires attributed to overheating HVAC blower motor connectors in Model Years (MY) 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky vehicles.An analysis of General Motors (GM) complaint data and information in NHTSA?s databases identified…
Passenger Sensing System Sensor Mat
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting the opening of an investigation into the air bag system on model year 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky, the subject vehicles.The petitioner raised the issue of failure of the Passenger Sensing System for the front passenger seating position.On January 26, 2017, General Motors filed a defect information report recalling the…
What 2008 Pontiac Solstice owners say
Air bags all 99 →
The passenger seat air bag sensor is inoperative after having the recall completed April of 2022. When the vehicle was in for the recall, the sensor was fine, so the reinforcement strip was added. According to the recall reference N162080281, there is a 12 month warranty on the repair. Below is the wording from the recall. "Dealers are to inspect the PPS sensor mat for damage. If the mat is undamaged and functioning correctly, dealers will add a reinforcement strip to the sensor mat. If the mat is damaged, dealers will install a new PPS mat with the reinforcement strip. Please note that GM's standard 1 year/12,000 mile service part warranty applies to both the sensor mat and the reinforcement strip, regardless of which repair procedure is used. …
The passenger presence sensor was fixed by the GM dealer after the safety recall was issued, but has failed again and now doesn't work. because the failure occurred more than 1 year after the dealer fixed it the first time, it is not covered for repair. Worse, if i was to order a new part and have it installed it still needs to go back to the dealer to have it programmed so there is no way to have this issue addressed without involving and paying a dealer who failed to fix the issue correctly the first time. reading in forums, many solstice owners report sensors failing a few years after recall repair.
Brakes all 37 →
Random failure of brake lights to either illuminate when the pedal is pressed or turn off when the pedal is released. On two separate occasions, a couple of months apart. I was notified by other drivers my brake lights appear to be working in reverse. When I come to a stop, they turn off when I pull away they turn on and stay on. After the first incident I had the vehicle serviced. They could not duplicate the problem. Apparently they were now working correctly. To be proactive. I asked them to replace the brake light switch with a genuine GM part. They did and they calibrated the switch to the car. This service was performed on 11/14/2023 - 144,621 miles. It appeared to have solved the problem initially. But re-surfaced this morning 12/29/2023. I was notified by another driver of the opposite on -off function again. I continued to work. …
I purchased my 2008 Pontiac Solstice on September 29, 2009. I didn't have a problem until I started it up and began to pull out of the nearby mall parking lot and as I went to press the brake, it made a low grinding noise, almost like the ABS was locking up except the light wasn't on, and I was merely cruising, not even on the gas pedal. I rear ended the person in front of me - not bad, just knocking off my Pontiac emblem on the hood, and denting it in slightly. The very next day, the same incident occurred. From these two wrecks alone, I received four tickets, resulting in my license being suspended, my insurance canceling on me, and setting me back a good couple of thousand dollars in court fees. I filed a claim with general motors in January once I did some research and found a bulletin on here about the brakes. …
Electrical system
There is an issue with all Saturn Sky's and Pontiac Solstice's that cause the wiring harness for the A/C FAN to melt, or even ignite. This is the same harness that was used on 2006-2010 Hummer H3 vehicles manufactured February 5, 2005, to May 24, 2010, and 2009-2010 Hummer H3T vehicles manufactured May 21, 2008, to May 24, 2010. This recall was never extended to Pontiac or Saturn. - If the blower motor connector module overheats, it can increase the risk of a fire. I've seen several reports of other owners dealing with this melted harness, and even a recently reported fire.
Tire pressure monitoring. This spring I took my car out of storage and reconnected the battery. I first noticed the remote entry fobs no longer would lock or unlock the doors. I started the vehicle and found the tire pressure information was not available on the dash on 8/10/17, I took my Solstice to the Chevrolet dealer in omak wa to have them troubleshoot the tire pressure monitoring system. A quick review by a technician told me that the remote entry needed to be reprogrammed. After personal research I found that this is a common issue to this year and several other models. GM wrote a technical service bulletin, 08-03-16-001b on July 31, 2008, acknowledging the issue of bad firmware but HID the information from their customers regarding this key safety system. …
2008 Pontiac Solstice engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 28 / 22 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 19 / 25 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Sports car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Pontiac Solstice a good car?
Based on 159 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Solstice rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Solstice at the same age. It is one of the Solstice years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Pontiac Solstice?
The air bags — 99 complaints, 62% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frontal. Next are the brakes (37) and electrical system (15).
How many recalls does the 2008 Pontiac Solstice have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2008 Pontiac Solstice, the most recent from January 26, 2017 (occupant classification). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac Solstice?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007, 2006 and 2008. See the full Pontiac Solstice years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Pontiac Solstice problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 27,000 miles; 78% 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.