2008 Pontiac Solstice Airbag Problems

Which parts fail

• Frontal
  2
• Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger
  1

Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  1422%
• 25k–50k
  3148%
• 50k–75k
  1320%
• 75k–100k
  58%
• 100k–150k
  00%
• 150k+
  12%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Pontiac Solstice owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

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.

I recently started a relationship where my significant other has children (about 4 months ago). I previously did not have passengers very often. While driving with my stepchild age 12 in the passenger seat the air bag system failed. While driving on the highway at 70mph the there was a chime from the car and the dash display said 'service airbag'. The air dic light came on, and the passenger airbag activation light switched to off. It turns out that the sensor in the seat is bad. This causes the passenger air bag to be always off, putting all my passengers at risk or serious injury or death. My car only has 56K miles on it, but a brief search has shown that this is a very common problem for 2007 and 2008 Pontiac solstices -- often with miles in mid to high twenties. …

The "service air bag" indicator in the driver information center came on during the normal course of driving and has remained on constantly since that time, approximately 12 months. This was not related to any accident. Diagnosis using on OBD scan tool was completed by a reputable local mechanic, who indicated that the passenger side seat sensor is defective and needs to be replaced. This appears to be a major safety concern since, at a minimum, the passenger side air bag has been compromised and May not deploy in the event of a crash due to this faulty seat sensor. Further research completed by myself indicates this faulty passenger seat sensor May be a common problem in the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn sky. This is a relatively expensive repair ($800+) by an authorized dealer, and the associated repair costs should not be the responsibility of the consumer to correct this safety issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Pontiac Solstice. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator did not indicate a passenger was present while the contact's wife was seated in the passenger seat. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V061000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The sungo dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not available for the recall remedy. The contact also refused to perform the interim repair due to the driver's occupant not being over 150 lbs. The manufacturer was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available and confirmed what the dealer stated. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Pontiac Solstice. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated at all times while driving. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V061000 (air bags); however, the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to charles clark Chevrolet (801 U.S. Business, mcallen, tx 78501, phone: [phone]) and bert ogden Buick GMC (4216 us-281, tx 78539, phone: [phone]). The parts for the repair were unavailable so the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 77,635. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Pontiac Solstice. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag indicator failed to illuminate when the passenger seat was occupied. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V061000 (air bags). The part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,109. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Updated 06/22/17

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Pontiac Solstice. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger seat air bag sensor was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 17V061000 (air bags); however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. Updated 05/10/17

The vehicle was in to the local GM dealer for regular maintenance service on 8/7/14. Shortly after that, the indicator light came on showing that the air bag system was inoperative, apparently due to a failed passenger presence sensor on the passenger seat. Took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told the repair was approximately $1,000. The car had fewer than 13,000 miles of use over six years. There is no excuse for a major safety component of the vehicle to fail. I also understand that this component has been recalled by GM on other vehicles. Why has it not been recalled for the Pontiac Solstice?

The airbag sensor under the passenger seat is malfunctioning. "service air bag" light is comming on it is my understanding that this is a very common problem for these cars and happens between 20K and 50K miles on car which is unacceptable. And extremely unsafe for a passenger in a convertible. This repair can cost up to $800. On top of that there are many documented cases where the new sensor failed within a year or two of being installed. This should be a recalled part. People shouldn't have to put in hundreds of dollars every few years just to make sure their lives ones are safe!

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Airbag complaints in other Solstice years