Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Pontiac Torrent owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The passenger air bag indicator light indicates passenger air bag is OFF even when an adult is sitting in the seat. Therefore. I am afraid that if the vehicle were in an accident where airbags would deploy, the front right passenger airbag would not inflate. There is a recall on the sensors for the front right passenger airbag for my vehicle make model and year but according to my VIN my vehicle is not part of that recall. I suspect it should be.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Torrent. The contact stated the vehicle was previously rear ended in October of 2019, the airbags did not deploy upon impact. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the windshield glazes as she was unable to see clearly. The contact stated that the stabilitrak warning light was also illuminated. The contact sustained neck and back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to haley Buick GMC midlothian (9831 midlothian turnpike, richmond, va 23235) where it was confirmed that the service air bag warning light was illuminated however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the air bag warning light remains illuminated while driving. The failure mileage was 146,000
Shortly after warranty expired, a service air bag warning started to appear. We went to the dealer and they told us that the front passenger sensor was bad and that the entire seat would need to be replaced to fix the problem. We were not going to pay to replace the entire seat. Recently we discovered GM recall bulletin 07174 dated August 2007 which includes this vehicle's VIN. However, the dealership stated that our vehicle is not included in any recalls. This recall notice suggest that "dealers are to reprogram the seat's electric control unit (ECU) to correct the problem. No replacement parts are required. Our dealer refuses to reprogram the ECU unless we pay for the reprogramming and that he was not going to guarantee a price for the repair.
Airbag service light has been on for many months. It is cost prohibitive to have serviced since the dealership says it will cost about $1000 to run it down but that it is probably a sensor in the passenger seat. Stabilitrak service light comes on intermittently while driving but doesn't seem to affect the driving and check engine light has appeared at the same time as stabilitrak light started appearing. Check engine code is EGR value needs replaced. My Torrent has 144,000 miles. For many months the ignition will not turn all the way off most of the time. Sometimes it turns off fine and other times I have to wait for a series of clicks before it will turn off all the way. I don't know if it is a computer issue or an ignition issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Torrent. The contact stated that the air bag warning lamp and service stability traction control warning lamp flashed and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop and the technician reset the codes, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who test drove the vehicle, but the failure could not be diagnosed. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 07V344000 (air bags), but was included in NHTSA campaign number: 12V459000 (fuel system, gasoline). The contact was unable to determine if the dealer completed the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
I purchased this vehicle a month ago and it was working fine. Multiple times since then the stabilitrak light comes on and off at random and my airbag doesn't work on the passenger side randomly. It goes on and off and says service airbag, but of course when I get it to a mechanic, it is not happening at that time so they can't do anything about it. I am worried about the safety in my car. I checked for recalls and there are recalls for the exact same issues I am experiencing with the airbag, but it does not cover my VIN, apparently. There is no rhyme or reason to when these lights come on and when things work and when they don't, it is completely at random.
My son was driving my car in normal, dry weather conditions. He was on a road with a speed limit of 40mph. He bumped a curb with the right front tire, then adjusted the car away from the curb and proceeded down the road. About 30 feet later, the side-curtain airbags deployed. He was obviously shaken-up by the explosion of the bags deploying which has caused rining in his ears, but luckily, he was checked out by emt's who responded to the scene. I have no damage on my vehicle, no flat tire, bent rims, nothing. Just deployed side-curtain airbags in a now undriveable vehicle.
Took my vehicle to a dealer to diagnose why my passenger airbag would turn off intermittently, I was told the passenger presence module is failing. After a short search it seems this is a common problem for this make/model. Anything that could cause airbags to not deploy in an accident is a huge safety concern. Since presence modules are integral to occupant safety they should be good for the lifetime of the vehicle. The large amount of other owners who have also had this same issue leads me to believe that the original parts were faulty.
The air bag for the passenger set will turn on and off at various times. It will be off when someone is sitting in the seat and on when nobody is in the seat. It does it sitting still as well as moving. The traction stabilizer will turn off when it is dry outside and I am driving. My key will get stuck in the ignition for about 30 to 45 minutes before I can pull it out.. I have to either sit in my car for that length of time or I have to leave the key in the ignition for that length of time and risk someone stealing my car.
For one passenger air bag sensor has been working on and off for last couple years and now hasn't been working for last month! They keep telling me my VIN is not in recall? Now both airbags are not working? 2 the throttle position sensor cause my wife to almost get killed when it failed and said engine power reduced being displayed and would not accelerate while trying to cross an intersection! We replaced that ourselves. But we've been very disappointed in this vehicle with all the safety issues not being covered!
Related recalls
Air bags
Certain passenger vehicles not equipped with optional roof rail airbags or optional sunroof fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 201,"occupant protection in interior impact." during NHTSA impact tests, the interior occupant protection test points exceeded the standard requirements.
Remedy: Dealers will install an energy absorbing foam piece to each of the a-pillar trim assemblies free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2008. Owners May contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Certain sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." in these vehicles, the right front passenger seat is built with a passenger sensing system.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the seat's electronic control unit. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign.
Airbag complaints in other Torrent years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2007 Pontiac Torrent?
NHTSA has 53 complaints about the air bags of the 2007 Pontiac Torrent, 22% of the model year's 243 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › sensor/control module (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Pontiac Torrent airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 07V-520 (air bags, Nov 7, 2007); NHTSA recall 07V-344 (sensor/control module-inactive, Aug 7, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Pontiac Torrent airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 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.