2008 Pontiac G8 recalls and problems
The 2008 Pontiac G8 has 4 safety recalls and 71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Pontiac dealer.
Recalls may cover only some 2008 Pontiac G8 vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.
2008 Pontiac G8 recalls
Recall 15V-399: Seat Belts
Problem: 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. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.
Risk: If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt tensioner assembly which includes the steel cable, free of charge. These replacement parts reposition the tensioner cable out of the path of entry into the vehicle and uses a more flexible cable, set at a more upright angle. The recall began on July 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 15206.
Recall 14V-540: Electrical System
Problem: 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. In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position could cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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 degrees, to the original RKE transmitter assembly. GM issued an interim notification to owners on December 31, 2014. The recall began on February 4, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14445. Note: Until the recall has been performed, it is very important that drivers adjust their seat and steering column to allow clearance between their knee and the ignition key.
Recall 11V-534: Air Bags
Problem: 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. With the front passenger seat positioned full forward, the seat position sensor will cause a 30 milliseconds deployment delay between the first and second stages of the dual-stage frontal passenger air bag.
Risk: In the event of a crash, this delay may result in increased head injury to certain front seat occupants.
Fix: 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.
Recall 09V-172: Tires, Service Brakes, Air
Problem: 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". The brake pedal position switch may have been incorrectly programmed. With this condition, the brake lamps may be continually illuminated and fail to warn a following driver when the vehicle is braking. Also certain vehicles may have incorrect values programmed into the tire pressure monitoring system that will not illuminate the low tire pressure telltale until tire pressure falls below values required by the standard.
Risk: Inappropriate, non-standard lights could increase the risk of a crash or driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure.
Fix: 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. Owners may contact GM pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
2008 Pontiac G8 problems reported by owners
| Problem area | Reports | |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 25 | |
| Electrical System | 14 | |
| Suspension | 11 | |
| Power Train | 8 | |
| Steering | 8 | |
| Engine | 5 | |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | |
| Seats | 2 | |
| Structure | 2 | |
| Seat Belts | 2 | |
| Service Brakes | 2 | |
| Visibility | 1 |
Most reported parts
- Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 5
- Suspension › Front — 4
- Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel — 1
- Structure › Body › Door — 1
- Structure › Body — 1
Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 53,000 miles (median of owner reports).
Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.
Recent 2008 Pontiac G8 complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.
Other Pontiac G8 years
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2008 Pontiac G8 have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2008 Pontiac G8: 15V-399 (seat belts), 14V-540 (electrical system), 11V-534 (air bags), 09V-172 (tires, service brakes, air). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Pontiac G8?
Owners report air bags problems most often (25 reports), followed by electrical system (14). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 53,000 miles.
Are Pontiac recall repairs free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Pontiac dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.