AI Damage2008 Pontiac G5: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Pontiac G5 filed 115 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 115
- involving a crash
- 15
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 25% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 23% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 20% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 4% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 29 complaints (25% of all).
- Air bags: 26 complaints (23% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 24 complaints (21% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 23 complaints (20% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 8 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 115 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 26 | 10 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 24 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 23 | 5 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
During the crash, the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a shoulder and back injury and the passenger sustained a left torso injury which required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined.
The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The contact was unable to verify if a police report was filed. The driver did not receive any injuries. The vehicle was cleared safe to drive by the dealer however the failure recurred and in order to stop the vehicle it would have to be turned off.
While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a ditch. During the crash, the seat belts failed to retract and the air bags did not deploy.
The contact stated that while driving 15 mph, the brake failed to engage as the steering wheel seized. The contact proceeded to lose control of the vehicle and crashed into another vehicle. The contact was not injured and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure.
The technician stated a was fuse from the electronic power steering control module had blown and would have to be replaced. The vehicle was a included and repaired prior to the failure under nhtsa campaign number: 10v073000 (steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired.
While being repaired, I had the control arm bushings, tie rods, and sway bar endlinks replaced again because there were rattling and clunking again. My brother works at a chevy dealer and he says that cobalt's/g5's/hhr's come in all the time for front suspension problems.
Approaching a busy intersection, my pontiac g5's brakes failed to work. I could tell the hydraulics systems was working as I could hear metal on metal but it did nothing to slow down the vehicle.
Fuel Leak 2. Fuel leaking in driveway, car has potential to catch fire if driven 3. Suspected leak and odor was reported 4 years ago. Dealer said the recall did not apply to my car.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,246 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the G5 has 95 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 115, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Pontiac G5?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 115. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (20%), warning lights, check engine (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Pontiac G5?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Pontiac G5 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.