AI Damage2009 Pontiac G5: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Pontiac G5 filed 76 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 76
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 36% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 29% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 16% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 13% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 27 complaints (36% of all).
- Electrical system: 22 complaints (29% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 12 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 10 complaints (13% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (8% of all).
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 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 76 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 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 22 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While driving at 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and crashed into a guardrail. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact suffered neck and back injuries. A police report was taken. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000.
While waiting for the recall parts to come in for my pontiac I was the victim in a head on collision in which my air bags failed to deploy. The speed of impact was between 35-40 mph when I hit head on. At my doctor visit I was diagnosed with severe whiplash in which I had to take time off of work as well.
The air bags did not deploy during the impact. There were two recalls under nhtsa campaign id numbers: 14v047000 (air bags , electrical system) and 14v171000 (electrical system). The contact experienced the failure consequence prior to receiving the recall notification. The manufacturer was notified of the problem.
I was t-boned and the airbag did not deploy. I had numerous indications from the instrument panel to check the airbags since I bought the car in 2009 and at least three times I took the car to two different dealerships and they checked and said they could not find anything wrong.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who was not unable to determine the problem. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100.
On saturday november 28, 2010, my wife [xxx] rochester, [ZIP] [xxx] , was approaching a parking space in front of the dollar tree in south towns plaza, henrietta, ny at approximately 5 mph, coasting to a stop with her feet on neither the gas nor brake pedal, when our 2009 pontiac g5 ny license [xxx] , lurched out of…
My son was driving a 2009 pontiac g5 in a high school parking lot at approximately 40mph +/- and went to make sudden turn when the power steering completely failed. He slammed on the brakes and even pulled the e-brake to no avail and hit a block wall.
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 4,234 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the G5 has 95 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 76, below average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- 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.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Pontiac G5?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, electrical system, steering. Total complaints: 76. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (26%), airbags did not deploy (9%), steering or power steering problems (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.