AI Damage2008 Pontiac G8: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Pontiac G8 filed 71 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 71
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 35% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 14% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 7 Seat belts 3% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 3% of all complaints
- Air bags: 25 complaints (35% of all).
- Electrical system: 14 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 10 complaints (14% of all).
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (11% of all).
- Steering: 8 complaints (11% of all), 2 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.
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 71 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 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.
As a result, the contact crashed into the median strip and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 pontiac g8. While driving approximately 50 mph around a curve, the steering wheel seized and caused the vehicle to crash into a tree. The air bags deployed. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained a cut around the left eye which required medical attention.
The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the key was accidentally bumped, and the ignition switch was knocked out of the run position, turning off the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V540000 (Electrical System).
Passenger airbag light fault remains illuminated indicating that the system is disabled. The passenger airbag sensor is known by gm as being defective and they would not replace it under warranty. The abs, traction control, and stability control indicators are illuminated and will not function.
Keep getting air bag light on code u0170 and b0081 seems like this is a big safety problem with the pontiac g8 needs a recall on this problem and replaced the rear abs sensors and still have the issue with it not working and replaced them 2 times with new sensors
Air bag fault light comes on when car is started, which means that the air bags will not work. There is an air bag recall to this car, but they will not fix my car's fault light problem. This is a big safety defect that many gm have, according to your website. Thank you my car has 30,000 miles on it.
While driving 40 mph, the check engine indicator illuminated. The dealer diagnosed that the timing chain was stretched and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 94,000.
The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v399000 (seat belts); however, the part to do 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.
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 4,390 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the G8 has 72 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 71, about average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Pontiac G8?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, suspension. Total complaints: 71. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (17%), airbag warning light (13%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Pontiac G8?
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 G8 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.