KnownCarProblems2008 Pontiac G6 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 1,080 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Pontiac G6, most often about the steering (39% of complaints, typically around 80,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about G6 model year since 2000 and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2008 Pontiac G6 problems
Steering
420 complaints · 39%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: column, electric power assist system, hydraulic power assist.
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the power steering would continuously fail without warning and cause the steering wheel to become extremely difficult to maneuver. The vehicle would veer in either direction while driving at a speed as low as 25 MPH. In addition, the vehicle would vibrate…
Tl contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. While driving 5 MPH the steering wheel began shaking and the rpms increased excessively. The steering wheel also continued to move from the left to the right on its own. The dealer agreed to schedule an appointment to diagnose the failure. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The…
Lights
243 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 73,500 miles. Parts named most often: brake lights, headlights.
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while traveling 25 MPH, the engine overheated and the oil leaked. The contact also stated that the driver side headlight and the horn failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired…
The right headlight went out. It was replaced, and then 2 days later neither headlight worked. The auto option still ran my high-beams, my tail lights and my parking lights. Then 1 week later when my auto option was on, nothing worked, no tail lights, no headlights, and no parking lights. When the lights are in the…
Electrical
225 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, horn.
My daughter bought a 2008 Pontiac G6 in 2010. In june of 2011, the left headlight went out while she was driving at night. She took it in for repair and they found that the connector had melted and needed to be replaced. In april 2012, the right headlight quit working. Again it was a case of the connector melting.…
Electric door lock fails to fully lock/unlock rear drivers side door, requires manual operation. This is a safety issue for prevention of intruders after entry into the vehicle.
Brakes
149 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 71,000 miles. Parts named most often: pedals and linkages.
Brake lights illuminated when brake pedal not depressed. Cruise control disengaged. Slight depression of brake pedal turned off lights. After releasing the pedal, the brake lights turned back on. Observed same condition after the reaching our destination with the car parked and ignition on.
On my 2008 Pontiac G6, the brake lights are on all the time even though the brake pedal is not being depressed and in turn makes the cruise control not work.
Air bags
101 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the driver crashed into another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The driver was not injured and a police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing of the air bag failure. The…
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated the air bag and seat belt failed. The air bag warning light remained illuminated and the seat belt made a beeping sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic test performed, which located the failure within the air bag sensor. The air bag…
Transmission
83 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 94,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, axle assembly.
From the time I bought this car, I have had an issue where when driving the car, as the transmission shifts from the different gears, the shift will be extra hard. It's like the car jerks as it shifts. I have taken this car to three different dealerships and had it placed on the computer at other different auto shops…
Gears stopped working and car rolled and stopped on the curb, dealer will not fix recalled gear cable because the owner before me had it fixed but it has broke again
Speed control
67 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: cruise control, accelerator pedal.
On my 2008 Pontiac G6, the brake lights are on all the time even though the brake pedal is not being depressed and in turn makes the cruise control not work.
My brake lamps r coming on when im not applying them while driving & n park, my cruise control comes on when it wants, in if its activated disengages itself at random, I almost caused n accident and was pulled over by a ny state trooper who happen to give me a break, y is this not a recall due to a searcher the issue…
Fuel system
62 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 99,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
I started smelling very strong gas fumes when I was driving, also when car was parked. I have taken it to the chevrolet dealership and they ran a diagnostic and said my cars fuel pump is cracked and the gas is evaporating onto my exhaust making my car dangerous. There has been recalls on the g5 model for the same…
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that fuel was leaking from the under carriage of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2008 Pontiac G6 recalls
Stability control: electronic stability control (esc)
Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the bas and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an interim letter to customers on july 14, 2014. The recall began on august 18, 2014. Owners may contact general motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (saturn). Gm's number for this recall is 13036.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 chevrolet malibu vehicles manufactured may 16, 2003, through october 11, 2012, 2004-2007 malibu maxx vehicles manufactured june 25, 2003, through april 5, 2007, 2005-2010 pontiac g6 vehicles manufactured may 26, 2004, through january 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 saturn aura vehicles manufactured april 24, 2006, through may 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the body control module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the brake apply sensor (bas) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'park' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash
Transmission: floor shift
Risk: If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the âparkâ position, the transmission may not be in âpark.â if the vehicle is not in the "park" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and gm dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact general motors at 1-800-553-6000. Gm's number for this recall is 14152.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) notified the agency on april 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 saturn aura vehicles. On may 22, 2014, gm increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 chevrolet malibu vehicles manufactured from may 16, 2003, through october 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 malibu maxx vehicles manufactured from june 25, 2003, through april 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 pontiac g6 vehicles manufactured from may 26, 2004, through september 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. Gm expects to send an interim notification around may 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 saturn ion, 2009-2010 chevrolet hhr and 2010 chevrolet cobalts. Dealers will replace the eps motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 chevrolet malibu and malibu maxx, 2005-2006 pontiac g6 and 2008-2009 chevrolet malibu, pontiac g6 and saturn aura built from mar
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 chevrolet malibu, 2004-2006 malibu maxx, 2009-2010 hhr (non-turbo), 2010 cobalt, 2008-2009 saturn aura and 2004-2007 ion, and 2005-2009 pontiac g6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (eps) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
Transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Risk: If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'park' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'park.' the vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on november 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until january 2013. Owners may contact general motors at 1-800-521-7300.
Full defect summary
General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 saturn aura and model year 2008-2010 chevrolet malibu and pontiac g6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Brake light switch/sensor malfunction
Summary
On may 14, 2014 general motors (gm) announced a recall action (14v-252) involving model year (my) 2004-12 chevrolet malibu, my 2004-07 malibu maxx, my 2005-10 pontiac g6 and my 2007-10 saturn aura vehicles.an increased resistance can develop in the body control module connection systems and result in voltage fluctuations in the brake apply sensor (bas, or brake light switch) circuit that can cause the brake lamps to malfunction.as a result, and according to gm, the brake lamps may illuminate when pedal application is not being applied or may not illuminate when pedal force is applied.additionally, the cruise control may not engage or if it is engaged it may require increased pedal travel to
Brake light malfunction
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened recall query rq13-001 on february 4, 2013 in response to complaints alleging that the brake lights do not operate properly on model year (my) 2005-2008 pontiac g6 vehicles. Complainants allege that the brake lights illuminate when the brake pedal is not depressed, and turn off once the brake pedal is applied. In addition the driver may have difficulty shifting out of park, or the cruise control may not engage properly. In response to odi?s information request, general motors (gm) submitted a significant number of warranty claims and over 1, 100 reports that potentially relate to the alleged problem. Odi is continuing its analysis of this data.
Questions about the 2008 Pontiac G6
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Pontiac G6?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: steering (420 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles); lights (243 complaints, typically around 73,500 miles); electrical (225 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2008 Pontiac G6 have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from May 14, 2014 (stability control). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2008 a bad year for the Pontiac G6?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about G6 model year since 2000, with 1,080 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.