2008 Pontiac G5 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 13, 2026 · 115 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other G5 years
More complaints than other years 2nd of 4 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 115 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Pontiac G5. That ranks 2nd out of 4 G5 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (29 complaints, 25%), typically at around 90,915 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 2 fires, 25 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Pontiac G5
2007 Pontiac G5 GT Coupe photographed in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Finished in Competition Yellow.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2008 Pontiac G5 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Fuel/propulsion System29 · ~90,915 mi
Air Bags26 · ~53,150 mi
Electrical System24 · ~83,000 mi
Steering23 · ~80,285 mi
Suspension8 · ~40,000 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline6 · ~46,675 mi
Engine5 · ~67,663 mi
Power Train5 · ~39,500 mi
Vehicle Speed Control4 · ~89,000 mi
Exterior Lighting3 · ~77,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Fuel/propulsion System2925%90,915——
Air Bags2623%53,150——
Electrical System2421%83,000——
Steering2320%80,285——
Suspension87%40,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline65%46,675——
Engine54%67,663——
Power Train54%39,500——
Vehicle Speed Control43%89,000——
Exterior Lighting33%77,000——
Service Brakes33%71,000——
Structure33%38,500——
Latches/locks/linkages22%86,500——
Seat Belts22%70,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic22%11,000——
Unknown or Other22%78,595——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)11%77,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling11%14,000——
Service Brakes, Electric11%———
Tires11%27,729——
Visibility11%122——
Wheels11%89,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 16 complaints
2008: 3200832009: 112010: 142010142011: 11112012: 122012122013: 882014: 162014162015: 14142016: 112016112017: 332018: 5201852019: 552020: 4202042022: 112023: 3202332024: 112025: 1202512026: 22

n = 115 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2008 Pontiac G5 recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Electrical system:ignitionApr 10, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V171000 · 2,191,014 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.

Risk: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. For vehicles that were built with the redesigned ignition cylinder or had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will cut and, if necessary, re-learn two ignition/door keys for each vehicle. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac owners at 1-800-762-2737, and Saturn owners at 1-800-553-6000. General Motors' number for this recall is 14113 for the ignition lock cylinder and key replacement, and 14133 for only key replacements. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.

Air bags; electrical system:ignition:switchFeb 10, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V047000 · 2,190,934 vehicles

Problem: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on February 10, 2014 that they are recalling 619,122 model year 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, and 2007 Pontiac G5 vehicles. On February 25, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 748,024 model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet HHR and Pontiac Solstice vehicles and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion vehicles and 2007 Saturn Sky vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine. On March 27, 2014, GM notified the agency that the defective ignition switches may have been used as service replacement parts on other vehicles, and as a result GM will be recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, Saturn Sky, and Pontiac G5 and Solstice, and 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR vehicles. The part numbers for the service parts are 10392423 (a/k/a ACDelco D1461F), 10392737, 15857948, 15854953, 15896640, and 25846762. This expansion represents an additional 823,788 vehicles.

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.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. An interim notification was issued to owners of 2007 and earlier models on March 10, 2014, informing them of the safety defect. Owners of 2008 and later vehicles will be mailed an interim letter on April 21, 2014. All affected owners will receive another letter once parts are available. The recall began on April 18, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, Pontiac at 1-800-762-2737 or Saturn at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for the initial recall is 13454 and 14063 for the expansion. GM’s recall number for the vehicles that may have received the replacement parts is 14092. Note: Until the recall repairs have been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. Always wear your seatbelt.

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pumpSep 19, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V459000 · 49,768 vehicles

Problem: General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007 Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; model year 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5, and Saturn ION vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, or Texas; model year 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arizona; and model year 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma, or Texas. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump module may crack, which could cause a fuel leak.

Risk: Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 21, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles in for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

Steering:electric power assist systemMar 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V073000 · 1,050,889 vehicles

Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 chevrolet cobalt and model year 2007-2010 pontiac g5 vehicles equipped with electric power steering. The driver may experience a sudden loss of power steering assist that could occur at any time while driving.

Risk: If power steering assist is lost, it would require greater driver effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the electric power steering motor free of charge. Owners are being notified on a rolling basis between march 29 through november 2010. A copy of the mailing schedule is located in the recall file. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Electric Power Steering Failure (PE10005) — opened Jan 27, 2010, closed Jul 19, 2010, led to recall 10V073000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G5. The contact stated that the message "Service Air Bag" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to two different dealers, including Burton Buick GMC of Elkton (1 Automotive Blvd, Elkton, MD 21921), where it was diagnosed with Passenger Presence System (PPS) module…

Air Bags · received Jul 13, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11750034

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G5. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was determined that the occupant detection module was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, IG Burton (1 Automotive Blvd…

Air Bags · received Apr 24, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11733509

1. 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. After receiving an email reply back from GMLegalUpdate department indicating they would cover the "fuel line"…

Fuel/propulsion System · received Mar 27, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11651139

Not sure if ignition has ever been changed but I’ve been reading that there is a recall on my eps system as to that matter I have no power steering and would like to kno if it will be covered if I take it to gm dealership close to me

Steering · received Apr 12, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11582720

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G5. The contact stated that while driving at 2 MPH, the steering wheel had become firm. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not towed or taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…

Steering · received Oct 10, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11549181

Other Pontiac G5 years

← 2007 G5 · 2009 G5 →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2010 G523
2009 G5765
20081154
2007 G51885

See all Pontiac G5 problems by year, every Pontiac model, or the VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Pontiac G5?

Owners most often report fuel/propulsion system, air bags, electrical system problems. The top one, fuel/propulsion system, accounts for 29 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2008 Pontiac G5?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2008 Pontiac G5 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other G5 model years, the 2008 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.