RoadVitals

2008 Pontiac G6

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1,078
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
5
Latest Jul 21, 2014
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
56
22 injuries, 3 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 1,078 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2008 Pontiac G6, most frequently naming the steering, exterior lighting and electrical categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 1,018 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

5 campaigns cover this model year

View all 5

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
14E044000

STEERING

Jul 21, 2014
7,304 units potentially affected
The defect: Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2009 Saturn Aura vehicles. The affected steering shafts may have a yoke that inadequately supports the u-joint bearing resulting in a premature failure.
The risk: A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492.
Dorman Products, Inc.View on NHTSA.gov
14V252000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS; EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

May 14, 2014
2,440,524 units potentially affected
The defect: 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 avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
The risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: 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.
General Motors LLCManufacturer number 13036View on NHTSA.gov
14V224000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION; POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

Apr 30, 2014
1,131,113 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The 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 ‘PARK’ position, the transmission may not be in ‘PARK.’ 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 exiting occupants and bystanders.
The remedy: 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.
General Motors LLCManufacturer number 14152View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA13005ClosedEngineering Analysis

Brake Light Switch/Sensor Malfunction

Opened Jun 6, 2013
Closed Jul 1, 2014

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 disengage.Pedal application may not be required to move the shift lever out of PARK or additional travel may be required to move the shift lever out of PARK. Traction control, electronic stability control (ESC) and panic brake assist features may also become disabled. These failure conditions may increase the risk of a crash.The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis EA13-005 on June 6, 2013 to further investigate complaints alleging that the brake lights did not operate properly on MY 2005-08 Pontiac G6 vehicles.The BAS in these vehicles produces a single analog voltage output proportional to the brake pedal's position.The BAS signal is used by various systems to determine both pedal position and rate of displacement, so a failure or inaccuracy of the signal may affect multiple systems.ODI also received similar complaints on MY 2009 Pontiac G6, MY 2004-11 Chevrolet Malibu and MY 2007-09 Saturn Aura vehicles that use the same BAS.All of these above models were included in the subject vehicle population of ODI's Information Request (IR) letter to GM.Prior to the recall announcement date, ODI received 855 reports of brake light malfunction resulting in one or several of the failure conditions.Eight (8) of the reports alleged crashes, with 1 resulting in an injury. Of these crash allegations, 2 were roll-away incidents, in which the shift interlock was moved out of PARK without pedal application and the vehicle rolled into another object.Three (3) crashes involved rear-end hits, which were believed to be due to brake light reversal.ESC/Traction Control failures were the alleged cause of 2 incidents, which resulted in unresponsive brake application and in 1 case caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.One (1) crash allegation was not counted as the circumstances of the crash were not related to any of the failure modes.ODI notes that it is difficult to determine the actual cause of incidents where brake light reversal or ESC/Traction Control failures were the alleged cause.In response to ODI's IR, GM submitted 2,268 unique reports that related to brake lamp malfunction. Combined with the data submitted during Recall Query 13-001, a total of 4,664 unique complaints were submitted.Twelve (12) of the GM reports alleged a crash, with 2 reporting minor injuries and 4 alleging property damage.Of the 12 reports, 3 involved brake light reversal allegations, 4 involved roll-away incidents and 2 involved ESC/Traction Control malfunctions. ODI did not include three (3) reports that involved allegations inconsistent with the alleged defect. This investigation is closed on the basis of GM's announcement of safety recall 14V-252.The ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID, see the attached list for ODI numbers.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTSLed to recall 14V252000
RQ13001ClosedRecall Query

Brake Light Malfunction

Opened Feb 4, 2013
Closed Jun 6, 2013

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. One of the GM reports also alleged a vehicle crash. ODI has received a total of 314 complaints, one alleging a crash.Based on the agency's current analysis, ODI has upgraded its investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA13-005) to determine whether the subject vehicles present a safety related defect trend, and to further evaluate scope.The ODI complaints cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID, see the attached list for ODI numbers.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 1,078
ElectricalSteering
Filed Aug 5, 2026

While driving my 2008 Pontiac G6 Base, I lost electrician power to the vehicle, on my car it utilizes an electric power steering module instead of fluid and a pump. When I lost power to the car the wheel became stiff but when I regained power the steering column while the vehicle was in motion did what I can only describe as "Forced knockback or steering" as when I attempted to tightly turn the wheel or turn at all the car steering wheel would yank the wheel free from my hands and prevent turning. This is extremely dangerous and especially if the car would be at high speeds or speeds needed to reach normal highway travel like 50 to 65 mph.

NHTSA ID
11754894
Incident
Aug 4, 2026
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed May 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G8. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80 mph the cruise disconnected had erroneously deactivated and the brake lights had remained illuminated . The contact replaced brake sensors, emergency brake sensors and ABS Module but the failure continued to occur. The local dealer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact was informed of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 94,000.

NHTSA ID
11738698
Incident
Feb 18, 2026
Mileage
94,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Apr 8, 2026

Fuel pump defective, return hose onto the top of fuel pump starts to leak fuel.Which can led to car stalling out from not having the correct fuel pressure which caused the engine to stall everywhere,the road,fire hazard,etc.

NHTSA ID
11729897
Incident
Apr 8, 2026
Steering
Filed Mar 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving, the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver, and the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, turned off, and restarted several times for the power steering function to reset. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred several times. The failure was associated with the steering wheel torque angle sensor. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering wheel torque angle sensor needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering). The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 54,000.

NHTSA ID
11721542
Incident
Nov 5, 2025
Mileage
54,000 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 11, 2026

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering assist functionality. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the “Power Steering Fault” message was displayed. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the power steering functionality returned. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V153000 (Steering); however, the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall in 2014, and the replacement part had started to fail. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ID
11717222
Incident
Jan 26, 2026
Mileage
95,000 mi
Driver assistanceElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Feb 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC); however, the failure recurred after the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer declined to provide additional repairs under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ID
11717065
Incident
May 14, 2014
Mileage
115,000 mi
ElectricalEngineSteering
Filed Dec 2, 2025

Car shuts off & other lights light up on dash. Not driving over 20mph.

NHTSA ID
11702609
Incident
Dec 2, 2025
BrakesDriver assistanceSuspension
Filed Aug 15, 2025

Unknown - vehicle is jist malfunctioning

NHTSA ID
11680965
Incident
Nov 13, 2024

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

13598

New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH

PIC5650M

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may find Diagnostic Trouble Codes B3055, B3060, B3935, C0750, C0755, C0760, C0765, and/or C0775.

PIP5601C

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

PIT5074R

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Pontiac G6 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2014100—
20102723047.9
20097105155.7
2008Viewing1,0785256.5
20071,2315359.0
20061,9097460.5
20056796458.8
2004200—
2003100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.