2007 Pontiac Solstice

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a Defect Petition received December 12, 2019 requesting an investigation into the possibility of passenger compartment fires attributed to overheating HVAC blower motor connectors in Model Years (MY) 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky vehicles.An analysis of General Motors (GM) complaint data and information in NHTSA?s databases identified thirteen unique vehicle identification numbers (VINs) with reported incidents that could pertain to blower motor overheating, smoking, or melting in the 90,938 MY2006-2010 Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice vehicles produced. Two of the thirteen cited incidents reported smoke and thermal damage that may be attributed to the HVAC blower motor although neither incident was confirmed through vehicle inspection. One incident, a MY2008 Saturn Sky with substantial field exposure from a frontal collision, could not have the root cause identified. The other, a MY2007 Pontiac Solstice, did not inform the manufacturer nor take the vehicle to a dealer for evaluation.Most of the 13 incidents reported an overheated or discolored connector with attendant loss of HVAC blower fan function. GM reported 354 warranty claims with the subject components for the Sky and Solstice, none of which included a report of fire and only one report of smoke. Over a period of ten to fourteen years in service, there are two reports of smoke or thermal damage.While the subject Sky and Solstice vehicles and the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles do share common components, the Sky and Solstice vehicles have demonstrated very different behavior and their HVAC system has a lower power draw than the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles. The recalled H3 and H3T vehicles generate over triple the failure rate of the Sky and Solstice vehicles. GM suggested in its response to the ODI?s information request that this difference was due to the larger interior volume of a recalled Hummer vehicle imposing a heavier electrical load and duty cycle on its HVAC blower. The duty cycle is defined as how long it takes for the vehicle to cool down enough before the HVAC blower motor fan speed is lowered or turned off completely.Additionally, due to the size differential between the Sky and Solstice vehicles and the recalled Hummer H3 and H3T vehicles, the parts have a different power draw. The Sky and Solstice vehicles, due to their smaller size, draw less wattage, which reduces the likelihood of a thermal event. This condition in the Sky and Solstice vehicles typically leads to an inoperable HVAC blower motor as opposed to a thermal event.Despite the commonality of parts in the Sky and Solstice vehicles with those that were the basis of a safety recall, the subject vehicles have not demonstrated a safety defect trend that would likely lead to a safety recall or merit further investigation by the ODI. The subject vehicles have a low rate of reported thermal events over the ten to fourteen years they have been in service with the most recent occurring in 2017 with no confirmed fires. The HVAC blower motor was not confirmed to be the root cause for either thermal event cited above.After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA?s possession, information submitted by GM in response to an information request, and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner?s allegation, NHTSA does not believe that the petition warrants a formal investigation at this time. Consequently, the petition is denied.The entire petition denial can be viewed in the October 14, 2022 Federal Register under DP20-002.(https://www.f

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition requesting the opening of an investigation into the air bag system on model year 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky, the subject vehicles.The petitioner raised the issue of failure of the Passenger Sensing System for the front passenger seating position.On January 26, 2017, General Motors filed a defect information report recalling the subject vehicles to address the issue raised by the petition.In view of the recall, ODI considers the petition moot and is closing the action.The closing of the petition does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.

ODI EVALUATED TWO DIFFERENT ALLEGED DEFECTS INVOLVING REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS DURING THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.GM IS CONDUCTING A RECALL TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE DEFECT CONDITIONS AND ODI HAS OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO CONTINUE ITS INVESTIGATION OF THE OTHER ALLEGED DEFECT. ON DECEMBER 19, 2007, GM SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING DEFECTIVE REAR AXLE PINION SEALS IN APPROXIMATELY 275,936 MODEL YEAR (MY) 2005-07 CADILLAC CTS, STS AND SRX VEHICLES AS WELL AS MY 2006-07 PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND MY 2007 SATURN SKY VEHICLES (RECALL 07V-589).ON STS AND SRX VEHICLES WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE, THE FRONT AXLE PINION SEAL ALSO DOES NOT MEET ALL OF GM'S SPECIFICATIONS AND MAY EXPERIENCE A FLUID LEAK.GM INDICATED THAT THE SEAL SUPPLIER MADE AN UNAUTHORIZED CHANGE TO THE PINION SEAL MATERIAL.LEAKING PINION SEALS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF REAR DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN REAR WHEEL LOCK-UP AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. ON DECEMBER 7, 2007, ODI OPENED AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA07-017) TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS OF REAR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT FAILURE (E.G., FRACTURED REAR DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER HOUSING OR REAR AXLE HALF SHAFTS) WHILE DRIVING IN APPROXIMATELY 7,600 MY 2004 THROUGH 2006 CADILLAC CTS-V VEHICLES.THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER AND VEHICLE DISABLEMENT AND IS NOT ADDRESSED BY RECALL 07V-589.ODI IDENTIFIED 35 COMPLAINTS (16 TO ODI AND 19 TO GM) AND 128 WARRANTY CLAIMS POTENTIALLY RELATED TO THIS CONDITION (SEE EA07-017 OPENING RESUME).THESE COMPLAINTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE FAILURE REPORT SUMMARY OF THIS CLOSING RESUME. THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY FIGURES GIVEN IN THIS RESUME ARE LIMITED TO THOSE THAT (A) ARE MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY A LEAKING REAR PINION SEAL; AND (B) RESULTED IN AN ALLEGATION OF A REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING.THE DATA DO NOT INCLUDE ALL REPORTS OF SEAL LEAKAGE.

The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Solstice. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 14V047000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), 14V171000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) and 17V061000 (AIR BAGS); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact verified that the key could be removed while the ignition was not in the "OFF" position. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times over the years, but the contact was informed that the parts were not available for the recall repairs. Recently, the dealer informed the contact that the parts would not be available, and the recall repairs would never be performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11744680

Incident

Jun 17, 2014

Mileage

30,000 mi

Rear differential fluid leak The 07204 recall pertains to certain Pontiac vehicles, specifically the 2007 Pontiac Solstice, where a faulty rear axle pinion seal may leak, potentially causing a loss of motive power and increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will replace the pinion seal free of charge, and the recall began on February 1, 2008. [XXX] [XXX] Overview of Recall 07204 Vehicle Affected Model: 2007 Pontiac Solstice Manufacturer: General Motors (GM) Recall Details Recall Number: 07204 NHTSA Campaign Number: 07V589000 Date Announced: December 20, 2007 Total Vehicles Affected: Approximately 275,936 Issue Description The rear axle pinion seal may be faulty, leading to a potential fluid leak. This leak can cause rear differential failure, resulting in loss of motive power and possibly loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash. Actions Required Dealers' Response: Dealers will replace the faulty pinion seal free of charge. Owner Notification: GM began notifying affected vehicle owners starting February 1, 2008. Contact Information For more details, owners can contact: Pontiac Customer Service: 1-800-620-7668 Cadillac Customer Service: 1-800-458-8006 It is important for owners to check if their vehicle is affected and to take necessary actions to ensure safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11723150

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Solstice. The contact stated the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V061000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was repaired under the recall; however, DTC: B008171 (Passenger air bag Suppression System) warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the warning light was illuminated prior to the recall repair being performed. The vehicle remained at the dealer; however, no further repairs were made. The dealer suggested that additional diagnostic tests were needed to determine the cause of the warning light being illuminated. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID

11703625

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Mileage

45,000 mi

This is a known failure and a previous recall. The PPS system is a failed design and breaks continuously. Look at all the complaints you have received. This is extremely dangerous and GM should not be allowed to dismiss. Will it take deaths or lawsuits for GM to respond? This is the reason the NHTSA exists. GM needs to be directed to fix with a permanent solution when it involves the failure of airbags to deploy.

NHTSA ID

11631754

Incident

Oct 29, 2024

I bought a 2007 Pontiac Solstice recently from an individual. I saw online that there was an airbag recall. I called my local Chevy dealer and they ordered the recall kit. I brought the car in and they did the fix. However, the airbag, on the passenger side, problem still existed. Sometimes, when my 110 lb. wife got in the passenger side, the airbag would read "ON", and sometimes it would not. So I took my car back to the dealer today. The service manager showed me a bulletin from General Motors, that said the passenger, had to weigh at least 150 lbs. for the airbag to work. I feel this is a real safety concern and need to know how to get this safety issue resolved.

NHTSA ID

11608200

Incident

Jul 25, 2024

The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Solstice. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the failure was linked with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V061000 (Air Bags); however, the vehicle was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ID

11595777

Incident

Jun 16, 2024

Mileage

180,000 mi

While applying the brakes the car down shifts hard, locking up and jerking. Many others had reported this problem in online forums. Stating a power train or module issue. Very dangerous not knowing if your car my jerk into someone or something out of your control.

NHTSA ID

11556888

Incident

Nov 21, 2023

New in 2007 Pontiac Solstice. In May of 2018 the recall 17036 was completed at 28,000 after waiting several months for the solution and then several months for the part to arrive. PPS passenger seat weighted sensor module failed again August 2023 at 36,000 miles. Repair only lasted 8,000 miles. I was told this module controls the passenger seat air bag. I was also told that if module fails the passenger seat air bag will not deploy putting the passenger in an unsafe position. The passenger present light will be off when seat is occupied. The DIC (information display) will only read service air bag until the fault code is corrected. I use this to mainly to monitor coolant temperature of the engine although it has other functions. There will also be a red warning light on in the middle of the dash cluster. Visiting the forums there are many on their third and fourth repair. The recall should be reopened. One quote I received was for over $ 1,200. I do not feel I should have to pay out of pocket for a safety issue. In order to protect my passenger that is why I paid to have the recalled part replaced again. Your passenger is also your lifeline. Yes, I know it is out of warranty on this Safety incident. Many say the manufacturer should cover the safety issues. I feel dealership should cover this expensive safety issue at the directive of manufacturer.

NHTSA ID

11542501

Incident

Aug 9, 2023

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to call General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further assistance.