2008 Pontiac G5
The Verdict
The 2008 Pontiac G5 has 114 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (40 complaints) and electrical (38 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 71/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Pontiac G5, consider the 2010 model year which has 98% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2010 has 98% fewer complaints
View the 2010 Pontiac G5 dashboard →
Klunk Score: Solid Pick
Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
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, Elkton, MD 21921), and IG Burton (6913 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061). The dealers informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle was no longer in production. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 53,150.
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" under special coverage, the dealer looked at the car. Dealer said they couldn't find any leak. Now the leak is very apparent when you start the car. Significant gas leaks onto the ground. After speaking to GM at 866-790-5600, GM says that my VIN No does not apply to the special coverage. Now they won't honor the letter. A service bulletin 12191B has been issued for this problem "regardless of the vehicle's age or mileage" but it seems from numerous posts GM pawns this problem off as the car's Vin No does not apply to their vehicle.
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
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 approximately 121,400.
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G5. The contact stated that while making a right turn in an intersection the vehicle failed to accelerate causing a crash with a second vehicle. During the crash, the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a shoulder and back injury and the passenger sustained a left torso injury which required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was undetermined.
The airbag warning light came on having no prior issues with the car. The car was taken to the local GM dealer, [XXX]. Diagnostics have revealed the Passenger Presence Module may be defective and was not communicating with the SDM. The passenger airbag goes into default mode and turns the airbag off, posing a safety threat to a front passenger. This symptom first appeared August 2022. The vehicle had approximately 120,000 miles on it. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2008 Pontiac G5. The contact stated while driving the vehicle into the garage, there was an abnormal gasoline fumes odor. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with rusted fuel lines from underneath the engine to the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000.
LEAKY FUEL LINES TOWARD THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WELL. LARGE PUDDLES OF GASOLINE UNDER THE CAR WHEN PARKED. VISIBLE GAS LEAK
CAR LEAKS GAS TOWARD FRONT OF CAR DRIVER SIDE AFTER IT HAS BEEN RUNNING. IT ALSO HAS AN ODOR OF GAS RADIATING AROUND THE CAR AFTER IT HAS BEEN RUN. THIS CAR HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM IN REGIONALLY HOT STATES. GM ALAN ADLER SAID THEY WOULD REPAIR CARS THAT HAS THE PROBLEM OUTSIDE OF THE DESIGNATED STATES, BUT PONTIAC REFUSES. SEE ATT.
WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN AROUND OTHER VEHICLES NAMELY THOSE WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS AND AT STOP LIGHTS. IT FELT AS THOUGH THERE WAS A TON OF PRESSURE INSIDE MY VEHICLE ALMOST LIKE THE THE WINDOWS WERE GOING TO EXPLODE. IM NOT SURE HOW TO EXPLAIN IT MAYBE A GRAVATAIONAL DOWNWARD PULL? ALMOST LIKE A CHEMICAL BURN FROM THE BRIGHTNESS OF OTHER HEADILGHTS AND THE VEHICLE MIRRORS MIXED CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE WERE HAVING A BAD REACTION. THIS CAUSED ME TO BECOME AWARE OF AN ISSUE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND HAD THE BATTERY TESTED NOTICING THE BATTERY WAS LOCATED IN THE TRUNK WITH NO PROTECTION SURROUNDING THE BATTERY AND WIRES SEMI EXPOSED PLACED NEXT TO FUSES AND SHEET METAL. WHO DESIGNES THINGS LIKE THAT? THATS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. TODAY MY HEAD STILL HURTS AND I WILL BE SEEKING A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
POWER STEERING CUT OUT WHEN TURNING A CORNER. WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD, THE STEERING SEEMS FINE. WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT TO GO AROUND A CORNER, THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT EASILY TURN BACK TO THE STRAIGHT AHEAD POSITION. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT 30 MPH AND SLOWED TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN, AND WHILE TURNING L FELT THE POWER STEERING GIVE OUT WHEN TRYING TO COME OUT OF THE TURN.
HAD RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. GOT IT REPLACED NOW THE KEY BROKE OFF IN IT
SERVICE AIR BAGS SHOWS ON DASH ON STARTUP, BOUGHT THIS WAY FROM HOLZ CHEVY IN HALES CORNERS, WI. WAS TOLD IT WAS A NON ISSUE. ELECTRICAL- CHANGES FROM RADIO TO AUX RANDOMLY, THE BACK SPEAKERS WORK CONSTANTLY, THE DRIVER SIDE NEVER WORKS AND THE PASSENGER SIDE WORKS ON OCCASION (IF YOU HIT A POT HOLE HARD ENOUGH IT'LL GO ON/OFF). FUEL- FUEL LINE WAS LEAKING FROM DRIVER SIDE, IN FRONT OF REAR WHEEL. RIGHT BY THE HEAT SHIELD.
MY 2008 G5 HAS A STRONG GAS SMELL BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. I CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND SAW THAT 2008 G5'S HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR A FUEL LEAK DUE TO A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP MODULE BUT ONLY IN HOTTER STATES. I'M IN SC AND WE CERTAINLY SHOULD QUALIFY AS A HOTTER STATE WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 90'S IN THE SPRING. GM RECALLED THE '06 AND '07 G5'S IN SC FOR FUEL LEAKS SO THEY SHOULD RECALL THE '08 MODEL TOO SINCE IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM (RECALL 09V-419) MY CAR HAS ONLY 31,903 MILES ON IT SO I SHOULD NOT BE STUCK WITH THE COST OF REPAIRING AN ONGOING FUEL LEAK PROBLEM THAT GM HAS HAD WITH '06-'08 MODELS. MY MOTHER BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND IT HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT AND DRIVEN VERY LITTLE. GM SHOULD REPAIR ALL THE 2008 G5'S THAT ARE LEAKING FUEL, NOT JUST THE ONES IN A SELECT FEW STATES. FUEL LEAKS ARE DANGEROUS AND COULD RESULT IN A FIRE IN ANY STATE.
STARTED TO SMELL A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN GARAGE. NOTICED ABOUT A FOOT IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE DRIPPING GASOLINE FROM FUEL LINE NEXT TO THE PLASTIC CLIP THERE. THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST PIPE AND VERY DANGEROUS. WENT ONLINE AND SAW SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND HOW THERE WAS AN ASSOCIATED RECALL BUT ONLY FOR 5-6 STATES. NOT SURE WHY ONLY THESE STATES WERE LISTED BUT IN LINE WITH MANY OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THE PLASTIC CLIP HOLDING THOSE FUEL LINES WAS HOLDING SALT AND BRINE OF THE WINTER MONTHS AND CAUSING CORROSION AT THAT SPOT. TAKING THE CAR IN TO A DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND AM FULLY EXPECTING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE FUEL LINE AT $600-1000 SIMILARLY TO THE OTHER COMPLAINTS I SAW. IF THIS ISSUE WAS ALREADY RECALLED FOR SOME STATES THEN IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED FOR ALL OF THEM AS IT IS CLEARLY AN ONGOING AND PERSISTENT ISSUE.
BROKEN PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT RETRACTOR. BROKEN SEATBELT RETRACTOR= AIRBAG NOT WORKING=DEATHTRAP.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC G5. PERIODICALLY, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ODOR OF FUEL INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOR WENT AWAY. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE SERVICE, THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED A FUEL LEAK IN AN UNKNOWN PART OF THE VEHICLE AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE FUEL LINES BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,915.
CAR SPEEDS UP WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS PETAL AND IT'S HARD TO STOP IT WHEN IN MOTION ON INTERSTATE IT STOPPED OUT OF NOWHERE AND TURNED OFF WITH AN 18 WHEELER BEHIND ME LIKE TO HAVE KILLED ME GOT CAR IN NEUTRAL FINALLY FORCEFULLY PRAYING THAT JESUS PROTECT ME BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AND PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR. DRIVING DOWN ROAD STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP CAUSES ENGINE TO SHAKE WHOLE CAR AND BACKFIRES MY CAR RIDES REALLY ROUGH. MESSED UP POWER STEERING HAS CAUSED MY BLINKERS NOT TO WORK NOW. I'M REALLY SAD. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON EVERY TIME I PUT GAS IN MY CAR. THE TRANSMISSION ACTS UP AND WHEN DRIVING MY CAR IT'S LIKE IT DOESN'T KNOW WHAT GEAR IT SHOULD BE IN SO IT JERKS REALLY BAD.
ON THE26TH OF JUNE 2018 I WAS LEAVING WORK WHEN ALL IF A SUDDEN WHEN I STARTED IT UP THERE WAS BAD KNOCKING COMING FROM ENGINE WHEN INCREASING RPM'S. I TOOK IT TO MECHANIC AND REQUESTED MY OIL TO BE CHANGED AND TO CHECK WHY IT WAS KNOCKING. AT THAT POINT I WAS TOLD THERE WAS METAL SHAVINGS IN THE OLD OIL AS WELL AS FILTER. I WAS SHOWN THIS BY THE MECHANIC. HE STATED BERRINGS WERE GOING AND I WOULD HAVE TO REBUILD OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. CONFIRMED BY ANOTHER MECHANIC. UPON RETURNING HOME ABOUT 30 MIN LATER I NOTICED FRESH OIL UNDER MY CAR. I TOOK IT BACK AND WAS SHOWN A MAJOR OIL LEAK AT THE TIMING CHAIN COVER. TURNS OUT THE BOLT CAME LOOSE. HE TIGHTENED AND OIL STOPPED LEAKING. THIS WAS PROBABLY THE CAUSE OF BEARINGS GOING OUT. THIS WAS A SUDDEN ISSUE AND NOT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THE CAR HAS 45K ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. HOW CAN THIS BE? 10 YEARS OLD BUT ONLY 45K MILES.
MY CAR IS LEAKING G FUEL BY DRIVERS DOOR AND TIRE.MY CAR WAS IN THE RECALL BUT NOT MY STATE. MAKES NO SENSE. MY CAR WAS A RENTAL FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE I BOUGHT IT . WHY IS MY VIN# NOT IN RECALL.. IF I BLOW UP SOMEONE WILL LET YOU KNOW. THANKS.
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