The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·11V534000·Announced 2011-11-04

GM Recalls 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 for Air Bag Deployment Delay

General Motors is recalling 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles because a sensor delay in the front passenger air bag may increase the risk of head injury in a crash.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (air bag deployment delay) that may result in increased head injury, meeting the criteria for a Severe (4) rating.

Plain-English summary

General Motors LLC is recalling certain 2008-2009 model year Pontiac G8 vehicles manufactured between November 2, 2007, and January 22, 2009. The recall involves 38,444 vehicles. The defect occurs when the front passenger seat is positioned fully forward, causing the seat position sensor to create a 30-millisecond delay between the first and second stages of the dual-stage frontal passenger air bag deployment.

This deployment delay was identified after a 5th percentile female anthropomorphic test device exceeded head injury criteria requirements in a 30 mph frontal barrier test. In the event of a crash, this delay may result in increased head injury to certain front seat occupants.

GM dealers will reprogram the sensing and diagnostic module free of charge to correct the issue. The safety recall began on November 30, 2011. Owners may contact Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
PONTIAC G8
Brand
PONTIAC
Manufacturer
GENERAL MOTORS LLC
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
38,444

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • G8

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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