2008 PONTIAC G8 Complaints

I HAVE A 2008 PONTIAC G8 GT. THE ISSUE IS THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AROUND 43,000 MILES THE CAR STARTED GETTING VERY BAD SOUNDS AND VIBRATIONS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE UNDER CERTAIN SPEEDS AND CONDITIONS THE CAR WILL GO INTO A VIOLENT SHAKE. WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT I'M FINE BUT IF I HEAD INTO ANY KIND OF A CURVE IN THE ROAD THE STEERING WHEEL IS SHAKING BADLY AND THE WHOLE CAR SHUTTERS. I'M OUT OF FACTORY WARRANTY SO THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME. I DID HAVE THE DEALERSHIP LOOK AT IT AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT INDEED I DO HAVE BAD BALL JOINTS & CONTROL ARMS AND MOST LIKELY STRUT BUSHING ISSUES. THEY SAID I COULD PURCHASE THE PARTS MYSELF BUT THAT THE PARTS ARE ON A VERY LONG BACKORDER, 2-3 MONTHS ARE COMMON PLACE. THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS TO WAIT FOR AN AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT PART TO COME OUT (SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER) AS EVEN THE BACKORDERED REPLACEMENT PARTS FROM GM ARE FAILING AFTER BEING PUT ON THE CAR. THE CAR IS GETTING WORSE AND I'M AFRAID THAT THE FRONT END IS GOING TO FAIL ON ME SOMETIME WHILE I'M DRIVING. I RELY ON THIS CAR FOR MY JOB AND THERE IS NO GOOD FIX FOR IT OUT THERE AND NO GM RECALLS THAT I CAN FIND! I'M IN DESPERATE NEED OF HELP! *TR

BALL JOINT FAILURE, BOTH SIDES, FRONT SUSPENSION. LOUD CLUNKING OVER IRREGULAR SURFACES AND BUMPS, VIBRATION IN FRONT END, SHAKING/STRONG VIBRATION DURING BRAKING. INSPECTED BY DEALER, ALL BALL JOINTS ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FAILING. GM WARRANTY PERSONNEL DIRECTED ME TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THEY REFUSE TO COVER A LOANER OR RENTAL AND DECLARED THAT IT IS "A NON-SAFETY ISSUE". SINCE WHEN ARE PRIMARY ATTACHMENT POINTS FOR THE STEERING APPARATUS, SPINDLE, BRAKES, AND WHEELS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN? THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE CRIMINALLY INDICTED FOR SPEWING SUCH IRRESPONSIBLE NONSENSE. SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED BY ONE OF THE CARS EVENTUALLY. I CAN NO LONGER SAFELY USE THIS VEHICLE AS TRANSPORTATION FOR MY FAMILY, THESE COMPONENTS ARE FAILING RAPIDLY, AND WILL LIKELY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY WHEN THEY FAIL COMPLETELY. THIS ISSUE DEMANDS A RECALL. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE WORSE THAN THE EXPLORER/FIRESTONE TIRE DEBACLE. GM KNOWS ABOUT IT, AND APPEARS TO BE EXPENDING MORE RESOURCES TOWARD AVOIDING DEALING WITH THE ISSUE, THAN TOWARD RESOLUTION. EXCUSES RANGING FROM "WE HAVE NO PARTS IN INVENTORY" TO "THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DRIVE IN A COLD PART OF THE COUNTRY", IT'S RIDICULOUS. THEY BUILT, MARKETED, AND SOLD A SUBSTANDARD PRODUCT, AND ARE UNWILLING TO STAND BEHIND THE WARRANTY, EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGER'S SAFETY, AND AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER VEHICLES SHARING THE ROAD. NO WONDER THEY HAVE FAILED SO MISERABLY TO REGAIN A SHARE IN THEIR HOME MARKET, IT'S APPARENT THAT THEY JUST DON'T CARE. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW CAR IN JULY 2008 AND THE AIRBAGS ONLY DETECT MY WEIGHT PART OF THE TIME. ACCORDING TO GM AND THE DEALERSHIP, THE AIRBAGS MAY OR MAY NOT DETECT UP TO 125LBS. I WEIGH 134LBS. WHEN I STATED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY STATED TO ME THAT EVEN WEIGHT OVER 125LBS MAY OR MAY NOT BE DETECTED. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY STATED THEY TRUST WHAT EVER THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME. THIS INFORMATION DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. I THOUGHT AIRBAGS ARE FOR SAFETY. *TR

AIR BAG MODULE IS BAD. AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINS ON AND AIR BAG IS DISABLED. GM RECOMMENDED THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE WRONG MODULE (IN THE PASSENGER SEAT). THE MAIN MODULE WAS NOT AN AVAILABLE PART AND WAS TOLD IT HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM AUSTRALIA. GM DOES NOT SEEM TO STOCK CRITICAL PARTS FOR THIS AUTO AND NOW IT'S WELL OVER A MONTH THAT I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS PART.. IF IT EVEN IS THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT APPEARS TO BE WIDE SPREAD IF YOU VIEW THE COMPLAINTS ON THE USER G8 FORUM ON LINE. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION EXHIBITS DIFFERENT TENDENCIES WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. THIS LEADS TO UNPREDICTABLE VEHICLE RESPONSE. IN ONE PARTICULAR OCCASION I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AND ACCELERATED. THE CAR HESITATED FOR A GOOD 2 SECONDS BEFORE ACCELERATING LEAVING ME TO HAVE TO GO OFF THE SHOULDER BECAUSE THE CARS FROM BEHIND HAD CAUGHT UP. THIS IS AN EVERYDAY PROBLEM AND RUINS THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CAR. *TR

MY SAFETY ISSUE WITH MY 2008 PONTIAC G8 GT ARE AS FOLLOWS: LAGGY THROTTLE/TRANSMISSION RESPONSE CAUSES PRECARIOUS POSITIONS. HAMPERS ACCIDENT AVOIDANCE. MAY CAUSE CAR TO ACCELERATE FASTER THAN INTENDED RESULTING IN A ACCIDENT. FOR EXAMPLE PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PART WAY RESULTS IN A LONG DELAY BEFORE THE CAR RESPONDS. WHEN THE CAR DOES RESPOND IT MAY ACCELERATE AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN INTENDED. THERE IS NO ACTUAL ACCELERATION FEEDBACK WHILE PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL BECAUSE OF THE DELAY. IF I HAD INTENDED TO ACCELERATE USING SAY 1/4 THROTTLE AND BECAUSE OF THE CARS LACK OF RESPONSE ONE MAY MISTAKENLY PRESS THE THROTTLE TO THE 1/2 POSITION THE CAR WOULD EVENTUALLY "ENGAGE" ABRUPTLY AT THE 1/2 THROTTLE POSITION. THE RESULT IS THAT THE CAR WILL ABRUPTLY ACCELERATE AT A MUCH FASTER THAN INTENDED SPEED POTENTIALLY CAUSING A COLLISION. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS WHEN ENTERING A HIGH SPEED ROAD WITHOUT AN ENTRANCE RAMP (90 DEG RIGHT TURN) WHEN THE PEDDLE IS DEPRESSED TO 3/4 THROTTLE TO ENTER, THE CAR WILL SLOWLY MOVE INTO THE ROADWAY AND DELAY BEFORE "ENGAGING" CAUSING OTHER MOTORISTS TO BRAKE. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHEN A NON-ATTENTIVE MOTORIST WERE APPROACHING IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALER ANT THEY STATE THAT IS THE WAY IT IS AND ITS FINE. I DISAGREE. I HAVE DRIVEN EVERY KIND OF CAR ONE COULD IMAGINE AND I NEVER HAD A CAR THAT HAD THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I BELIEVE GM SHOULD CORRECT IT. CAR: 2008 PONTIAC G8 GT *TR

SLOW THROTTLE RESPONSE, LATENCY WHEN DOWNSHIFTING CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DISPLAYS UNACCEPTABLE LATENCY DURING DOWNSHIFTS AND UNPREDICTABLE RESPONSE TO THROTTLE INPUTS . THIS RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE VEHICLE BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY DURING FREEWAY MERGES OR OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF ENGINE POWER IS REQUIRED. THIS IS AN ONGOING, CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT I BELIEVE IS RELATED TO POOR PROGRAMMING OF THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DISPLAYS UNACCEPTABLE LATENCY DURING DOWNSHIFTS AND UNPREDICTABLE TRANSMISSION RESPONSE TO THROTTLE INPUTS . THIS RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE VEHICLE BEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY DURING FREEWAY MERGES OR OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF ENGINE POWER IS REQUIRED. THIS IS AN ONGOING, CONSTANT PROBLEM THAT I BELIEVE IS RELATED TO POOR PROGRAMMING OF THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. *TR

AUTOMOBILE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS UNREADABLE IN SUNLIGHT DUE TO REFLECTIONS AND LOW CONTRAST, DARKLY SHADED DIALS. FOR A DRIVERS EYE VIEW: HTTP://G8GT.COM/T3593/ SCROLL DOWN TO THE FIFTH POST FOR PICTURES AND FEEL FREE TO READ ALL OF THE COMMENTS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO REGULATE SPEED, BECAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER IS OBSCURED. SOMEONE WILL GET HURT TRYING TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER, WHEN THEY SHOULD BE WATCHING THE ROAD. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS COMBINATION. THE COMPLAINT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO PONTIAC: SERVICE REQUEST: 71-625738422 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP SPECIALISTS: L.C STEVENS 1-866-790-5700, EXTENSION 42721. *TR