2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE Complaints

PASSENGER PRESENCE AIRBAG SENSOR FAILED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT IS A THIN SENSOR MAT AND THE BREAK IN THE COPPER IS VERY CLEAR TO SEE. *TR

AN ERROR MESSAGE IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER INDICATES THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG REQUIRES SERVICE. THE DASH LIGHT INDICATES THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG IS OFF EVEN WHEN SOMEONE WEIGHING MORE THAN 150 LBS. IS SITTING IN THE SEAT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER MAT SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WITH A PASSENGER AND SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON THE DIC. TOOK SOLSTICE IN TO BUICK, PONTIAC, GMC DEALER, FOR IGNITION RECALL AND PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT DIAGNOSED AS A BAD PASSENGER PRESSENCE SENSOR. ESTIMATED REPLACEMENT CHARGE OF $850. CHARGED $120 FOR DIAGNOSIS. SEARCHING ONLINE FORUMS SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON OCCURENCE DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGNED SEAT SENSOR. OWNERS ARE PAYING FOR THE REPLACEMENT ONLY FOR THE PART TO BREAK AGAIN. MAKING THIS A $970 REPAIR (DIAGNOSIS + PARTS + LABOR). PLEASE EXPEDITE A RECALL, BECAUSE THIS MAKES THIS TWO SEAT CONVERTIBLE, A ONE PERSON CAR! *TR UPDATED 10/9/2014 *JS

DEALER DIAGNOSED WARNING LIGHT TO FAULTY AIR BAG SENSOR, PART #19124219 AND QUOTED OVER $800 TO FIX. QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON AND KNOWN ISSUE, BUT AS OF YET NO RECALL ISSUED. GIVEN THE VAST NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, AND THE FACT THIS IS DIRECTLY TIED TO SAFETY ISSUE, ITS APPALLING THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RECTIFY THE KNOWN ISSUE. I'M GOING TO BUY AND INSTALL THE PART MYSELF, WHICH WILL STILL COST $400 BUT WILL ENSURE THAT THE VEHICLE MEETS THE SAFETY STANDARDS IT WAS DESIGNED AND TESTED FOR. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES IT TAKE BEFORE ANY ACTION IS TAKEN? *TR

I AM PART OF THE GM IGNITION RECALL... AND HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH NOW ON HOW IT MAY BE TIED TO THE AIRBAG ISSUE I SEEM TO BE HAVING. THE WARNING THAT MY AIRBAGS DO NOT WORK AND NEED TO BE SERVICED KEEPS COMING UP. (SO I AM DRIVING WITH NO AIRBAGS ACCORDING TO MY DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT, BUT OF COURSE THERE IS NO RECALL!!). *TR

PURCHASED THIS CAR USED 2/4/14 FROM A LOCAL REPUTABLY DEALER.THIS 06 SOLSTICE SHOWED ONLY 36998 MILES AND HAD A CLEAN CAR FAX REPORT. HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR ONLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED MILES DUE TO THE FOLLOWING . THE FEW TIMES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN THERE SEEMS TO BE A GRINDING NOISE IN THE REAR END ONLY AT LOW SPEED AND ONLY WHILE TURNING ,MOSTLY PARKING LOT SPEED .THE CAR WILL GRIND AND "VIOLENT SNATCH" AS IF SOMETHING IS BINDING OR CATCHING. THE LOCAL MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A DEFECT IN CLUTCHES OF THE REAR END ON THESE MODELS (06) AND THAT GM SHOULD HAVE REPAIRED IT A LONG TIME AGO .WELL, APPARENTLY MINE WAS NOT .ADDED THE REQUIRED GM ADDITIVE TO THE REAR ,BUT CAR CONTINUES TO GRIND.I HAVE READ MANY HORROR STORIES ON LINE FROM OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THERE REAR WHEELS" LOCKING UP "AT SPEED AND CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL IN THESE CARS (.I AM NOT ABOUT TO LET MY WIFE EVER DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN.) PROBLEM #(2) I THOUGHT WAS INSIGNIFICANT UNTIL I SAW THIS CAR WAS RECALLED LAST WEEK ,AND NOW MY EXPERIENCE MAKES SENSE. NOT ONLY WILL THESE SWITCHES SHUT OFF DURING OPERATING THEY WILL ALSO UNINTENTIONALLY START DUE TO WEAK DETENTE IN SWITCH. ( NO HARM NO FOUL )...SO FAR....PROBLEM#3 MY PASS SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT ON THIS CAR WORKS ABOUT HALF THE TIME. MEANING THE PASS SIDE BAG IS ACTIVE AND OPERATING ABOUT HALF THE TIME.(MY DAUGHTER HAS HAD HER LAST RIDE AS WELL) THE REAL PROBLEM HERE IS THAT I STILL OWE 14000 ON A CAR THAT LOOKS GREAT BUT CAN'T BE SAFELY DRIVEN . THIS PURCHASE IS MY FIRST SINCE BANKRUPTCY 2 YRS AGO ,AND IT LOOKS AS IF I WILL BE GIVING IT BACK TO THE FINANCE COMPANY AND WILL BE OUT MY 2000 DOLLARS DOWN PAYMENT. AFTER PURCHASING THIS CAR I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THESE PROBLEMS I AM HAVING ,HAVE BEEN AN ONGOING FOR GM.WHY ARE THEY STILL OUT THERE BEING SOLD TO THE CONSUMER? AND TO THINK I CHEERED WHEN GM WAS BAILED OUT!! BLAME GOES TO ME FOR TRUSTING GM? *TR

ON THE SOLSTICE WEBSITE THERE ARE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE PASSENGER PRESENT SENSOR FAILS. THE HAVE AIRBAG SERVICED WARNING LIGHT IS ON. PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IS OFF WHEN A PASSENGER IS PRESENT. THIS MEANS MY PASSENGER IS NOT PROTECTED BY THE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I RECEIVED A LETTER ON THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND HOW IMPORTANT (BOLDED AND UNDERSCORED) THAT IT WAS TO CONTACT THE DEALER AND GET THE REPORT COMPLETED. HOWEVER THE DEALER WON'T TAKE AN APPOINT BECAUSE THE PARTS ARE NOT IN. THE THINKS NEXT WEEK, BUT NOW HE SAID I'D NEED ANOTHER LETTER FROM GM BEFORE I CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. ALSO THE GM GUY WON'T SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT EVEN IF HE HAS THE PARTS IN. IF I WANT TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINT FOR A DATE NEXT WEEK I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE SERVICE -- LIKE AN OIL CHANGE TO SECURE THAT DAY/TIME. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIFIC TO THE RECALL AND THEY SAID THAT PARTS SHOULD BE AT THE DEAL IN ABOUT A WEEK AND LIKELY RECEIVE A SECOND LETTER. SO NOW THAT I'VE WASTED AN HOUR OF TIME GOING THRU ALL THE STEPS THE FIRST LETTER ASKS, I'M GOING TO BE DRIVING A "DANGEROUS VEHICLE", UNTIL I GET A LETTER -- REGARDLESS OF THE PARTS ARE IN. BUT -- IF I PAY FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICE I WILL BE GRANTED AN APPOINTMENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WOULD NOT PROPERLY SENSE WHEN A OCCUPANT WAS UTILIZING THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. THE CHECK AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED SPORADICALLY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER PRESENCE MODULE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, DECLINED TO OFFER A REMEDY TO REPAIR THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,600. UPDATED 05/19/14 MA..UPDATED 06/10/14 *BF UPDATED 06/16/2014 *JS