2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE Complaints

THE AIRBAG SENSOR UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT IS MALFUNCTIONING. "SERVICE AIR BAG" LIGHT IS COMMING ON IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE CARS AND HAPPENS BETWEEN 20K AND 50K MILES ON CAR WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND EXTREMELY UNSAFE FOR A PASSENGER IN A CONVERTIBLE. THIS REPAIR CAN COST UP TO $800. ON TOP OF THAT THERE ARE MANY DOCUMENTED CASES WHERE THE NEW SENSOR FAILED WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO OF BEING INSTALLED. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALLED PART. PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PUT IN HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS EVERY FEW YEARS JUST TO MAKE SURE THEIR LIVES ONES ARE SAFE!

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY GIRLFRIEND IN THE PASSENGER SEAT MY CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE OASSANGER AIR BAG TURNED OFF. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO THE SHOP THEY SAID THE PASSENGER AIR BAG SENSOR IN HE SEAT BROKE.

THE "SERVICE AIR BAG" INDICATOR IN THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER CAME ON DURING THE NORMAL COURSE OF DRIVING AND HAS REMAINED ON CONSTANTLY SINCE THAT TIME, APPROXIMATELY 12 MONTHS. THIS WAS NOT RELATED TO ANY ACCIDENT. DIAGNOSIS USING ON OBD SCAN TOOL WAS COMPLETED BY A REPUTABLE LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO INDICATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN SINCE, AT A MINIMUM, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG HAS BEEN COMPROMISED AND MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH DUE TO THIS FAULTY SEAT SENSOR. FURTHER RESEARCH COMPLETED BY MYSELF INDICATES THIS FAULTY PASSENGER SEAT SENSOR MAY BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE PONTIAC SOLSTICE AND SATURN SKY. THIS IS A RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE REPAIR ($800+) BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, AND THE ASSOCIATED REPAIR COSTS SHOULD NOT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSUMER TO CORRECT THIS SAFETY ISSUE.

DEFECTIVE AIR BAG SENSOR - CAUSES PASSENGER AIR BAG TO NOT FUNCTION, EVEN WHEN THERE IS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THAT CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE RADIATOR THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE GEARS WERE DIFFICULT TO SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 4/30/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. UPDATED 10/23/2015 *JS

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE RELEASE IS BROKEN AND NO LONGER CONNECTED TO RELEASE/OPEN DOOR IN VEHICLE. NOW ONLY WAY FOR DRIVER TO EXIT VEHICLE IS TO HAVE TO ROLL DOWN MY WINDOW-REACH OUTSIDE TO OPEN MY DOOR WITH OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE. SAFETY ISSUE, AS I CANNOT EXIT VEHICLE QUICKLY IN EMERGENCY AND ONLY CAN EXIT IF WINDOW IS DOWN. HAVE ASKED DEALER TO REPAIR MULTIPLE TIMES. HAVE BEEN TOLD PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER, AND STILL NOT AVAILABLE FROM GM. IT HAS BEEN OVER SIX MONTHS WITH THIS PROBLEM. IN SCANNING SOLSTICE INTERNET FORUMS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL ISSUE AMONG OWNERS. MY VEHICLE IS LOW MILEAGE, YET I CANNOT GET THE GM/PONTIAC DEALER TO SOLVE THE ISSUE. THEY CLAIM THEY ARE STILL AWAITING PARTS FROM GM. FORUM REFERENCE: HTTP://WWW.SOLSTICEFORUM.COM/FORUM/F12/DOOR-HANDLE-REPLACEMENT-HOW-69171/. *TR

PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG SENSOR FAILED ON VEHICLE OUT OF NOWHERE. I DO NOT CARRY PASSENGERS IN MY CAR YET THE SENSOR FAILED ON ME. I AM NOT THE FIRST TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT ACTUALLY SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN PONTIAC SOLSTICE'S AND IT'S SIMPLY DISHEARTENING TO SEE IT. HTTP://WWW.SOLSTICEFORUM.COM/FORUM/F12/PANSSENGER-AIRBAG-SENSOR-75353/ LOOK HOW FAR SOME OF US HAVE GONE TO ATTEMPT TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. FROM WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT CANNOT BE REPAIRED AND INSTEAD FORCES US TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SEAT CUSHION OUT OF POCKET. TO MAKE MATTERS WORST THE POINT OF FAILURE SEEMS TO LIE WITH GM. A DEFECTIVE SENSOR DESIGN HAS CAUSED A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF SOLSTICE OWNERS TO HAVE ISSUES. I DON'T THINK IT'S ACCEPTABLE TO MAKE US PAY UPWARDS OF $800 FOR REPAIRS ON SOMETHING THAT IS A COMMON FAILURE ON SO MANY OF THESE BEAUTIFUL CARS. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSORS FAILED AT 50,000 MILES, OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY TIME LIMIT. AS A SAFETY ISSUE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GM NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE IN GOOD FAITH. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING PASSENGER PRESENT SENSOR WHICH DETECTS THE WEIGHT OF A PASSENGER TO TURN THE AIRBAG ON OR OFF. THE COST WAS $885. I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT, SO I AM RIDING AROUND WITH NONOPERATIONAL AIRBAGS WITH A CAR WITH ONLY 34K. BASED ON PONTIAC SOLSTICE FORUMS, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH PONTIAC SOLSTICE, BUT NO RECALL TO FIX THIS OBVIOUS SAFETY FLAW. I WOULD BE GLAD TO SEND YOU A COPY OF THE DEALER INVOICE WITH THE ERROR CODES FROM 11/14/14. *TR

GOT IN ONE DAY AND THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON. NOW IT COMES ON AND DINGS AT ME EVERY DAY AND UNTIL I GET THIS FIXED, DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY SON TO SCHOOL.. *TR