2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE Complaints

GIRLFRIEND SAT IN PASSENGER SEAT AND A "SERVICE AIRBAG" LIGHT CAM ON MY INFO SCREEN. TURNED OFF AFTER A FEW SECONDS THEN TURNED BACK ON AND HAS BEEN ON SINCE. *TR

AFTER A HARD BRAKE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR STOPPED FINE WITH THE ABS BRAKES KICKING IN AS NEEDED. HOWEVER, AFTER THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, WE STARTED TO MOVE FORWARD, AND THE BRAKES WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION PROPERLY. AS IT CAME TIME TO STOP AGAIN, I PRESSED THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR, AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I THEN PROCEEDED TO ATTEMPT TO PUMP THE BRAKES, BUT BY THAT TIME, I WAS RIGHT UP ON THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, AND I REAR ENDED THAT VEHICLE RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO BOTH THAT CAR AND MINE. GIVEN THAT I ALWAYS HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES NOT SEEMING TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AFTER THE CAR SAT OVERNIGHT OR FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, I AM UNFORTUNATELY NOT SURPRISED THAT THIS HAPPENED. THE CAR SAT ALL DAY WHILE I WAS AT WORK ON A RELATIVELY COLD DAY FOR ME TO HAVE IT ON THE ROAD, AND I HADN'T USED THE BRAKES SINCE THE MORNING. JUST RECENTLY, THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON IN THE CAR, BUT AFTER TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ISSUE WAS SOMEHOW RELATED TO THE BATTERY (WHICH I SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED) AND THAT THERE WASN'T ANYTHING ACTUALLY WRONG WITH THE BRAKES, BUT NOW I AM THINKING THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. I OWN A 2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE GXP AND HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS. *TR

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 1 - 1.5 YRS. 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. *TR

ON A TRIP 6/14/14 HALF WAY TO MY DESTINATION, THERE WAS A LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHOWING A CAR/LOCK SYMBOL. I CHECKED ALL DOORS, TRUNK AND HOOD, ALL WERE CLOSED. APPX. 10 MILES LATER I FELT THE POWER SUDDENLY STALL. THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER AND GAS GAGE WERE ALL GOING UP AND DOWN. THE FUEL LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED A WARNING SIGNAL. ALL SYSTEM LIGHTS WERE FLASHING ON AND OFF. I PULLED OVER AND WAITED FOR A FEW MINUTES. IN ABOUT ONE MINUTE THE LOCK SYMBOL CAME ON AGAIN. AS I PROCEEDED THE SAME GAUGES STARTED TO GO CRAZY. ON APPROACHING MY TURNOFF, I EASED OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND STARTED TO APPLY BRAKES. ABOUT MID-BRAKE, THE BRAKES SUDDENLY LOCKED AND I WAS JOLTED. THE FOLLOWING 2 STOPS WERE A REPEAT. I DROVE HOME NEXT DAY AT ABOUT 35 MPH. A NORMAL TRIP OF 2 1/2 HOURS TOOK OVER 4 BUT I WAS AFRAID OF HAVING THE BRAKES LOCK ON ME. THE LOCAL GM DEALER WAS CONTACTED FOR RECALL. IT TOOK FROM MID-JUNE TO SEPT. 12 FOR THE PARTS TO COME IN AND BE INSTALLED. THE TRIP HOME WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR THE KEY BEING VERY HARD TO TURN. ON 9/22 I HAD TO MAKE AN APPROX. 400 MILE TRIP. FEELING ASSURED THAT ALL PROBLEMS HAD BEEN FIXED, I DROVE THE NORMAL SPEED LIMIT. UPON REACHING MY FIRST DESTINATION THE BRAKE SEEMED TO STOP SHARPLY. BELIEVING THAT I WAS JUST OVERLY CONCERNED I CONTINUED TO MY 2ND DESTINATION. ABOUT 20 MILES LATER LOCK LIGHT TURNED ON FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY THE OTHER MONITORED SYSTEM LIGHTS FLASHING. THE BRAKES LOCKED AS SOON AS I APPLIED PRESSURE. I WAS UNABLE TO USE MY CELL OR ON-STAR. I WENT TO THE NEAREST GM DEALER IN PUEBLO. I HAD NO MONEY TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. I WAS TOLD BY THE SAME SERVICE AGENT THAT HAD CHANGED DEALERSHIPS THAT I WOULD BE SAFE AS LONG AS I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING "WILD". I MADE THE SAME 4 + HOUR TRIP. AS I REACHED MY HOME THE CAR WAS BREAKING BY ITSELF. REPLACING THE RECALLED PART DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. A RECALL ON THE RECALL? *TR

SERVICE AIR BAG IN DIC TURNED ON AND AIRBAG LIGHT INDICATOR FOR PASSENGER SEAT TURNED OFF WHILE THE AUTO WAS ZERO (0) SPEED, DRIVER'S SEAT AND PASSENGER'S SEAT WERE BOTH OCCUPIED . THIS IS A DESPICABLE DESIGN ERROR AS WELL AS A REAL WORLD OPERATIONAL FLAW, A POTENTIALLY FATAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT THOUSANDS OF SOLSTICE OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING AND THAT THOUSANDS MORE WILL EXPERIENCE. HOW MANY FATALITIES MUST THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ENDURE BEFORE GM ACCEPTS FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND FINALLY, HOWEVER RELUCTANTLY, COWARDLY, IMMORALLY, AND DECEITFULLY , CORRECT THIS QUINTESSENTIALLY DEATH TRAP VEHICLE? *TR

AIRBAG SERVICE REQUIRED DTC. PROBLEM IS WITH THE PPS SYSTEM IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. PROBLEM HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED FOR THESE CARS, AS WELL AS, OTHER GM PRODUCTS. THIS CONDITION EFFECTIVELY RENDERS THE AIRBAG PROTECTION OF THE PASSENGER SEAR INOPERATIVE EVEN IF THE SEAT IS OCCUPIED. GM IS AWARE THE PROBLEM AND THEIR DEALERS WANT APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN $800 AND $1,000 TO REPLACE THE FAILED SEAT COMPONENTS. THEY FAIL BECAUSE THE DESIGN IS FAULTY IN THAT THE SENSOR PAD SENSOR CONDUCTIVE PATHWAYS SUFFER BREAKAGE. THE FORUM BLOG FOR OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM IS AN EXCELLENT SOURCE, INCLUDING PICTURES OF THE COMPONENT FAILURE AND POOR DESIGN, THAT CAN BE FOUND AT HTTP://WWW.SOLSTICEFORUM.COM/FORUM/F12/PASSENGER-AIRBAG-SENSOR-75353/ . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE APP SENSOR MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECREASED IN SPEED TO 15 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE AND THE POWER TRAIN COMPUTER MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

2008 PONTIAC SOLSTICE. CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR IGNITION SWITCH REPAIRS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. *JB

IGNITION REPAIR IS STILL PENDING PARTS 6 MONTHS AFTER RECALL IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR SAFETY ISSUE. DAY FOR DAY PENALTY SHOULD BE IMPOSED ON GM FOR UNACCEPTABLE DELAY IS COMPLETING RECALL REPAIR. *TR