2009 Pontiac G8

2009 Pontiac G8

GM has issued a voluntary recall on certain 2008 and 2009 Pontiac G8 sedans due to a potential safety issue concerning the cars’ front passenger airbag.

According to the automaker, new tests have shown that in a 30 mph crash the airbag doesn’t quite meet the latest federal standards for head-injury protection.

In particular, with the front passenger seat positioned fully forward, the seat position will cause a 30 milliseconds deployment delay between the first and second stages of the dual-stage front passenger airbag. In the event of a crash, this delay may result in increased head injury to certain front seat occupants.

Note, the recall only affects those models built from November 2, 2007, through January 22, 2009. In total there are some 38,444 affected vehicles in the U.S. alone.

Owners of the affected Pontiac G8 models should take their cars to their nearest GM dealership that can reprogram the sensing and diagnostic module for the airbag free of charge.

If you happen to own one of the affected vehicles, you can contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (reference recall campaign number 11V534000) or GM at 1-800-620-7668.