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Pontiac G5Model year report

2009 Pontiac G5 Problems

Complaints
76filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
70,050miles, 63 complaints with mileage
Recalls
5campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
29 mpgcombined, 2.2L 4-cyl FWD · 25 city / 35 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Pontiac G5 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2009 Pontiac G5 most often report two things: a gasoline smell and visible fuel leaks from lines near the rear of the car, and sudden loss of power steering assist. Fuel complaints tend to appear at higher mileage, while steering and ignition complaints show up early, sometimes under 15,000 miles. Many complaints note that the car was outside a related recall because of its VIN.

  1. Fuel system

    Fuel line and fuel pump leaks (gas smell, dripping fuel)

    • 28 complaints (37%)
    • median 98,500 mi at 9.8 yrs old (24 state mileage)
    • filed 2011–2021

    Owners describe a strong gasoline odor inside or around the car, often from the rear or driver's side rear, along with visible dripping or steady flow of fuel near the rear wheel, the fuel pump, or under the engine while running. Several say a mechanic traced it to a corroded or cracked fuel feed/return line or a cracked fuel pump housing, sometimes where a retaining clip or insulation tape held moisture against the line. Complaints frequently note that the dealer checked the VIN and said the car was not covered by the fuel-system recall, and some report paying for the repair themselves. Mostly reported between roughly 60,000 and 175,000 miles, with many above 90,000 miles, and often noticed after the car is shut off or while idling.

    Recall 12V4590003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the fuel lines, pump, and tank area have been inspected or replaced, and check the VIN against recall 12V459000 since many owners report being excluded. Look for a fuel smell around the rear wheel wells and any wet spots under the car after it has been running.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Fuel line is leaking underneath,behind drivers door & in front of rear wheel.along with the chevy cobalt (the equivalent to my Pontiac G5), this an all too common problem as I have research numerous complaints of this same leak from the same location. This is a potential fire hazard & I am having difficulty finding the replacement fuel lines.”

    NHTSA complaint #11132019, filed 2018-09, 65,750 miles

    “I went in to get an oil change done for my car and one of the workers said that they had to stop because they were smelling gas coming from the driver side rear of my car. I then later find out that my car has a fuel line leak. I did some research and found that my car has not been the only one as it also happens to chevy cobalts, which my car is pretty much a copy of.”

    NHTSA complaint #11113910, filed 2018-07, 122,000 miles
  2. Electrical system

    Ignition key stuck or engine won't shut off

    • 13 complaints (17%)
    • median 55,907 mi at 3.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • filed 2010–2020

    Owners report the key binding in the ignition so it will not turn to Off, leaving the engine running until the battery is disconnected, or the key not turning to start at all and the car needing a tow. Several say the dealer lubed or replaced the lock cylinder or key solenoid, and some describe a shop saying this is a common problem on this model. Others mention electrical problems after ignition recall work, such as turn signals not shutting off or a battery drain. Reported across a wide range, from about 4,000 to 137,000 miles, with a number of cases between 10,000 and 55,000 miles.

    Recall 14V171000Recall 14V0470002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check that the key turns freely to Start, On, and Off without binding, and ask whether recalls 14V171000 and 14V047000 were completed and whether the ignition cylinder or key has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Key will not turn vehicle off in 2009 Pontiac g-5 battery must be disconnected to shut down vehicle. Key solenoid replaced. Dealership service writer informed me very common problem and that I was third such person in two days with the exact same problem in chevy cobalt/Pontiac g-5.”

    NHTSA complaint #10405478, filed 2011-06, 49,960 miles

    “The engine would not shut off we had to disconnect the battery to shut the engine off then the key would not come out of the ignition we have another car the same model and year and it did the same thing two months ago and it was covered under a recall they claim this one is not.”

    NHTSA complaint #10455381, filed 2012-04, 51,503 miles
  3. Steering

    Power steering assist cuts out suddenly

    • 12 complaints (16%)
    • median 23,234 mi at 3.5 yrs old (10 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2008–2019

    Owners describe the power steering warning light coming on and steering effort jumping to very heavy, sometimes mid-turn or at highway speed, and occasionally returning after the car is shut off and restarted. Some report the dealer replacing the steering column for a rattle, and others say the dealer told them their VIN was not covered by the electric power steering recall. Complaints include near-misses and one reported crash after steering assist was lost. Reported from as low as 4,000 miles up to about 75,000 miles, with several cases under 35,000 miles.

    Recall 10V0730002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether recall 10V073000 (electric power steering) was performed on this VIN. During a test drive, note whether the power steering light stays off and whether steering effort stays consistent through turns.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving 30 MPH and the steering mechanism went out. It affected my ability to control turning my vehicle. It is not safe to drive. I checked online to find out that many cars including my cars year, make, and model are being recalled. I contacted my local dealer who informed me that my VIN has not been recalled as of yet. Please advise as soon as possible.”

    NHTSA complaint #10992798, filed 2017-06, 75,000 miles

    “My daughter was driving north on tulls creek road in moyock, mc just north of poyner road when she lost the ability to steer the car and went off into a ditch causing minor injuries and extensive damage to the car. I didn't much about her reasoning until reading about the recent recalll on the ignition switch issue.”

    NHTSA complaint #10598037, filed 2014-06, 26,468 miles
  4. Air bags

    Airbag warning light on and airbags not deploying

    • 9 complaints (12%)
    • median 48,500 mi at 5.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2010–2025

    Owners describe a persistent service-airbag light or passenger-airbag-off message, sometimes with the dealer saying it found nothing wrong or had no recall information. Several complaints report airbags not deploying in front or side impacts at moderate speeds, and a few note the car had not yet received the airbag-related recall repair. Reported from around 10,000 to 137,000 miles, with many between 38,000 and 55,000 miles.

    Recall 14V047000

    What to check: Turn the key to On and confirm the airbag light goes out after the bulb check, and that the passenger airbag indicator reads correctly with someone in the seat. Ask whether recall 14V047000 was performed on this VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “For the last couple months the check air bag light comes on and won't go off. I took to dealership and they said that they have no recall information on it. Not sure where to go after that. Also I had a recall for transmission and they said its not the recall. My transmission went out. So that cost a lot of money out of my pocket. Just wondering where to go from here?”

    NHTSA complaint #10923800, filed 2016-11, 90,000 miles

    “I was t-boned and the airbag did not deploy. I had numerous indications from the instrument panel to check the airbags since I bought the car in 2009 and at least three times I took the car to two different dealerships and they checked and said they could not find anything wrong.”

    NHTSA complaint #10567591, filed 2014-03, 38,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the fuel lines and pump area for leaks or a fuel smell, and confirm which of the open recalls (fuel system, electric power steering, ignition, airbags) have actually been completed on the specific VIN. Expect steering, ignition, and airbag-related complaints to show up at lower mileage than the fuel leaks.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 76 consumer complaints for the 2009 Pontiac G5. 63 of the complaints include a mileage, and 33% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 70,050 miles. Of all complaints, 9 involved a crash, 5 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 947 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Engine cooling (1), Interior lighting (1), Tires (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Fuel system: “Gas is leaking (fairly steady flow) near rear driver-side tire when engine is running, in park or drive, stops leaking once car is off. This appears like it should be covered by #12191b, but according to GM my VIN is not in system as being covered. Gm will not cover unless I take care in for diagnostics. I wont take car in for diagnostics since it could catch fire until I know that it will be covered. Vehicle has a little over 100k miles.”

NHTSA complaint #10960387, filed 2017-03, 105,000 miles

Electrical system: “On today's date my ignition was stuck preventing me from starting my vehicle I check to make sure it was in park and giggled the steering wheel as advised but my ignition would not turn.”

NHTSA complaint #10474166, filed 2012-09, 76,000 miles

Steering: “The power steering warning light comes on and there is a sudden loss of power steering assist. You will just be driving down the road, city street or interstate and the car will ding, the power steering light comes on and you are without power steering. The previous 2 times, my son stated he was able to pull to the side of the interstate, turn the vehicle off, wait a few minutes, turn it back on and it was fine. That is not the case since 2/10/2016, there is no power steering. There is a recall for this year, make and model but I am told it is not under the recall. How is that possible? …”

NHTSA complaint #10836680, filed 2016-02, 94,000 miles

Air bags: “While waiting for the recall parts to come in for my Pontiac I was the victim in a head on collision in which my air bags failed to deploy. The speed of impact was between 35-40 MPH when I hit head on. At my doctor visit I was diagnosed with severe whiplash in which I had to take time off of work as well. I wanted to bring this defect to your attention in case you can fix this defect before there are any other victims involved. …”

NHTSA complaint #10587127, filed 2014-05, 48,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

33% of the 63 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 40,000 and 96,000 miles.

10%0–1010%10–2514%25–5017%50–7525%75–10019%100–1505%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (63 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 70,050 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’08’10’1217’15’17’19’21’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2009 Pontiac G5. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
G5 · coupe FWDnot rated4 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2009 Pontiac G5 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
G5 FWD2.2L 4-cyl5-speed manual253529$2,300
G5 FWD2.2L 4-cyl4-speed automatic243327$2,500
G5 GT FWD2.2L 4-cyl5-speed manual253529$2,300
G5 GT FWD2.2L 4-cyl4-speed automatic233226$2,600
G5 XFE FWD2.2L 4-cyl5-speed manual253730$2,250

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2009 Pontiac G5 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 947 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 947 bulletins →

Other model years of the Pontiac G5

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20097670,0505—29Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
200811570,5004—29Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable
200718870,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Pontiac G5 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Pontiac G5?

Owners of the 2009 Pontiac G5 most often report two things: a gasoline smell and visible fuel leaks from lines near the rear of the car, and sudden loss of power steering assist. The issues reported most often: Fuel line and fuel pump leaks (gas smell, dripping fuel); Ignition key stuck or engine won't shut off; Power steering assist cuts out suddenly.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Pontiac G5 have?

NHTSA recorded 76 consumer complaints for the 2009 Pontiac G5 as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Pontiac G5 is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 32 complaints (42% of the total), followed by electrical system with 22.

Has the 2009 Pontiac G5 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2009 Pontiac G5 get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Pontiac G5 (G5, 2.2L 4-cyl) at 29 mpg combined, 25 city and 35 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,300 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2009 Pontiac G5 reported?

Among the 63 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 70,050 miles and the middle half falls between 40,000 and 96,000 miles; 33% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.