10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 5 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 7 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 35,391 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
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« Read the previous 20 complaints
I am not sure if I already reported this on your site. Several years ago, roughly 2011 with vehicle mileage probably around 20,000 miles the 'airbag' warning light came on, indicating that the airbag was inoperable. The light has stayed until this whole time and now the vehicle has just under 47,000 miles on it.
- Spring Hill, FL, USA
This is on a 2007 Pontiac Solstice base model, currently with 49,801 miles. This vehicle was not involved in any accidents. The red indicator light for the air bag just came on last week and a message to "service air bag" also came on the dash panel. At the time, there was a driver and passenger in the car. In addition, the passenger air bag indicator light now, always shows "off", even when an adult passenger is sitting in the seat. This has always worked properly in the past, I.e. showing an "on" light when a passenger was seated. This indicates that when a passenger is in the vehicle, there is no working air bag in the event of an accident. This violates the mandated vehicle safety requirements. Based on the many documented complaints I've read, this is a clear defect from the manufacturer.
- Cocoa Beach, FL, USA
Had the vehicle since 2007. Seldom carried a passenger. Started carrying a passenger on a regular bases summer 2015. Eleven months later the airbag light came on. Didn't bother to fix it because they wanted over $800. My car just failed the Virginia state inspection on 1/16/2017 because of the airbag light. Now I'm forced to get this fixed. Searched online for a solution and discovered that the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn sky have a high failure rate for the small amount of cars that were even manufactured. The issue is with my passenger sensor which does not register if someone is sitting in the seat. Everyone seems sure that the passenger airbag will not deploy when the airbag light is lit but nobody could verify if the driver's airbag is also disabled because of this issue.
- Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Passenger air bag sensor located in the seat cushion failure !! please help us !! there are alot of failures !!! car was in motion. My car is now worth a $1'000 dollars and not safe to drive !!!
- Bradenton, FL, USA
Hundreds of Pontiac Solstice, Saturn sky, opel GT (whether turbo or not) experience, just like myself, SRS faults that turn off all airbags in the car. When I say Solstice, I mean all the kappa platform, 2 seater, sports cars. Due to, the passenger pressure sensor in the seat that tears. After the pressure sensor is broken, the gauge cluster shows a code: Service airbag system. This disables all the airbags in the vehicle, including the driver's steering wheel airbag. Many other vehicles have this same problem recalled. As a community of Solstice owners, we believe that our cars are not recalled because there were less Solstice's produced. And of the cars that were produced, many are in storage and/or have very very low miles (which the pressure sensors will only break under fatiguing of the passenger entering and exiting the vehicle) because of being a rare sports car. The earliest recorded date of this being an issue is in 2008, which the Solstice came out in 2006. We have no option but to pay near 700$ to replace the sensor, which is just as prone to failing as the one that they originally installed. A few owners have tried to hard wire the system to have all airbags operational all the time, however they have not succeed. Mine, along with many other Solstice owners are driving on the road with non functional SRS because of this. Which will potentially hurt or kill the driver. This issue happens no matter if stationary, in motion, on a city street or a highway, turning, braking, etc. After the sensor breaks, the SRS is completely disabled, whether moving or sitting still. I and the rest of the Solstice community sincerely hope NHTSA will consider requiring GM to replace and/or repair the passenger airbag pressure sensor. Not all owners have the money to replace it immediately. I have attached a picture of a broken passenger pressure sensor.
- Parma, OH, USA
There is a known issue with the passenger seat airbag sensor. My car only has 73,000 miles on it, and the passenger seat is seldom used. The sensor failed and now the passenger air bag is inoperative. A 20 pound laptop bag was all that was on the seat when this failure occurred. I can no longer carry a passenger in my car.
- St Calir Shores, MI, USA
Passenger airbag sensor broken/defective. I started the car one morning and the "service air bag" came on. I took it to a mechanic, who said the seat sensor in the passenger seat is broken. He told me it was a common problem for this model, and advised me to file this complaint.
- Salinas, CA, USA
Air bag light on passenger seat?
- Castalian Springs, TN, USA
Passenger seat airbag not working due to failed passenger seat sensor (pps - passenger presence system)
- Lake Worth, FL, USA
The passenger occupancy sensor failed at about 47,000 miles.
- Gig Harbor, WA, USA
The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Solstice. While stationary and driving various speeds, the air bag indicator remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 33,000....updated 12/28/16 the dealer replaced the ppm module in the passenger seat. Updated 01/04/17.
- Wildwood, MO, USA
The contact owns a 2007 Pontiac Solstice. Whenever there was a passenger in the front seat, the air bag indicator failed to illuminate. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
- Oceanside, NY, USA
After normal city driving for about 10 minutes on August 20th, 2016 with a passenger in the car, the car's dic displayed "service air bag" and chimed. The passenger airbag indicator switched from "on" to "off". my wife was in the passenger seat, sitting normally. At the time, the vehicle was traveling roughly 45 mph in 4th gear on a highway. We did not hit any pothole or similar impact immediately prior to the issue. Everything operated normally otherwise. It is my understanding that at least the passenger airbag will no longer operate. Nucar Chevrolet in new castle, de was unsure as to whether both driver and passenger airbags are no longer operating or if only the passenger no longer operates. The failure occurred while driving with a passenger and the car is in otherwise fantastic mechanical condition. This means that regardless of how well I take care of my car, or how careful I am with its safety devices, if I had been involved in an accident on that particular trip my wife's airbag would not have functioned. The warning indicating that my wife's airbag was not operating did not show up until we had already been driving for 10 minutes. I immediately drove home to drop her off, but for those tense moments she was not safe.
- Bear, DE, USA
While parked and idling, my 110 pd. Wife sat in the passenger seat and the "service airbag" indicator message came on the message center and the "airbag warning" light is now on the dashboard "passenger airbag off" light is lit. Based on research on this site and a local GM dealer, this is a universal problem with the "ppm" module in the seat. Because of the failure of this part, the passenger is not protected in the event of a crash. My vehicle has less than 28,000 miles on it.
- Franklin, OH, USA
IN 2015 I HAD MY OIL CHANGED AT THE LOCAL GM DEALER, AND THE CHECK AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON IN MY DASH WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE WOULD "LOOK INTO" THIS AND CALL ME BACK AT PH [XXX]. I HAD TO LATER CALL. THE AIR BAG SENSOR IN MY VEHICLE FAILED WITHIN A MONTH AFTER THE GM BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY EXPIRED. MY LOCAL GM DEALER TELLS ME THIS IS VERY COMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION, TRYING TO GET GET A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THEN THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT HONOR AS TIME EXPIRED. NOW AS THEY WANT ALMOST A THOUSAND DOLLARS, MY PASSENGER IS IN DIRE RISK OF THE EMINENT DANGER OF AN INJURY IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS, AND I AM IN A POSITION OF RISK. I WAS INFORMED GM KNEW OF THE AIRBAG FAILURES THAT WERE OCCURRING ON 2007 GM MODELS. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
- Pinellas Park, FL, USA
The indicator screen on the dash board is reading service airbag required. There is also a message reading passenger airbag off. Vehicle was parked in driveway when messages appeared.
- Boonton Twp., NJ, USA
Passenger airbag sensor failed with passenger in vehicle disabling airbag system
- Chalfont, PA, USA
07 - gxp currently 46K miles. I turn my car on one day after cleaning it at home and I am greeted with a message on my display saying service air bag and four rapid audible chimes. That passenger seat never had anyone more than the weight of an average human on it. This is a safety concern for any passenger in my vehicle yet I am forced to deal with it unless I fork over close to $1000 at the dealer. Other vehicle makes have been rewarded a recall for similar issues, but not for Pontiac/Saturn!!! come on! it's not our fault they phased out. I am afraid to have a passenger in my car in fear of their safety. I used to love having a passenger with me with the top down enjoying life and the fun of this car - as it was built for. Fix this mess please....for all of us Solstice/sky owners and future owners. Thank you!
- Orlando, FL, USA
The bag in this car was already worked on for a recall that I believe involved a switch. Now it appears that the car is no longer sensing the passenger. No matter that well over 100 pounds is in the passenger seat, the passenger air bag remains off.
- Harrisburg, NC, USA
- Myrtle Beach, SC, USA