Australian-built rear-drive sedan on Holden Commodore platform. Solid powertrain bones, but known for AFM lifter failures on V8s, transmission cooler line leaks, and suspension bushing wear. Parts availability declining as platform ages.
AFM Lifter Failure (V8 engines)
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Loud ticking/tapping from engine on cold start that may not go away, Check engine light with P0300-series misfire codes, Loss of power, rough idle, dead cylinder
Fix: Active Fuel Management (AFM/DoD) lifters collapse due to oil pressure issues or debris. Requires cam and lifter replacement at minimum; many shops recommend AFM delete kit with tune. 12-18 labor hours depending on additional damage. Often find worn camshaft lobes requiring full top-end rebuild.
Estimated cost: $3,500-7,000
Transmission Cooler Line Leaks
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission fluid dripping near radiator or under driver side, Low fluid warnings or erratic shifting, Pink/red fluid puddles under vehicle
Fix: Steel cooler lines corrode where they connect to radiator and at crimped fittings. Line rupture leads to rapid fluid loss and transmission failure. Replace both lines plus external cooler refresh. 2-4 hours labor. Catch early or expect transmission rebuild.
Estimated cost: $400-800
Rear Differential Bushing Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 70,000-110,000 mi
Symptoms: Clunking on acceleration or deceleration, Vibration through chassis at highway speeds, Visible movement of differential housing under load
Fix: Front diff mount and carrier bushings deteriorate, especially with V8 torque. Requires subframe drop to access properly. Polyurethane upgrades available but increase NVH. 4-6 hours labor with alignment.
Estimated cost: $600-1,200
Control Arm Bushing Wear (Front & Rear)
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Wandering steering, loose feel on highway, Clunking over bumps, Uneven tire wear, alignment won't hold
Fix: Multi-link suspension uses numerous rubber bushings that deteriorate with age and abuse. Rear trailing arm bushings especially problematic. Budget for full suspension refresh if buying high-mileage. 6-10 hours for comprehensive job with alignment.
Estimated cost: $1,200-2,000
Fuel Pump Control Module Failure
Occasional · high severity
Symptoms: No-start condition, cranks but won't fire, Intermittent stalling, usually when hot, Fuel pump not priming on key-on
Fix: Module mounted on fuel tank fails due to heat and vibration. Often misdiagnosed as fuel pump itself. Module replacement: 1.5-2 hours. If pump also replaced while tank is down, add $300-500.
Estimated cost: $400-700
Timing Chain Stretch (3.6L V6)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 120,000-180,000 mi
Symptoms: Rattling on cold start for 2-3 seconds, Check engine light with cam/crank correlation codes (P0008, P0014), Poor fuel economy, loss of power
Fix: High-feature V6 uses four chains; primary chains stretch with age. Requires front-cover-off procedure, replace all chains, guides, tensioners, and phasers. 10-14 hours labor. Preventive maintenance: change oil every 5k miles religiously.
Estimated cost: $2,800-4,200
Water Pump Failure (All engines)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 80,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Coolant weeping from weep hole below pump, Squealing or grinding from front of engine, Overheating, low coolant warnings
Fix: Factory pumps last 80-100k typically. Replace with thermostat and hoses while in there. V6: 3-4 hours. V8: 2-3 hours (easier access). Failure can contaminate oil if internal seal goes.
Estimated cost: $500-900
Owner tips
V8 buyers: disable AFM immediately with tuner or budget for lifter replacement — it's when, not if
Inspect transmission cooler lines during every oil change; surface rust is terminal cancer here
Use full synthetic oil, 5W-30 minimum, change every 5,000 miles — these engines hate extended intervals
Check rear diff fluid every 30k; factory fill often shows metal flake early
Source parts from Australian Holden suppliers or aftermarket — GM discontinued many OE parts
Buy a low-mileage GT or GXP if you can wrench and AFM-delete immediately; otherwise the V6 is more reliable but boring — either way, factor $2k+ for deferred suspension work on anything over 80k miles.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
Fitment notes: Battery located in trunk on passenger side
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Every control module on the 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 — where it lives, replacement time, and what it takes to program a replacement. Modules marked dealer / factory tool won't work after a part swap alone — budget for programming.
⚠️ Optional equipment; sensor calibration may be needed
Headlamp Control Module (HCM)0.5 hr R&Rno coding
📍 Behind headlight assembly, each side
⚠️ Controls HID ballast and auto-leveling on equipped models; plug-and-play
Aftermarket tool coverage varies by software version and vehicle build — treat "aftermarket tool" rows as "usually possible" and verify against your tool maker's coverage list before promising a customer. Spot a wrong location or hour? Tell us — corrections ship fast here.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles manufactured October 15, 2010, to October 22, 2013, and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles manufactured July 25, 2007, to February 18, 2009. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cables that connect the seat belts to the vehicle at the outside of the driver seat and the front passenger seat may be bent from being sat on while entering the vehicle. This repeated bending may result in the cable breaking.
Consequence: If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt tensioner assembly which includes the steel cable, free of charge. These replacement parts reposition the tensioner cable out of the path of entry into the vehicle and uses a more flexible cable, set at a more upright angle. The recall began on July 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 15206.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION · 14V540000
2014-09-09
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice vehicles manufactured October 15, 2010, to December 6, 2013, and 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles manufactured July 25, 2007, to February 18, 2009. In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position could cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the key blade from the original flip key/RKE transmitter assemblies, and cut and fit a revised key blade and housing assembly, in which the blade has been indexed by 90 degrees, to the original RKE transmitter assembly. GM issued an interim notification to owners on December 31, 2014. The recall began on February 4, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14445. Note: Until the recall has been performed, it is very important that drivers adjust their seat and steering column to allow clearance between their knee and the ignition key.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE · 11V534000
2011-11-04
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 PONTIAC G8 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 2, 2007 THROUGH JANUARY 22, 2009. A 5TH PERCENTILE FEMALE ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICE (ATD) IN A 30 MPH FRONTAL BARRIER TEST EXCEEDED THE HEAD INJURY CRITERIA (HIC) REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD. WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT POSITIONED FULL FORWARD, THE SEAT POSITION SENSOR WILL CAUSE A 30 MILLISECONDS DEPLOYMENT DELAY BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND STAGES OF THE DUAL-STAGE FRONTAL PASSENGER AIR BAG.
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THIS DELAY MAY RESULT IN INCREASED HEAD INJURY TO CERTAIN FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS.
Remedy: GM DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 30, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE · 09V172000
2009-05-21
GM IS RECALLING 35,038 MY 2008-2009 PONTIAC G8 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT" AND FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS". THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE BRAKE LAMPS MAY BE CONTINUALLY ILLUMINATED AND FAIL TO WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING. ALSO CERTAIN VEHICLES MAY HAVE INCORRECT VALUES PROGRAMMED INTO THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM THAT WILL NOT ILLUMINATE THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE TELLTALE UNTIL TIRE PRESSURE FALLS BELOW VALUES REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
Consequence: INAPPROPRIATE, NON-STANDARD LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR DRIVING ON A SIGNIFICANTLY UNDER-INFLATED TIRE CAUSES THE TIRE TO OVERHEAT AND CAN LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE BRAKE POSITION SENSOR AND THE REMOTE CONTROL DOOR LOCK RECEIVER WITH THE CORRECT VALUES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE JUNE 5, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GM PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.
Fuel economy (EPA)
City
15mpg
Highway
24mpg
Combined
18mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
Capability & size
EPA class
Large Cars
Wiper blades
Sedan body style, no rear wiper. Final model year for G8.
Size-standard part numbers — verify your connector type before buying. Rear blades are model-specific; check the package's vehicle list.
Fuel economy figures are EPA data via fueleconomy.gov (median across matching trims). Performance figures are compiled estimates for the 2009 Pontiac G8 6.0L V8 and can vary by trim.
🔧 Database maintained under the daily editorial review of Chris Hackleman · Master Technician · 20+ years and Jeff Moore · Master Mechanic · 20+ years.