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Model file · PontiacUpdated · 10 sources

Selling a junk or non-running Pontiac G5

Every Pontiac G5 model year from 2007 to 2010 is named in both ignition recalls GM filed in 2014. The second one also lists the Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR, the Pontiac Solstice, and the Saturn Ion and Sky. That shared hardware runs through the G5 recall record: most of its recalls also name the Chevrolet Cobalt.

A white Pontiac G5 sedan parked at a curb on a residential street, with patches of snow on the lawn behind it
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2007-2010
Complaints to NHTSA
381
Year with the most complaints
2007 (188)
Recall campaigns
6
Platform
GM Delta, shared with the Chevrolet Cobalt
Built in
Lordstown, Ohio, and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico

If yours has stopped running or isn't worth the next repair, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

One generation, short run

The US G5 belongs to the first generation of GM's Delta-platform compacts, which Wikipedia lists as produced from 2004 to 2010. Wikipedia says all Cobalts and their Pontiac equivalents were built at Lordstown, Ohio, and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. Its infobox for this generation lists 2.2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinders, plus the supercharged and turbo 2.0-liter engines of the related Cobalt SS.

EPA fuel economy data lists the G5 from 2007 to 2010 as a gasoline subcompact, under the names G5, G5 GT, G5 XFE and G5/Pursuit. Wikipedia says GM dropped the G5 in the US in 2009 and in Canada and Mexico in 2010. EPA still lists a 2010, and NHTSA holds 2 complaints filed under that year.

What owners reported, and the recall behind each

NHTSA's complaint file holds 381 complaints on the G5, counted as of October 10, 2026. Those complaints report 40 crashes, 4 fires, 36 injuries and 6 deaths.

Steering: 81 complaints

On the 2007, steering is the top component, named in 48 of 188 complaints. Recall 10V073 covers 2007-2010 G5s and 2005-2010 Cobalts with electric power steering. NHTSA's notice says the driver may lose power steering assist suddenly. The listed remedy was a new power steering motor from the dealer. The campaign count of 1,050,889 vehicles includes the Cobalt. Wikipedia says GM repaired older cars before newer ones.

Fuel and propulsion: 90 complaints

This is the top component when all four years are added together, and it leads on the 2008 (26) and 2009 (25). Another 33 complaints name the gasoline fuel system. Two recalls replaced the fuel pump module:

  • 09V419 covers the 2007 G5 among cars first sold in, or now registered in, a handful of states: 69,139 vehicles in all.
  • 12V459 covers 2007-2009 G5s in a campaign of 49,768 vehicles that also includes the Cobalt, Equinox and Torrent.

Wikipedia ties these to cracks in the fuel reservoir assembly in summer heat, and quotes the recall: if the crack grows, fuel may drip onto the ground.

Ignition and air bags: 55 air bag complaints

Recall 14V047 replaced the ignition switch, and 14V171 covers the ignition cylinder. NHTSA's notice for 14V047 says the defect can affect the air bag system. The two campaigns count 2,190,934 and 2,191,014 vehicles across several GM models, so neither number is G5s alone. Wikipedia reports that NHTSA fined GM $35 million in May 2014 for not recalling cars with faulty ignition switches for a decade, and that thirteen deaths were linked to the switches in that time. Electrical system complaints add 49 more.

Shifter: the 2009 only

Recall 09V073 lists the 2009 G5 among 276,729 GM vehicles, from the Malibu to the Saturn Aura. Dealers checked that the shift cable adjustment clip was fully engaged.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Model yearComplaintsCrashes reportedRecall campaignsComponent named most
2007188165Steering (48)
2008115154Fuel/propulsion (26)
20097695Fuel/propulsion (25)
2010203Steering (2)

A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. The 2010 was on sale the shortest time, and the newest years have had the fewest years for owners to report anything.

Repair it or sell it?

  1. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. The steering motor, fuel pump module and ignition switch were all recall repairs, and a GM dealer can tell you whether yours were done. The open recall guide covers what to ask.
  2. Won't start, or stalls? The fuel pump module and ignition recalls are the first places to look. If it won't run at all, see car doesn't run.
  3. Compare two numbers: the G5 shop's quote on paper, and the selling price of a running G5 with similar miles. If the G5 repair would use up most of that figure, see repairs cost more than it is worth.

Selling the G5 whole

  • Write down the G5's VIN, its mileage and a simple list of the problems.
  • Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  • Tell us if it rolls and steers, and where it is now: driveway, street, or a shop lot. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
  • Don't strip it first. Anything already pulled off affects the offer, so list it.
  • Have the title ready. No title? Start with selling with no title.

Looking at another Pontiac? See the G6, the Sunfire, or every Pontiac we cover.

Questions people ask

Is my Pontiac G5 part of the GM ignition switch recall?
Every G5 model year from 2007 to 2010 is listed in recalls 14V047 and 14V171. NHTSA's VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls shows whether a dealer ever did the work on yours. Until a G5 was repaired, NHTSA's notice said to keep just the ignition key on the ring.
Which G5 year has the most NHTSA complaints?
The 2007, with 188 of the 381 complaints counted as of October 10, 2026. Steering is the component named most on that year, in 48 complaints. The 2010 has 2; it sold briefly, and later cars get fewer years in which owners can file.
Will you buy a G5 that won't steer or won't start?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Say if your G5 rolls and steers, so we send a fitting truck.
Do I need to pull parts off before selling it?
No. You sell the whole car as it sits. If the converter, wheels or battery were pulled already, mention it up front.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  2. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA recall 09V073: shift cable clip, 2009 G5 nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 09V419: fuel pump module, 2007 G5 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 10V073: electric power steering, 2007-2010 G5 nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 12V459: fuel pump module, 2007-2009 G5 nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 14V047: ignition switch, 2007-2010 G5 nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 14V171: ignition cylinder, 2007-2010 G5 nhtsa.gov
  9. EPA fuel economy data (model years and name variants) fueleconomy.gov
  10. Wikipedia: Pontiac G5 / Chevrolet Cobalt en.wikipedia.org