Hello:
I am considering to buy a 2008-09 Poniac G8 GT as a first car around the end of the year. I am currently 18 at the moment. I am planning to buy one sometime when I am 19. Is the Pontiac G8 GT a good car? What kind of problems do I need to look out for when it is time for me to buy one? Are the Pontiac G8's money pits? What do you think of the Pontiac brand overall?
Stay far away, terrible transmissions, weak motors and build quality. Pontiac doesn’t exist anymore. If you want a vehicle that size opt for a good used Toyota Camry. It’ll treat you way better than that Pontiac.
What kind or transmission/engine probles does it have?
@driver-joshy the engineering on both was just bad. Quality control was not there when those vehicles were built.
The Pontiac G8 is essentially a Holden vehicle, as it originated in the Australian arm of General Motors and was brought over to the US at the same time the Holden Monaro became the GTO here in 2004.
I have worked on MANY of these cars. Guys like to buy them and soup them up because they have room and LS motor power. However, the vast majority of these cars come into my shop beat to death and on their last legs at 100k miles or less. I'm talking the engine is done, the trans is done....guys beat these cars up HARD. If you look around at some, you'll notice many are also salvage title cars because guys wrap them around trees a lot.
Insurance cost would be prohibitive on that car at your age.
As for the car itself, no, they are not built well. The G8, along with the GTO, played a major role in the death of the Pontiac brand. Literally ANYTHING that gets damaged cosmetically is going to cost a fortune. Parts have to be shipped in from Australia, which is real fun right now BTW...the lead time is insane. They also guzzle gas like no tomorrow, have transmissions that can't handle the abuse they get put through, did I mention they've all been beat to death? Even though drivetrain parts can be found readily enough, the interior trim and other parts cost a fortune. The radios are terrible, the window switches are located on the center console, the styling is blech.....literally the only thing that car has going for it is the engine sounds good cammed. But other than that, they are clunkers. And owners think they are worth their weight in gold.
I would highly suggest a different vehicle with less power and better MPG/Reliability for your first car. Otherwise, you'll wind up being "car poor" where all your money is spent on your car and you have none left over for other things. And nobody wants to be in that position.
Junkie cars. Stay away from them.
