U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Pontiac TORRENT problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

125 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

80,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 99 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Air Bags is the most frequently named component, appearing in 46 of 125 complaints (36.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Fuel system concerns	15	12.0%
Braking behavior	10	8.0%
Steering behavior	10	8.0%
Electrical and battery issues	7	5.6%
Transmission and shifting	4	3.2%
Engine operation	3	2.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Air Bags

Fuel/Propulsion System

Electrical System

Electronic Stability Control (Esc)

Engine

Steering

Structure:Body

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags: 46; Fuel/Propulsion System: 25; Electrical System: 15; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 15; Engine: 11; Steering: 8; Structure:Body: 7; Vehicle Speed Control: 7

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 7; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 28; 75,000 to 99,999: 26; 100,000 to 149,999: 18; 150,000 and above: 8

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (28). 26 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2008

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2023

2025

2026

2008: 1; 2010: 2; 2011: 1; 2012: 9; 2013: 8; 2014: 17; 2015: 23; 2016: 24; 2017: 13; 2018: 11; 2019: 8; 2020: 2; 2021: 2; 2023: 1; 2025: 1; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Air Bags leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 15 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10471517 · 2012-08-20 (August 20, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMALLY STRONG ODOR OF FUEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A LEAK COMING FROM THE SEALS OF THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10471517 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10474162 · 2012-09-06 (September 6, 2012)

NOTED GAS SMELL AROUND THE BACK OF VEHICLE. REVIEWED FOR POSSIBLE GAS CAP ISSUE BUT THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM. FURTHER REVIEW FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFIED A SMALL GAS LEAK COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK. GAS TANK IS LOCATED NEXT TO EXHAUST PIPE THAT COULD CAUSE FIRE. TOOK VEHICLE TO NOTED DEALER AND THEY CONDUCTED A MORE DETAIL REVIEW OF PROBLEM THAT WAS IDENTIFIED GAS LEAK WAS COMING FROM TOP OF GAS TANK (FUEL PUMP AND LINES ISSUE) AND IF NOT NOTED OR ATTENDED TO COULD RESULT IN POSSIBLE IGNITION OF GAS TANK, EXPLOSION AND POSSIBLE …

Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10474162 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10329313 · 2010-05-07 (May 7, 2010)

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS, I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN. THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND IN A NORMAL MANNER. AS I PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, AT FIRST THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AS IF THE BRAKES HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED. THE CAR CONTINUED MOVING AT THE SAME SPEED. AS I CONTINUED TO PUSH DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR DID SLOW DOWN, BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT FEEL NORMAL. THE PEDAL FELT AS IF IT WERE MOVING THROUGH SOME SORT OF THICK LIQUID. THE INCIDENT LASTED A FEW SECONDS. I HAD TO MAKE THE TURN AT A SPEED THAT WAS TOO HIGH. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT…

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10329313 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10494946 · 2013-01-28 (January 28, 2013)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STABILITRAK WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR CORRECTION OF THE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS AND PERFORMED A BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSH. IN ADDITION, THE SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED, THE BRAKE PRESSURE MODULATOR VALVE WAS REPLACED AND THE STEERING POSITIONING SENSOR WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE REMEDIES FAILED TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEH…

Owner-reported narrative. 33,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10494946 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10578719 · 2014-04-14 (April 14, 2014)

2008 PONTIAC TORRENT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO STEERING WHEEL AND IGNITION SWITCH FREEZING UP, INTERMITTENTLY. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE TIMES, WHEN THE KEY WOULDN'T COME OUT OF THE IGNITION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10578719 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10547628 · 2013-10-11 (October 11, 2013)

THE FIRST NIGHT I NOTICED THE "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. THE NEXT NIGHT MY BATTERY COMPLETELY DIED AND I HAD TO BUY ANOTHER ONE. THEN, THE DASHBOARD SAID "SERVICE STABILITRAK" SOMETIMES AND SOMETIMES THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON OR IT SAID "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL." FROM WHAT I'M GATHERING ONLINE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO MY "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" LIGHT COMING ON AND MY SPEED WILL BE LIMITED TO SOMETHING LIKE 10-20 MPH AND I'M AFRAID BECAUSE I ALREADY WORK OVERNIGHT AND AWAY FROM HOME. I ONLY HAVE …

Owner-reported narrative. 56,242 miles reported. Look up ODI 10547628 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10705193 · 2015-04-12 (April 12, 2015)

BATTERY DIED, AND AFTER GETTING A BOOST THE STABILITRACK LIGHT TRACK CAME ON. MY STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO STEER. TURNING WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. I RAN INTO A CURB WHILE TRYING TO TURN. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10705193 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10576252 · 2014-04-01 (April 1, 2014)

DRIVING AND HAD TO STOP FAST. WHEN SAFE TO CONTINUE DRIVING, UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE AND THE SES LIGHT WAS ON. HAD SEVERAL TROUBLE CODES INCLUDING P0700. WAS DIAGNOSED BY MECHANIC TO BE THE 3-5 CLUTCH WAVE PLATE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 93,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10576252 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10595914 · 2014-06-03 (June 3, 2014)

TIMING CHAIN JULY 2013 REPAIR TRANSMISSION JANUARY 2014 REPAIR TRANSMISSION LINE/SEALS 2014 MAY 2014 STEERING MAY 2014 POWER STEERING DOES NOT WORK AT LOW SPEEDS AND IS IN AND OUT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AT LOW SPEEDS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 94,258 miles reported. Look up ODI 10595914 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10853872 · 2016-04-06 (April 6, 2016)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PONTIAC TORRENT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10853872 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11033490 · 2017-10-16 (October 16, 2017)

THE STABILITY LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. NOW ADDING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. LITTLE LOSS OF POWER. SEEMS LIKE A COMMON THING WITH THIS CAR.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11033490 at NHTSA ↗