United States · NHTSA recalls & complaints
Pontiac VIN decoder
Pontiac was a General Motors division that GM closed during its 2009 restructuring. GM announced on April 27, 2009 that it would phase the brand out by 2010, and the last Pontiac, a G6, came off the line at the Orion Township plant in Michigan in January 2010. NHTSA's vPIC lists seven Pontiac models for 2010 (Vibe, G5, Solstice, G6, G8, G3 and Matiz) and none after that.
Enter all 17 characters to see the build details NHTSA holds and the recalls for that model year.
- 17 model pages
- 133 recall campaigns
- 24,698 owner complaints
- model years 1995–2014
- 16 WMI codes in vPIC
- origin: United States
| Country of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Region | North America |
| NHTSA recall and complaint data | Yes, model years 1995–2014 |
| WMI codes in NHTSA vPIC | 16 |
| Model pages | 17 |
| Other model names in NHTSA data | 4 |
| Vehicle recall campaigns | 133 |
| Owner complaints | 24,698 |
| Complaints reporting a crash | 1,440 (5.8%) |
| Complaints reporting a fire | 1,271 (5.1%) |
| Complaints reporting an injury | 1,090 (4.4%) |
| Complaints reporting a death | 59 (0.2%) |
| Data updated | September 25, 2026 |
Pontiac's final range drew on GM plants and partners around the world, and the VIN shows which one built a given car. GM's VIN standard for the 2010 model year lists Pontiac passenger cars under 1G2, 2G2 and 3G2 for vehicles built in the US, Canada and Mexico, 5Y2 for cars built by NUMMI, GM's joint venture with Toyota in Fremont, California, 6G2 for cars built by Holden in Australia and KL2 for cars built by GM Daewoo in South Korea.
Because Pontiacs now change hands only as used cars, decoding the VIN is the quickest way to confirm model, engine and plant before buying parts or checking recalls. Every Pontiac from model year 1981 onward uses the 17-character VIN standard. Pontiac shared GM's coding system with Chevrolet, Buick and Saturn.
NHTSA’s files hold 133 vehicle recall campaigns and 24,698 owner complaints for Pontiac vehicles from model years 1995 to 2014, summarised here on 17 model pages. The G6 has the most complaints (5,887), followed by the Grand Am (4,591) and the Grand Prix (4,377). Of those complaints, 1,440 report a crash, 1,271 a fire, 1,090 at least one injury and 59 at least one death; the figures count complaints, not people.
The World Manufacturer Identifier is the first three characters of the VIN. NHTSA’s vPIC database decodes 16 WMIs to Pontiac; this is the complete list, with the manufacturer name, country and vehicle type vPIC records for each.
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type | Also decoded as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 1G5 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | GMC |
| 1G7 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 1GM | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 2C2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 2C7 | FCA CANADA INC. | Canada | Incomplete Vehicle | Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Ram, Volkswagen |
| 2CG | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 2CK | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | GMC |
| 2G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 2G7 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | Canada | Passenger Car | – |
Show the other 6 WMIsHide the rest
| WMI | Manufacturer (vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type | Also decoded as |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 3G7 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Multipurpose Passenger Vehicle (MPV) | – |
| 4G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| 6G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | Australia | Passenger Car | – |
| JG2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
| KL2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger Car | – |
Some codes are shared across a manufacturer’s brands; the last column names the other brands in our catalog that vPIC links to the same code. See the WMI code guide for how the codes are assigned.
Each model page lists NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints for that model name, by model year and component. Models are sorted by complaints; the data covers model years 1995–2014.
| Model | Model years | Recall campaigns | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| G6 | 2003–2014 | 10 | 5,887 |
| Grand Am | 1995–2005 | 17 | 4,591 |
| Grand Prix | 1995–2008 | 22 | 4,377 |
| Vibe | 2000–2014 | 22 | 1,864 |
| Bonneville | 1995–2005 | 10 | 1,502 |
| Sunfire | 1995–2005 | 17 | 1,139 |
| Montana | 1997–2008 | 20 | 1,054 |
| Solstice | 2006–2010 | 5 | 727 |
| Trans Sport | 1995–2003 | 10 | 655 |
| Torrent | 2006–2009 | 4 | 625 |
| GTO | 2004–2006 | – | 615 |
| Aztek | 2001–2005 | 8 | 566 |
| G5 | 2007–2010 | 6 | 381 |
| Firebird | 1995–2002 | 4 | 353 |
| G8 | 2008–2010 | 4 | 216 |
| Trans Am | 1995–2002 | – | 101 |
| G3 | 2008–2009 | 1 | 19 |
– means NHTSA has no records of that kind under the model name.
Other Pontiac models in NHTSA data
NHTSA also lists these Pontiac model names, but with no recall campaign and fewer than 25 complaints each, so they have no page of their own: Fiero, Pursuit, Sunbird, Truck.
Which WMI codes appear on Pontiac VINs?
Most Pontiac cars start with 1G2. The other WMIs below mark cars built outside the US or by GM partners, plus 1GM, which vPIC lists for Pontiac MPVs.
| WMI | Manufacturer (NHTSA vPIC) | Country | Vehicle type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | Passenger car |
| 2G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | Canada | Passenger car |
| 3G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | Mexico | Passenger car |
| 5Y2 | NEW UNITED MOTOR MANUFACTURING, INC. | United States | Passenger car |
| 6G2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | Australia | Passenger car |
| KL2 | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | South Korea | Passenger car |
| 1GM | GENERAL MOTORS LLC | United States | MPV |
How do you read positions 4 to 11 on a late Pontiac?
In GM's 2010 passenger-car layout, positions 4 and 5 give the carline and series, 6 the body type, 7 the restraint system, 8 the engine, 9 the check digit, 10 the model year and 11 the plant. The 2010 carline codes for Pontiac were:
| Position 4 | Model |
|---|---|
| A | G5 |
| E | G8 |
| M | Solstice (and G2 Matiz, non-US) |
| S | Vibe |
| T | G3 Wave (non-US) |
| Z | G6 |
GM's own worked example in that standard decodes a 2001 Grand Am SE: 1G2 for a US-built Pontiac car, NE for Grand Am SE, 1 for a two-door coupe, A for the restraint type, T for the 2.4-litre four-cylinder, 1 for 2001 and C for the Lansing, Michigan plant. Codes changed between model years, so check the model year first.
When did Pontiac stop making cars?
GM announced the phase-out on April 27, 2009, and the last Pontiac, a G6, was built in January 2010. Model year 2010 is the last year NHTSA's vPIC lists for the brand.
Why does my Pontiac VIN start with 5Y2 or 6G2?
Those WMIs mark Pontiacs built by GM partners. GM's 2010 standard lists 5Y2 for cars built by NUMMI, the GM-Toyota joint venture in Fremont, California, and 6G2 for cars built by Holden in Australia.
Can I still find recalls for a Pontiac?
Yes. NHTSA keeps recall records for Pontiac models, and our recall lookup lists campaigns for your model and model year. For the open-recall status of one specific VIN, use NHTSA's VIN search.
Does a Pontiac VIN decode include its title history?
No. A decode reads factory data such as model, body, engine, model year and plant. Title, accident and ownership records come from state agencies and licensed history providers, which this site does not connect to.
Brands mentioned in the notes above, then other North American brands, each with its own VIN notes and WMI list.
- Chevrolet (172) United States · 751 recall campaigns
- Buick (20) United States · 170 recall campaigns
- Saturn (18) United States · 78 recall campaigns
- Cadillac (33) United States · 197 recall campaigns
- Chrysler (37) United States · 208 recall campaigns
- Dodge (58) United States · 436 recall campaigns
Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files and NHTSA vPIC, updated September 25, 2026.