2008 Pontiac G8 GT: Simple Fix

I always like Dan's posts as they're always quite detailed & with lots of pictures.

Btw, I really hope this trend doesn't become common. We don't want people texting, applying makeup, talking on the phones & disassembling the car interior while driving.

We need a new law against disassembling car interiors while driving! Governator, are you listening??

The clips may be pretty robust now, but remember that plastic gets brittle as it ages. A couple decades from now, those very same clips won't be so robust any more. And when they break, the molds to make new ones will likely be long gone by then. So pity the restorationist far off in the future trying to prepare a G8 for a concours or museum display.

Dan, thanks for the post. You're the most informative (and useful) staffer on IL.

Thanks for fixing the G8!

I have a hard time comprehending why the ability to peel away dash panels on your car not intended for casual removal by the customer is a good thing. Wasn't GM the recipient of a beat-down because of ill-fitting, loose panels and wide panel gaps on their interior not too long ago in the past? How has a bad thing turned into a good thing? Where are the GM bashers shouting that "GM hasn't changed," and "They still make cheap crappy interiors"?

However, I am relieved that this issue was easily fixable with some investigation by Dan. I guess if you can't afford good engineering to begin with, make it so it's easily repairable.

"Cant afford good engineering"??????? Dan, these blogs must drive you crazy. All you did is show how you fixed a simple problem in an informative way.

"good engineering" Now thats funny coming from a Nissan cheerleader. It is just some plastic trim, not a transmission...get over it.

It depends on how well the parts fit together and how robustly the attachments are designed. It's hard to see in this picture, but there are pads and silencers in place to prevent squeaks and rattles, too.

A lot of trim parts are clipped into cars like this, on cars of all price ranges. But, like anything else, the result depends entirely on the care attention paid to a particular application.

Every car made uses plastic clips similar to the G8 and they are quite robust. The only way for these clips to wear is by multiple insertions and removals of the component. On a console of this nature, you will most likely never remove it. I challenge you to try taking apart your personal vehicle and you will see that it uses the same clips in multiple locations especially in the scuff plates on your doors.

What ken428 said. I agree 100%

Bodyblue-- I've owned Nissans for nearly a decade now, and I have not had a lick of transmission problems (that said, they've both been automatics). I can also say that over those 10 years, no interior piece has come off in my hand, loosened, or come apart with "gentle" prodding (unlike IL's Nissans, BMWs, MBs, and Fords). Maybe that's one reason why I like Nissans, because they haven't given me a reason to hate them. Do I need to start kicking or elbow smashing my car to make you feel better? How about recklessly driving through deep puddles? Pouring diet coke over the interior? Plowing into a tree? Oh wait, I've already done that. The Nissan survived for another 4 years after that.

I always make sure a run to the dealer is my last resort. I always feel dirty when I leave there.

This simply would not be a deal breaker for me. It's a minor problem that's easily rectified.

Not to hijack, but has the steering wheel shimmiy n' shake been correctly diagnosed and fixed yet? I ask becasue I am about to buy a G8, but it's wheel shakes upon deceleration.

So Dan are you going to release your own version of Chilton's anytime soon?

Easily rectified until it happens again or one of the clips finally break. My CX-7, and A4 both use screws to hold the window switch panels in. Works like a charm because they are SCREWS and not plastic clips.

Altimadude- my understanding of this was that the trim wasn't loose or ill-fitting. Dan had to apply careful and deliberate force to remove it, but it was easily removable if done right, and that is a good thing for maintenance.

"My CX-7, and A4 both use screws to hold the window switch panels in."

My Mazdaspeed 3 needed a new LF strut and a new turbo at 26,000 miles. The VVT actuator went south at 48,000 miles. At 49,000 miles it's now throwing the "insufficient EGR flow" code which-Surprise!-isn't covered by either the powertrain or emissions warranty.
But it's comforting to know that my power window buttons are securely mounted.

Altima....I agree that the IL cars take way more abuse than your car or mine will ever take. I can make any car last a long time and it sounds like you can also. good engineering means things are designed to be easily fixed when needed and not OVER engineered when not.

All the interior trim panels on the G8 are attached with those little white plastic pushpins! The panels on either side of the transmission hump of my G8 were taken off for some reason prior to my purchase of the car, and both the dealer and I have been unable to get the panels to stay on for good. After a few weeks of driving, one or more of the panels slides down. I put it back, and it happens again. Looks like the entire interior needs to be removed and re-installed to get it right. Any ideas? (Otherwise I love the car.)