2006 Pontiac G6 Problems

High Complaint Volume

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2006 Pontiac G6.

20052007
Complaints
2,589
Crashes
141
Fires
14
Injuries
105
Fatalities
4
Recalls
4

Worst 2006 Pontiac G6 Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#11,157 complaints

Steering Defects

Avg mileage:86,994 mi
Crash-related:53
Fires:3
#2228 complaints

Electrical Faults

Avg mileage:90,351 mi
Crash-related:7
Fires:4
#3156 complaints

Headlight/Taillight Failures

Avg mileage:88,490 mi
Crash-related:1
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2006 Pontiac G6.

Steering Defects
1,157
complaints
Crashes
53
Fires
3
Avg Miles
86,994
Electrical Faults
228
complaints
Crashes
7
Fires
4
Avg Miles
90,351
Headlight/Taillight Failures
156
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
88,490
Brakes
115
complaints
Crashes
12
Fires
1
Avg Miles
102,375
Airbags
90
complaints
Crashes
14
Fires
Avg Miles
97,076
Fuel System
76
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
103,541
Transmission / Drivetrain
65
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
112,148
Unintended Acceleration
62
complaints
Crashes
5
Fires
Avg Miles
82,254
Engine Problems
54
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
3
Avg Miles
114,726
Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights
46
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
69,767
Hydraulic Brakes
45
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
50,699
Steering:Electric Power Assist System
36
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
50,687
Suspension Failures
34
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
87,116
Electronic Stability Control
31
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
119,519
Gasoline Fuel System
27
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
71,970
Air Bags:Frontal
22
complaints
Crashes
6
Fires
Avg Miles
31,976
Engine & Cooling
20
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
54,105
Steering:Column
17
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
92,314
Suspension:Front
17
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
48,260
Body Structure
16
complaints
Crashes
9
Fires
Avg Miles
97,935
Automatic Transmission
15
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
66,922
Other Equipment
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
35,390
Seat-Related Issues
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
1
Avg Miles
76,111
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor
11
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
18,339
Structural Problems
10
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
33,715
Service Brakes, Electric
9
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
77,833
Seat Belt Issues
8
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
93,658
Visibility
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
42,753
Sunroof/Moonroof
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
54,359

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2006 Pontiac G6. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2006 Pontiac G6

4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~5,014,447 vehicles.

15V064000Steering:electric Power Assist System
~69,633 affected

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured April 1, 2006, to June 30, 2006, and 2006-2007 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured April 18, 2006, to June 30, 2006. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

14V252000Electronic Stability Control · Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights · Electrical System:wiring
~2,440,524 affected

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.

14V224000Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:floor Shift · Automatic Transmission
~1,131,113 affected

General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.

14V153000Steering:electric Power Assist System
~1,373,177 affected

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

Other Pontiac G6 Years

2006 Pontiac G6 — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2006 Pontiac G6 reliable?
Verdict: High Complaint Volume. The 2006 Pontiac G6 has 2,589 NHTSA complaints, 141 crash-related, and 4 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Steering Defects with 1,157 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2006 Pontiac G6?
Top reported problems: Steering Defects (1,157 complaints, avg 86,994 mi); Electrical Faults (228 complaints, avg 90,351 mi); Headlight/Taillight Failures (156 complaints, avg 88,490 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2006 Pontiac G6?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 86,771 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2006 Pontiac G6?
NHTSA complaints for the 2006 Pontiac G6 include 141 crash-related reports, 14 fire reports, 105 injuries, and 4 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2006 Pontiac G6 have any recalls?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 5,014,447 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2006 Pontiac G6?
This year has a higher-than-normal complaint volume. It's not an automatic no, but focus inspection on the top reported issue (steering defects) and verify open recalls have been addressed.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Pontiac G6 reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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