2006 Pontiac G6 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,602 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Pontiac G6, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 74,351 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2006 Pontiac G6 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2010.
Avoid
Where 2006 sits among all G6 years
What owners report
“The power steering locked up while driving with my teenage daughter and my one year old grandson.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 G6
“While driving , brake lights come on ,stay on go off intermittently. Also on off cruise control , car stuck in park , won't release .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 G6
“Smell of fuel and see fuel leaking from fuel tank. Brake lights go on and off while driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 G6
“When stationary or in motion the drivers side air bag light would go on and off randomly. Now it just stays on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 G6
“Strong smell of fuel after driving. Hesitation while starting cold engine. No visible fuel leak on ground.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 G6
“Power steering went out and i found out it has been fixed before under warranty before i bought it! And yes i was driving the car! Also the shifter has issues!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 G6
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 2,073 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 76,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 46,000 and 119,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
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…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or…
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010…
Fix: Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service…
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…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and…
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…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact…
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,…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available,…
GM IS RECALLING 8,012 MY 2005-2006 PONTIAC G6 VEHICLES. THE BRAKE LAMPS MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY BECAUSE OF CORROSION IN A WIRING CONNECTOR. CORROSION IN THE CONNECTOR COULD CAUSE THE BRAKE LAMPS TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS NOT BEEN DEPRESSED, OR…
Fix: DEALERS WILL APPLY A DIELECTRIC LUBRICANT TO THE CONNECTOR TO PREVENT CORROSION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FOR YOU FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
CERTAIN VEHICLES ORIGINALLY BUILT WITH CLOTH SEATS THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC AIR BAG PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM AND LATER REUPHOLSTERED WITH AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT COVER KITS ARE INVOLVED. TESTING HAS INDICATED THAT THE AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT…
Fix: BECAUSE A REPLACEMENT LEATHER SEAT COVER THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM IS NOT AVAILABLE, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) WILL REPURCHASE THESE VEHICLES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS STATED…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 14V252000.
Led to recall campaign 09V036000.
Technical service bulletins
754 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2006 Pontiac G6. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2006 Pontiac G6 reliable?
The 2006 Pontiac G6 drew 2,602 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2006 Pontiac G6 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Pontiac G6 are steering (1,235 complaints), electrical (455), and brakes & stability (184).
At what mileage do 2006 Pontiac G6 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Pontiac G6 problems around 76,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 46,000 and 119,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Pontiac G6 have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2006 Pontiac G6. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.