AI Damage2006 Pontiac G6: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Pontiac G6 filed 1,910 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 1,910
- involving a crash
- 90
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 64% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
- 3 Exterior lighting 10% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- Steering: 1,220 complaints (64% of all), 58 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 245 complaints (13% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Exterior lighting: 198 complaints (10% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 188 complaints (10% of all), 17 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 117 complaints (6% of all), 21 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 7 complaints
- 3.9 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 1,910 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1,220 | 58 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 245 | 7 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 198 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 188 | 17 | 0 |
| Air bags | 117 | 21 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 89 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 76 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 69 | 5 | 0 |
| Suspension | 56 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine | 55 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 33 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 32 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 27 | 10 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the power steering suddenly failed causing the driver to lose control of the steering and crash into a utility pole. During crash, the utility pole was damaged and the driver's air bag did deploy as intended.
The power steering warning light was illuminated. There were no reported injuries the vehicle was taken by an independent mechanic to contact's resident. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 219,000.
We had a pontiac g6 that had a recall on brakes and power steering and my mother was in a wreck and had to have brain surgery thank god she made in we had a pontiac g6 2006 I have it on video were it almost rolled over both of us when it was in park and we got out of it.
During the incident, the front end sustained significant damage and the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained a concussion as well as injuries to the neck, back, head, and right leg. The contact required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed.
The vehicle stalled and the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle restarted after several attempts. The contact sustained back pain, but did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure.
I lost control of the power steering. I tried to merge out of my lane so I would not impact another car. I had no control of the steering at all. I was unable to merge, I hit the back end of a utility truck.
I was driving had the cruise control on at the time I could not get it to go off because there was a curve coming up before I knew it my car just would not stop and ended up crashing into the back of a pickup. I wasn't able to get the car to start braking until about 5 seconds before hitting the other vehicle.
While making a left or right turn the vehicle stalled without warning. She was able to move the vehicle onto the emergency lane. The check engine light illuminated after the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the computer caused the failure to occur. The vehicle was repaired.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 46 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).
On average one model year of the G6 has 654 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 1,910, above average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Pontiac G6?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 1,910. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (50%), warning lights, check engine (12%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Pontiac G6?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Pontiac G6 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.