AI DamagePontiac GTO: problems, complaints, bulletins
Summary for the Pontiac GTO across 4 model years: 616 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 75% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 21% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 2% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 2% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 2% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 1% of all complaints
- Suspension: 461 complaints (75% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 128 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 34 complaints (6% of all).
- Powertrain: 28 complaints (5% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 15 complaints (2% of all), 3 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.
- 5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl 2004
- 6 L · petrol · 8 cyl 2005–2006
- automatic, 4-speed 2004–2006
- manual, 6-speed 2004–2006named in 6 complaints
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 616 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 461 | 5 | 0 |
| Tires | 128 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 28 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| Air bags | 13 | 8 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Was driving car on the freeway at aprox 75 mph hit a patch of ice and lost control spun out in circles, hitting the guard rail causing it to roll 3 times car ended upside down I hit steering wheel and seriously hurt my back no air bags deployed.
The air bags did not deploy. I received two skull fractures and two broken neck bones. Also, the skin on my left arm, was scraped to the bone. Numerous cuts and my entire body was sore. ...updated 10/22/14
The airbags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained unknown injuries. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the air bags were not investigated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Updated 01/12/11 updated 01/14/11 pictures received 01/27/11 prior to the accident, the rear differential failed internally, and the power steering hose was leaking. Updated 04/15/11
The first time my tire blow out I figured the tire was bad b/c the car was a couple of years old even though it only had 5xxx miles on it. The second time I had a blow out, I was with a loved and nearly hit a telephone pole after I avoided hitting an on coming car.
I had noticed a clunking sound as I went over speed bumps or turned tight like you would in a parking lot for approximately 3 months prior to that. I asked if they were related and the service attendant said possibly, but that all the gtos made noise when cranking the wheel because of the wide tires.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other models of this make
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.