AI Damage2006 Pontiac GTO: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Pontiac GTO filed 216 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 216
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 88% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 9% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 3% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 2% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 1% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 1% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 1% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 0% of all complaints
- Suspension: 191 complaints (88% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 19 complaints (9% of all).
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (3% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (2% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (1% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 6 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 216 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 | 191 | 2 | 0 |
| Tires | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 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.
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.
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.
The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'park' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'park.' the vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior!
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. While parked, the vehicle failed to shift from the neutral position. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the clutch slave cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
The contact stated that the clutch pedal became loose and the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. The contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition and was unable to be removed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, who diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced.
Blow out of right rear tire on 2006 pontiac gto with factory bridgestone potenza 18 tires with 22,000 miles on them. Inside tread severely worn before the rest of the tire causing a tear all the way around the tire. This was not discovered until after the blow out.
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 1,878 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the GTO has 154 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 216, above average.
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 years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Pontiac GTO?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, tires, electrical system. Total complaints: 216. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (16%), knocking, grinding or other noise (7%), tires: bulges, blowouts (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Pontiac GTO?
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 GTO 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.