Most common 2006 Pontiac G6 problems
Share of the 1,910 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac G6 complaints by model year
Best G6 years: 2010, 2005, 2009. Years to avoid: 2006, 2007, 2008. Compare all years →
2006 Pontiac G6 recalls (6)
Steering › Electric power assist system
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 2015.
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
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…
Remedy: 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 will relearn the brake…
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift
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…
Remedy: 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.
Steering › Electric power assist system
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.
Remedy: 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.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
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 the lamps May not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed.
Remedy: 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.
Air bags › Frontal
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 covers can cause the passenger sensing system to malfunction.
Remedy: 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 in GM's letter to…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2006 Pontiac G6:
Brake Light Malfunction
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ13-001 on February 4, 2013 in response to complaints alleging that the brake lights do not operate properly on model year (MY) 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles. Complainants allege that the brake lights illuminate when the brake pedal is not depressed, and turn off once the brake pedal is applied.
Stop lamp malfunction
GM notified the agency by letter dated January 28, 2009, that it will conduct a safety recall of Pontiac g6 vehicles built from January 3 through January 31, 2005.vehicles produced during this time period have shown a highly elevated incident rate of improper operation of the brake lamps.
Loss of power steering assist
During this investigation, general motors (GM) indicated that approximately 15,600 model year (my) 2005 Pontiac g6 vehicles built from November 3, 2004 through January 5, 2005 May experience a loss of power steering assist due to an insufficient crimp at the torque and position sensor transducer located in the steering column assembly.
Brake Light Switch/Sensor Malfunction
On May 14, 2014 General Motors (GM) announced a recall action (14V-252) involving model year (MY) 2004-12 Chevrolet Malibu, MY 2004-07 Malibu Maxx, MY 2005-10 Pontiac G6 and MY 2007-10 Saturn Aura vehicles.An increased resistance can develop in the Body Control Module connection systems and result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS, or brake light switch) circuit that can cause the brake lamps to…
What 2006 Pontiac G6 owners say
Steering all 1,220 →
The contact owned a 2006 Pontiac G6. 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. No injuries were reported and a police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an undisclosed location. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V054000(Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 184,000.
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, nearly causing the contact to crash into a ditch. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact decelerated and veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off the vehicle and inspected under the hood. The contact became aware that the power steering was electric, and he verified the fuses were in good condition. The contact stated upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed; however, the failure reoccurred after driving several miles. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously included in an unknown power steering failure recall; however, the recall had expired, and the parts had been discontinued. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. …
Electrical system all 245 →
Power steering warning on radio, never once did a warning light on dash come up. This started at about 193,000 miles. Turning over car constantly to get my power steering to start. About a month after it just went out while driving approximately 40 mph. Kept pulling over to restart car, never turned back on. Potential wreck trying to turn to get into work parking lot when the car wouldn't turn. Dealerships claim my car was fixed already years ago, however this problem with the steering started again apparently at about 193,000 miles. The steering wheel started jerking and shaking when the car was idle around the same time the power steering message came across the radio. The car would also randomly lock my horn, didn't realize it could do that until I couldn't honk when someone was merging into me.
The electronic stability control has failed, due to sway bar links are worn out and causing wheels to vigorously wobble causing the Eps input circuit to shut down the system to avoid overloading the circuit and burning up the module , I believe the recall hasn't been fixed , Can you please consider the issue as dangerous and repair my car ... I am not trying to say this but I am homeless and dependent on the car for shelter as well as transportation... Please note don't use last statement to show sympathy on me ... I am doing ok today, Thank you, have a blessed day
Lights all 199 →
Brake lights are illuminating when accelerating (when brake pedal is NOT depressed) and are NOT illuminating when actually braking (when brake pedal IS depressed). I found GM recalls for this, but they are not attributed to my car, hence the recall that took place for this was not wide enough / did not cover all vehicles affected. (Recall 80317) (A poor electrical connection at the brake light switch could result in various electrical issues, one of which would be the brake lights failing to work, increasing the risk of a crash. 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 THE LAMPS MAY NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. …
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Power steering pump/Module, Break light, and Head lights How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Power steering/module went out while driving and almost cause an accident. The break and head light have gone out shortly after changing them and caused me to receive a Warning ticket. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No but I can take it in to the nearest dealership to have a report made. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Police Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? the error for the power steering/module came on as it was failing. …
2006 Pontiac G6 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 31 / 24 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 29 / 23 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | FWD | 16 / 26 / 19 |
| 3.9L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Pontiac G6 a good car?
Based on 1,910 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 G6 rates avoid: 2.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the G6 at the same age. It is one of the G6 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Pontiac G6?
The steering — 1,220 complaints, 64% of all complaints for this model year, most often about electric power assist system. Next are the electrical system (245) and lights (199).
How many recalls does the 2006 Pontiac G6 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2006 Pontiac G6, the most recent from February 4, 2015 (electric power assist system). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac G6?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2005 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2007 and 2008. See the full Pontiac G6 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Pontiac G6 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 27% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.