Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Pontiac G6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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
1. Loss of power assisted steering making it hard to control car. But I turn off car and turn back on, it works. 2. Steering column knuckle or u-joints are making a loud clunking noise when turning steering wheel. 3. BCM or Body Control Mudule is either bad or needs cleaning because cruise control nor traction controls work. I checked fuses and they are ok.
There are 3 different areas that I assume are the cause of my car's problems. First the passenger side air bag is has stayed off, regardless of passengers being present since 2014, I believe. Using the key does not change the air bag status. Also this May be part of the electrical area, but at around the same time my cruise control also malfunctioned. The car was in motion when I realized both things. Also I've had problems with traction control coming on out of no where, and instead of the engine speed being reduced, the car will not move at all. Sometimes it will like reset after I pull over and wait for over 10 minutes, but it will come back on repeatedly. I have to pull over wait restart, pull over wait restart several times within a usual 20 minute drive at times. Also I'm having problems with the air compressor staying engaged. …
My car was running just fine. All of a sudden on a very rainy night, the car would not catch gear it would take about 5 seconds to run smoothly. About 8 minutes later when I got to the freeway it drove smoothly. The next day after driving the car about 20 minutes it started doing the same thing again, but this time it started burning. I stopped to let it cool and checked all the fluids, everything was OK. I tried to drive my car 10 minutes to make it to my house. While reversing a lot pop happened. I stopped and looked and pink fluid was running down the parking lot. I tried to move the car out the way but the steering wheel was hard to turn. After an hour I was able to take it to a relatives house after refilling the car with power steering fluid. After 2 hours of sitting we tried to take it to my house and as we left the car locked up. …
Takata recall. But not only the air bags. There is a clicking noise when I steering, sometimes causing the air bag light to come on. There is a vibrating coming from the driver's side front when at speed that shakes the steering wheel even after the tires are balanced and the struts and tie rods were replaced. If I grab the steering wheel with both hands, it moves up and down. When parallel parking, the power steering fails making it impossible to turn the wheel without hitting the gas and putting the car in motion. I've noticed in my research that other G6 models of this year and surrounding years were recalled for all of the problems I am having. When I asked the person at Chevy dealer about it, she told me I was out of luck until the VIN pops up in their system. …
The vehicle vibrates in a certain pattern when above 55 MPH on the highway, no one seems to be able to figure out what is causing it. All 4 struts are new, sway bar bushings, sway bar links, control arms both upper and lower, all brake rotors are new. Cannot get the problem diagnosed by anyone because they cannot find out what it is. Also the check engine light turns on and off (code given is for running lean) but no mechanic or dealership have found why it's happening. One dealership even told me it could be the cars ECU. So they told me to verify if my car had any recalls. Please, any help about this is greatly appreciated this problem has been going on for over a month now (today's date 5/9/19)
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH during inclement weather, the traction control system failed causing the contact to crash into a wall. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. In addition, the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel and was difficult to maneuver. The contact also stated that while parked, the vehicle shifted out of gear. Additionally, the front passenger tie rod, ball joint, and the hub wore out prematurely. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 36,000.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 MPH on the highway, the right front side of the vehicle dropped down and there was a loss of vehicle control. The vehicle struck a bridge and came to a stop. The occupants were wearing seat belts, but minor injuries were sustained. The vehicle sustained moderate damage and a police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to a body repair shop who determined the right front lower ball joint separated from the vehicle. The manufacturer was alerted. Updated 09/12/06.
After leaving a stop sign the driver's front upper,lower control arms, cv joint, ball joint and upper strut mount completely broke away from the car causing the car to veer sharply to the left and strike a parked car. Witnesses including the police officer who witnessed the accident say the car just abruptly went left at approx 15 MPH on dry level, smooth pavement. Luckily the car wasn't on the highway at speed or my daughter would have possibly been severely injured of killed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated an abnormal noise emitted from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ball joints and tie rods needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 139,000. Updated 5/15/15 updated 05/26/15
Suspension complaints in other G6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2006 Pontiac G6?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the suspension of the 2006 Pontiac G6, 3% of the model year's 1,910 complaints. The component named most often is front (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Pontiac G6 suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2006 Pontiac G6, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Pontiac G6 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.