Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Pontiac G6 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I purchased a used 2009 Pontiac G6 3.9L almost 4 years ago. I have experienced white smoke pouring from under my hood 3 times so far. I've taken it to the dealership and first time was informed it was a bad power steering hose leaking onto the exhaust- preCat area. The second repair dealership said it was a faulty hose. The third time dealer said it was a bad motor mount. After extensive research online, found out several years of G6 cars have the high pressure power steering hose about 1 inch from the exhaust pipe. This is causing the hose to melt due to the heat. GMC started making heat protective wrap around these hoses which still does not solve the problem-still burns thru. With a simple online search 2006-2010 G6 with the v-6 engines are still having this problem, costing owners money/time and safety issues. …
Taking off to a slow roll without giving it any gas and turning right or left, the steering wheel is extremely difficult to turn. There is absolutely no power steering. It lasts as long until you you give it gas and then the power steering will start working again. While at a steady maintained speed on flat level ground and while at a steady maintained speed going up hill rpm between 2,000-2,500 , the vehicle begins to shake/buck/shudder/stall. Give it some gas and it begins to run smoothly again after about 3 seconds.
Timing Chain making noise...voltage fluctuations throughout all the car...cruise control will shut off if I got to use wipers or blinkers or even turn on the air system and lights will dim if you use power windows or have the radio up loud.
Another GM car fire: 2009 Pontiac g-6. Received BCM electrical harness recall bulletin 13036 (August 2014) in the mail, 2.5 years after the fact, in spring 2017. Alleged fix was applied on 5/17/17, 4.5 months later, car is totalled due to an electrical fire in engine compartment. Sporadic electrical issues ensued after the recall work, headlight sporadically cutting out, trunk opening untouched, etc. Stopped at a traffic light, car died, smoke then flames coming from the engine compartment. Salem, virginia fire department incident number 20174058.
On 4/7/15, while driving heard chimes. All icons on instrument panel turned on. The fuel gauge needle moved to empty. The low fuel gauge turned on. All this indicating malfunction. The odometer turned off and the code error came on and turned off; then the odometer came back on. All the icons on the instrument panel turned off except for the security light icon which stayed on. It felt as if someone was attempting to disable my vehicle. Later that day turned the vehicle on and everything seemed normal, like it reset itself. On 4/8/15, after driving approximately 70 miles on the highway, the security light icon turned on and stayed on. I took the vehicle directly to the dealer and they informed me they would have to diagnose the vehicle. The result was inconclusive, they did not find anything wrong. …
I had power steering lose about a year ago and then it just happened again yesterday. When I shut the car off it like resets and then it's fine I also had a friend of mine text me and told me that my brake lights were backwards when I when I was breaking the lights were off when I was driving and my brake lights were on. I have also always noticed that my car shifts weird sometimes when I'm passing it doesn't seem like I can get up to speed. I have also had trouble with my passenger front airbag sensor since I've had the car. I bought my car and 2010 it was only a year old with very few miles. Right now I only have about 81,000 miles on it. With all of my incidents with the power steering and brake lights I have been in town driving all were in motion. In town driving has probably been about 35 mile an hour I would never want to experience or have any of these on the highway.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH attempting to make a turn, the engine stalled without warning. The contact mentioned that the door independently locked and unlocked. In addition, the contact mentioned that the brake lights illuminated intermittently without the brake pedal being depressed. The headlights were also replaced multiple times due to burning out prematurely. The contact managed to merge over to an emergency lane and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnosed the failure but decided replaced the battery in order to restart the vehicle. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000. The VIN was not available.
Headlights going out. Poor connection, burning/melted headlight socket, headlight choose when they want to work. Actions taken, I didn't wait for a recall. Burnt socket lead me to believe the harness wasn't able to withstand the amperage. I replaced the wires running to headlights with a larger gauge. Replaced the headlight connector. All has been well since, going on 3 years now. Another wiring issue is the injector/can sensor harness. If this becomes loose in any way the car runs very rough, poor fuel, low idle, or stalling. At the time my vehicle stalled and was running rough I had no faults or CEL. I thought my timing chain was about to snap. All this due to a electrical connection that wiggled just a tad loose.
At low speed the vehicle made a loud "pop" sound, which was immediately followed by smoke filling the interior via the air vents. The car was immediately shut off and the hood opened. The engine compartment was on fire with flames between the engine and fire wall. Upon putting the fire out it was found that the power steering fluid had leaked out of the car onto the exhaust manifold, resulting in melting the engine wiring and other components. The entire side of the car was sprayed with power steering fluid and the top of the fender had black soot from the fire. The hood pad and fire wall insulation showed large amounts of fire damage.
On 6/25/12 my car was making a whining noise when steering. Dealership replaced steering gear and adjusted "front toe" and gear assembly. (according to the work order. ). On 8/27/15 I had to take my vehicle for repair due to a very loud whining sound. When I started the car that morning there was still the loud whining sound and a clunking sound. The repair was complete power steering rack & pinion. Total repair bill was $929.44. In addition I have had to have two repairs to exhaust gasket. (one 4/25/15 and another one on 8/18/15). I am attaching all repair bills, title, etc for your review.
Engine complaints in other G6 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2009 Pontiac G6?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2009 Pontiac G6, 4% of the model year's 713 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Pontiac G6 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2009 Pontiac G6, though it has 4 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 2009 Pontiac G6 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.