Most common 2006 Pontiac GTO problems
Share of the 216 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Pontiac GTO complaints by model year
Best GTO years: 2005. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2006 Pontiac GTO:
Front strut to tire interference
Note: the complaint and warranty counts given in the failure report summary of this resume include all records related to tire wear and wheel alignment and are not limited to tire-strut contact.general motors (GM) identified two contributors to premature front tire wear in the subject vehicles.one of the contributors causing the premature tire wear was out of specification negative camber.GM stated that excessive…
What 2006 Pontiac GTO owners say
Suspension all 191 →
Hello, I would like to send you a complaint concerning the safety of my vehicle. I own a 2006 Pontiac GTO. My car currently has under 25K miles on it and I have already had two sets of tires blow out on me due to inner tire wear. I have owned my car for less then 1.5 years and I have put under 19K miles on it. As far as I know, I am not the GTO owner with these problems. I have been told that the issue which is causing these tire problems has to do with bad suspension. I beg you to help by having GM contact GTO owners and put a recall on these cars. How can GM get away this? 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. …
Purchased the GTO July 5, 2006. Did the first oil change on August 6th at 1983 miles. My husband noticed oil all over the undercarriage and inside wheel. We had been hearing a clunking noise once in awhile and handling started to get worse. He warned me to be careful when driving the car and to get it back to the dealer. Took it in to the dealer the next day, they identified the strut problem, ordered parts, wanted me to drive the car until the parts came in, I refused and put us in a rental until it could be completed. Called ponitac customer service to complain about the delay in parts availability. After a lengthy call with a lot of on holds, was informed we probably would not get the part until at least sept. 15, 2006. They are on a boat from australia and we were number 238 and only 100 parts were coming in. They agreed to reimburse us our payments after everything had been fixed. …
Wheels & tires all 20 →
Driving 60 MPH on freeway and had a blow out. Almost hit two cars as a result of control loss. Removed flat tire (front passenger) and noticed the inside of tire was excessively worn down to the metal while the rest of the tire still had plenty of tread. Tire still had half its life left. Asked tire company to return the tire to me but they sent it to recycler before I picked the car up. I did take a picture of the tire and it does show the inside wear. There is a corresponding mark on the shock where the tire rubbed the paint off in one specific area on the shock. I have no alignment problems which is what the dealer said caused the blow-out. There is no question that the rubbing is what caused the problem. I don't feel safe driving and will have to prematurely replace tires which wii be expensive. …
When replacing a "flat" tire on my 2006 Pontiac GTO with standard 17" wheels and original tires (approx. 26K miles), I noticed that the whole inner side of the tire was shredded beyond the belts. When I had the tire replaced, two additional tires were found in even worse condition - all were shredded on the inner side. One tire that had previously been replaced, was in good condition. I remember that when I bought the car, there was a manufacturer's service bulletin addressing "strut rub" on the inside of the front wheels. I made sure this was addressed and that the vehicle received an alignment at the dealership according to manufacturer's specs. Tires have been rotated at every oil change in accordance with maintenance procedures in the owner's manual. It appears that even though the manufacturer is aware of the defect, the solution is not a cure. …
Electrical system
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. The dealer fractured the key in the ignition as a result the vehicle had to be drilled to remove the key. The contact was waiting for weeks for the vehicle to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Dashboard started flashing "check alternator". Shortly after, dashboard started flashing "ABS brake system off trak". After turning off car, it would not restart. Car has been in the shop for over a week, and another 10 days is estimated because of backordered alternator. Alternator apparently went bad after only 2 years.
2006 Pontiac GTO engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 23 / 18 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Pontiac GTO a good car?
Based on 216 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 GTO rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the GTO at the same age. 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 GTO?
The suspension — 191 complaints, 88% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front. Next are the wheels & tires (20) and electrical system (6).
How many recalls does the 2006 Pontiac GTO have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2006 Pontiac GTO. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Pontiac GTO?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005. See the full Pontiac GTO years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Pontiac GTO problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 1,000 miles; 98% 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.