NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2006 Pontiac G6 (Page 3 of 11)

CarComplaints.com Seal Of Avoid Like The Plague

CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2006 Pontiac G6 has major problems with two areas fairly critical to the act of driving... steering & safety.

The 2006 G6 has a major defect trend with electronic power-assisted steering failure. The power steering cuts out while driving, making it extremely difficult to steer. G6 owners typically report spending $600 - $1,200+ to fix the problem, replacing either the entire steering column or the power assist motor.

In March 2010, GM recalled 1.3 million vehicles for this exact problem "...after receiving 1,100 complaints of power steering failures." However the 2006 G6 wasn't included in that recall.

In July 2010, GM issued a "Special Coverage Adjustment" — TSB #10183 — covering "certain" (not all) 2005, 2006 & 2008 Pontiac G6's for this power steering issue, up to 10 years/100k miles. However a large number of 2006 G6 owners have reported they were not covered by this campaign, based on VIN#.

As of late 2013 the NHTSA had well over 700 steering complaints on file for the 2006 G6, with 21 crashes & 12 injuries. The NHTSA closed their initial investigation in 2007, having determined that losing your power steering going over 15-20 mph isn't a big deal & that most crashes occurred at slow speeds, so not a safety risk. Ridiculous? Yep, we think so too.

The 2006 G6 also has an expensive problem with "popping" or "clunking" noises when turning, & that issue extends to newer model years as well.

Factor in the 2006 Pontiac G6's poor side impact protection & you end up with a vehicle you should steer clear of.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,358 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Pontiac G6 electrical problems

electrical problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2006 Pontiac G6:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2006 Pontiac G6 Owner Comments (Page 3 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #178

Oct 182017

G6

  • 136,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Recall 13036 including special coverage 16188 did not fix my vehicle. My vehicle has the following problems... -service brake lamps illuminate when the service brakes are not being applied -service brake lamps will not illuminate when the service brakes are applied -cruise control will not engage (the above conditions have happened when the car is in motion, stationary, on streets, highways, turning and braking.) -vehicle will shift out of park without the service brakes being applied these above conditions are the exact conditions that recall 13036 was to have fixed. The dealership addressed this recall earlier this year, and the vehicle is still having problems. I cannot get my vehicle back from the dealership because it is a violation of federal law to deliver the vehicle to me until the defect is remedied. Service technician says the BCM (body control module) needs replaced. The vehicle went in for recall, the recall didnt fix the problem. I took the vehicle back and am told that 1) the problem is the BCM and 2) I cant have the vehicle back until the problem is fixed. I am not satisfied. The vehicle problem is not remedied. I am having to pay to get the vehicle remedied. Pontiac customer service refers me to the NHTSA. The vehicle is a safety hazard to the driver and any passengers, as well as fellow motorists around the vehicle. I am upset that a large corporation would not take the time to make sure my vehicle is safe, after not fixing a recall. The NHTSA campaign id number for this recall is 14V252. Thank you

- El Dorado, KS, USA

problem #177

Oct 062017

G6

  • 150,000 miles
Driving on way home from work, whole trip nothing over 45 mph, the traction control off light came on and stayed on. Its the light with tc and a slash trough it. The light turns off when the car is in park or neutral but comes on when shifter is in reverse or drive. After the light came on I noticed extremely sluggish engine performance, extremely hard shifting all the way through 4th gear with bad slams coming from the transmission. After about 30 mins of driving with the light still on, the check engine light comes on and I can barely get going from a stop light. I parked it for the night to work on it the next day, and to my surprise the next morning the tc off light was gone and after about 10 mins of driving the check engine light goes out and the car runs and drives like normal. The next day it all happened over again with all the same issues and then the warning lights went out again and the car ran fine. Then for a third day it all happened again and now the engine seems to have no power, I might as well be pushing the car down the street. This happened in the middle of my drives on a normal no wet weather day. The dealership and a private garage tried reading the codes through the connector under my stearing wheel and no bodies reader can connect to the ECU. I checked all the fuses and relays and none are blown or damaged. I know the G6 had recalls for this issue a few years ago and my car wasn't included in this but it sounds like the same issue. I can get under the car and look for any melted wires or ground faults but I wouldnt know where to begin. Looking online there are thousands of people experiencing this same exact issue. Tc off light coming on and check engine light coming on with an expensive repair or no solution available. This is causing my vehicle to have little to no acceleration and really spotty shifting. It happens everyday at random times.

- North Potomac, MD, USA

problem #176

Jul 222017

G6

  • 12,643 miles
My wheel an brakes locked while I was driving causing me to hit two cars parked my airbags never came out the driver side tire an front end busted fluids leak out an it happened on a city street vechile was towed

- Newark, NJ, USA

problem #175

Jul 172017

G6

  • 204,039 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Officer told me that the brakes would come on while driving and the brake lights would go off while braking. My cruise control no longer works and I have to push the brakes in further to get the car out of park. The officer stated that the vehicle is unsafe to be operating.

- Auburn, KY, USA

problem #174

Jun 112014

G6

  • 150,000 miles
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 kind of bogs down when the compressor does kick in, and it repeatedly kicks on and off while driving any distance at all. Also the interior lights flicker constantly. The message center on the radio constantly says that I have low coolant, but that is an error message. In the suspension area my whole front end(struts, ball bearings, etc) seem to be bad. When I drive over a small bump the whole car shutters and pulls wildly to one side or the other. It feels like my tires hit into the rim itself over speed bumps when I am driving merely 10 miles per hour.

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #173

May 312017

G6

  • 125,000 miles
ABS and traction control warning light comes on intermittently. Driver unsure if car is ok or not. Both lites at the same time. Also, seatbelt warning lite/chime do not go away even when buckled.

- Ridgeley, WV, USA

problem #172

Jun 012017

G6

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Elctronic power steering system failing high winding sounds when the stewrong wheel is turned and failing electronic system vehicle says vent valve selenoid is bad, changed it out and cleared the code and error still comes back, also. Right passenger side headlights are dimly lit and there is some sort of voltage problem going on?

- Springfield, VT, USA

problem #171

Mar 012017

G6

  • 171,000 miles
I received a letter in March of 2017 advising me of a possible problem with a BCM could cause a problem with the brake lights of my vehicle. The letter states that I should not take the vehicle to a dealer for repairs unless I was certain the problem existed. The letter went on to explain that GM would extend the warranty on this vehicle to cover the needed repairs if the problem were to show as long as it was less than 15 years, or 150,000 miles from the date the vehicle was originally put in to service. The thing that insults me is that I had the vehicle in a dealer shop a couple of months prior to getting this letter to have a power steering problem diagnosed. Anytime a vehicle is taken to a dealer the mileage is recorded and therefore GM knew, or should have known before sending the letter that my vehicle was already beyond the mileage they were allowing in the extended warranty. If this was such a problem I would thing GM should cover it no matter the amount of time on the road or the number of miles. Attached are both the dealer shop ticket showing the VIN, date and mileage when the vehicle was diagnosed for a steering issue, and the extended warranty letter limiting the mileage to less than what GM should have known was on the vehicle when the letter was mailed.

- Paris, KY, USA

problem #170

Mar 302017

G6

  • 197,000 miles
On approximately 13 different occasions over the last 2 months (while on a city street at 25mph, and while on a state highway with a speed limit of 65mph) all instrument panel gauges go crazy and suddenly dropped to zero. 'power steering' message and 'low fuel' light (had a full tank of gas) was shown on the radio message center, along with warning sounds, and 'error' was displayed in the odometer window. Gauges continued fluctuating repeatedly from normal and/or correct ranges, to zero, and continued sounding/showing warning sounds and error messages for approx 5-6 minutes. Then all gauges dropped to zero and stayed there, car engine was cutting in and out and radio stopped working. Pulled off the road, did not have a loss of power steering. Parked car, shut off, removed key, opened door and restarted car. Drove fine (no issues) for approximately 5 miles and then the same thing happened again, this time radio stayed on and engine did not cut out, guages returned to normal after about 2-3 minutes of intermittent fluctuating, error messages disappeared from message center without having to shut off car, but traction control light showed it was off and I could not turn back on - traction control worked after car was turned off and then restarted a short time later. Recall repair for power steering torque sensor was completed at a local dealership approximately 2 years ago, in 2015. Two mechanics in area could not find codes that were thrown but state that it is probably the part or a part pertaining to the recalled torque sensor, but could not confirm.

- Blair, NE, USA

problem #169

Nov 052016

G6

  • 110,385 miles
Re: Pontiac 2006 -G6 GT elect. System, elect. Stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control --- this car was recalled for above problems in 2014. At that time I brought car to dealer to be fixed, although the car was not in need of repair because no problems had existed, dealer stated he fixed all recall problems at that time. Now two years later I am experiencing all the listed problems above. I took car to mechanic where he did replace parts but still experiencing problem. It must go back to dealer so problem can be alleviated. Brake lights do not go on when braking also when applying gas they sometimes go on. Cruise control is also not working. What's to say that this problem was never fixed in 2014 when the car was recalled due to the fact that I wasn't having any issues at that time. Had do I know the work was ever done the first time around since I was not in the service area and I had no problems with the car. What's to say I was handed an itemized list of all corrected parts and indeed it was never fixed. I called Pontiac and was told since it was replaced with recall I have to now pay out of pocket. According to NHTSA -they have been working to reduce deaths and injuries on the roadways to make it safer for the public. They also need to be on the customers side and not the side of the dealer.

- Deer Park, NY, USA

problem #168

May 012015

G6

  • 126,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving various speeds, the brake lights illuminated. When the brake pedal was depressed, the brake lights failed to illuminate. The dealer diagnosed that the wiring harness failed. The failure mileage was 126,000.

- Westminster, SC, USA

problem #167

Oct 012016

G6

  • miles
The air bag doesn't work and the light flashes "service airbag, " and, while pumping the brakes to stop, you have to pumps twice before the car reacts to the command. I had the pads replaced but the car operates the same as before.

- Metairie, LA, USA

problem #166

Oct 022016

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 160,706 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact pulled over and was able to restart the vehicle after 60 seconds. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,706. Updated 01/06/2017

- Raeford, NC, USA

problem #165

Sep 132016

G6

  • 150,000 miles
My brake lights are not working properly. They stay on and turn off when I press the brakes and randomly turn on and off as I drive down the road or even just sitting still. I have had my car serviced and every time it is an issue with BCM. When I was notified of the recall on that issue, I took my car to the dealership, but what they did did not fix the issue. It did, but only temporarily.

- Dolgeville, NY, USA

problem #164

Jan 012015

G6

  • miles
Well my break lights stay on while driving down the road. Also I have no cruise control. An when I shift from park to drive it seems like it wants to be stuck unless I push hard on the break pedal. But when I'm driving down the road I hit my breaks an my light goes off an then while driving with out hitting my breaks they turn on. An it's been doing this since last year of 2015.

- New Philadelphia, OH, USA

problem #163

Jun 152016

G6

  • 110,445 miles
The car has barely started from the time that I've purchased it a couple years ago. More recently I got it to start after a few tries and when I got to a red light it cut off and never came back on. I was then stuck in the middle of an intersection. I have my car at a dealership for the third time within the past few months and they're telling me there is an electrical issue with the car after being told it was several other things outside of the electrical. I am also finding that the same make and model has been doing the same to other owners. I refuse to pay for repairs for a car that has never ran properly for me after having it for 2 years.

- Norcross, GA, USA

problem #162

Jul 192016

G6

  • 157,000 miles
Takata recall traction control light comes on randomly and check engine light comes on. When driving it shifts really hard if the tc light is on also while driving it trys to stall out. Also randomly all dash light will come on and gauges all go crazy and puts error on the dash where the odometer reading is and then car want start.

- Hudson, NC, USA

problem #161

Jul 022016

G6

  • 73,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving 35 mph, the engine and power steering warning lights illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The contact had to use force to turn the steering wheel. In addition, the doors unlocked and locked repeatedly. The contact felt that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The dealer was notified, but no repairs were made. The failure mileage was 73,000.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #160

Jun 182016

G6

  • 96,000 miles
Looses power steering and all gages go to zero and rapidly fluctuate, then vehicle stalls

- Jamestown, NY, USA

problem #159

May 212016

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the lights on instrument panel flickered and the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the ignition was turned off and back on and the vehicle operated as intended. The contact stated that the failure recurred twice. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V064000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.....updated 07/05/16 the consumer stated while driving, the steering wheel suddenly became stiff. Consequently, the consumer was unable control the vehicle and crashed into a ditch. The consumer was injured. Updated 07/11/16.

- Houston, TX, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?