NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2006 Pontiac G6 (Page 4 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

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2006 Pontiac G6 Owner Comments (Page 4 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #158

Mar 072016

G6

  • 149,879 miles

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

This car has been nothing, but a dangerous headache. I was pulling out of my driveway and the brake fell off.. glad no traffic was coming. Could not stop.. the a week later I am driving and the tire blew. Last weekend driving and lost all power. Not only did we get locked inside the car the serpentine belt was shriveled in pieces. It was horrible. Tell the dealer cause I'm making payments and they act as if the could careless.. the car has never been inspected. I had it looked at and was told the back accel is going to crash in and the electrical is bad it can cause a fire. Scare to drive it.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #157

Jan 022016

G6

  • miles
The air bag warning will come on and off during drives. The air bags will turn off and turn on throughout drives. I have a small child now and this really concerns me. Air bag problem has been occurring for a few years now but happens almost every drive now. This happens when car is in motion on a city street, highway, turning and when sitting still. I selected steering because the steering wheel has been replaced by dealership a few years ago from a recall. Electric steering would stop working whenever it wanted to. Never worked normal since it was replaced. This happens when car is in motion on a city street, highway, turning and when sitting still. I also selected electrical because of the rear brake light. It was recalled due to a brake light that may or may not work when applied and took to dealership to have corrected. Since it was looked at we have noticed rear brake lights not working all the time. I've only noticed when sitting still in driveway.

- Noble, OK, USA

problem #156

Nov 182015

G6

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle stalled and caused the doors to lock independently. The contact was locked inside the vehicle and a tow truck was called to unlock the doors. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

- Norton, OH, USA

problem #155

Nov 052015

G6

  • 226,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact also stated that the exterior lighting failed. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 226,000.

- Max Meadow, VA, USA

problem #154

Sep 032015

G6

  • 81,697 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the ignition key failed to turn in any direction after numerous attempts. In addition, the gear lever would not shift from the park position. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition cylinder and module would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,697.

- Chester, PA, USA

problem #153

Aug 312015

G6

  • miles
Having issues with the front lights. This evening I was driving down a back road and suddenly both low beam headlights went out simultaneously. I put on my high beams and 15 seconds later, both low beams came back on. This happened every few hundred feet for my entire drive home. There is definitely an electrical issue and as I'm looking online I see many others are also having lighting issues. If this is a frequent and known problem, GM should be responsible for fixing it. It was really scary having both headlights go out and I'm very thankful I did not crash! this car has been nothing but problems and recalls! as a long time GM customer, I'm extremely disappointed in this vehicle!

- Jeannette, PA, USA

problem #152

Jul 302015

G6 6-cyl

  • 133,687 miles

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

While putting vehicle in gear it jerks very hard. When driving, the vehicle shifts really hard and while driving, the security light comes on and it shuts down. While in reverse, the brake light continues to blink off and on. Took to transmission shop and put it on test they said wiring was bad. Took it to dealer and they didn't fix it. Also, they fix recall for power strain and gear shift cable and car been acting up ever since service light on and not changing properly.

- Batesville, MS, USA

problem #151

Jul 092015

G6

  • 150,000 miles
On July 9 and 29 2015. In the middle of driving my car suddenly went dead power steering locked had to wrestling with it just to keep from hitting another vehicle while get off the road. It had begin to shake as if the front end was about to fall out. The car did not start. I changed the battery as well as the alternator and it still did the same thing again two weeks later on July 29 2015. Still had not started.

- Mendenhall , MS, USA

problem #150

Jun 152015

G6

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after several minutes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

- St Louis, MO, USA

problem #149

May 012015

G6

  • 46,000 miles
While proceeding in traffic on an urban roadway, engine and other electrical components completely shut down. After ten or so minutes, car restarts in the normal way. This has occurred several times over the course of a month or so. Car is undriveable as is, since shutdown occurs randomly and with no warning.

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #148

May 012015

G6 4-cyl

  • 138,500 miles

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

The power window went down but would not go back up. Has happened before but I did not report it until now.

- Farmington Hills, MI, USA

problem #147

Mar 132015

G6

  • 147,000 miles
I was in the merging lane to merge onto the interstate and my car loss power. My car was still drivable, but would not go past 2 RPM. Display panel displayed "reduced power".

- Hoover, AL, USA

problem #146

Feb 142013

G6

  • 122,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the power steering failed. The steering became difficult to maneuver and a humming sound emitted from the steering column. The contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition switch and the vehicle stalled. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission slipped and the vehicle accelerated while in first and second gear. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 122,000.

- Radcliff, KY, USA

problem #145

Jan 052015

G6 4-cyl

  • 170,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the windshield wipers failed. The contact had the wiring and the motor replaced three times, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 170,000. Updated 6/8/15 updated 10/2/2017

- Clifton, NJ, USA

problem #144

Jun 062014

G6

  • 100,000 miles
Car shuts down while driving. Screen says engine disabled. After a minute or two the car restarts. Kept happening randomly. Dealer says it needs PCM replaced. I noticed several complaints about this on different websites.

- Paw Paw, MI, USA

problem #143

Feb 112015

G6

  • miles
I took my vehicle to be inspected by a exxon mechanic and he informed me of one of the recalls on my vehicle (electrical power steering). I contacted the nearest GM dealership in my area requesting information on the recall process. A member of the service team informed me of 3 open recalls on my car. I asked her what are my options. She said the recall parts can be replaced free of charge at their dealership. I asked her if replacing the car or being reimbursement was an option. She said she never heard of that. After her denying if that was even an option she later informed me that getting reimbursed was a lengthy process. I asked her to point me in the right direction. I was given General Motors recall number. I contacted GM and was given the run around after explaining my story to several agents. Finally an agent contacted roadside assistance and the vehicle towed to a dealership. That occurred around 11am. I didn't hear anything from GM or the dealership until 3 pm the next day. When I called the dealership the service guy had no idea what the car was there for. My car was at the dealership for over 24 hours with know contact info or service request. I called [xxx] at GM and they had no idea where my car was. The car was originally supposed to be sent to criswell Chevy dealership. I informed him it was at king Buick GMC. We further discussed what I wanted to come out of this and I let him know I felt unsafe driving the car with power steering and transmission issues. He repeatedly asked if I was sure I wanted to be done with the car. He also said he would try his best to resolve the issue but first I needed to give permission to replace the recall parts when we speak with the dealership in the am. I spoke with the dealership the next morning requesting a loaner vehicle and was told I can not get one because my car is out of warranty. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Gaithersburg, MD, USA

problem #142

Dec 172014

G6

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving at 40 mph, an abnormal noise emitted from the passenger's side dashboard. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89, 000.

- Manteca, CA, USA

problem #141

Dec 272014

G6 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 140,000 miles
The contact owned a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving at various speeds, when attempting to make a left or right turn, an abnormal noise emitted from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the vehicle veered to the right causing the contact to lose control. The vehicle went into an embankment and crashed into several trees. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained injuries to the neck and back which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact received a notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V252000 (electrical system, electronic stability control, exterior lighting, service brakes, hydraulic, vehicle speed control). The approximate failure mileage was 140,000. Updated 03/24/15 updated 10/15/15

- Hardin , KY, USA

problem #140

Dec 102014

G6

  • miles
The connector at the back of the HVAC control panel caught fire.

- Columbia, MD, USA

problem #139

Nov 032014

G6 6-cyl

  • 110,000 miles
Exiting the highway, engine light comes on, traction control off light comes on, car displays engine power reduced, then engine disabled. Car rolls to a stop, put in park and try to start. Wait approx 30 seconds, car starts, but it's a hard start.

- Hamilton, NJ, USA

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