NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2006 Pontiac G6 (Page 9 of 11)

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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 9 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #58

Sep 232009

G6 6-cyl

  • 72,872 miles

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

This Pontiac G6 was taken to dealer on three occasions for the same complaint. 9/23/2009. The first occasion, the vehicle's cruise control did not work and the gearshift was very difficult to move out of park. On one occasion the car had to be left at work site as gear shift could not be moved until the next morning. Last, several people told me that brake lights were on while driving and turned off when applying the brakes; all the symptoms of the recall #09V036000 second occasion: It was taken to dealer again 6/20/2011 for the same symptoms the dielectric lubricant suggested in the recall was applied both times and complaints cured. Third occasion: The vehicle is going into dealer 6/11/2012 for the same complaints..

- Northville, MI, USA

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problem #57

Mar 192012

G6

  • 76,000 miles
As I was pulling into work, my car dinged three times, then power steering was flashed on my radio and my steering wheel locked up! unable to drive my car, I had it towed to a mechanic and the estimated repairs would cost $900! this is a horrible car, as this is just one of the few problems I am having with this vehicle. Every time I turn the steering wheel, something in the steering system is making it clank, and when I turn the wheel back it will clank again. If I am at a complete stop and have my hands off the steering wheel, when I apply the gas, the wheel will pull itself about half a turn to the left and as I pick up speed it will recenter itself. When I turn the wheel there is also a grinding noise. The struts have gone bad, which is $450 more, and there is a leak in the front left tire somewhere (not the tire itself, the mechanic told me it was leaking oil somewhere). This is my first GM car, and it will most certainly be my last.

- Waterford, MI, USA

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problem #56

Aug 062011

G6 6-cyl

  • 89,500 miles
2006 Pontiac G6 experiencing all issues documented in recall however this specific vehicle was in recalled. Cruise control will intermittently fail when driving, excessive force is required to shift vehicle from park into reverse/drive in some instances. Brake lights will illuminate when brakes are not depressed and will not illuminate when brakes are depressed. All issues are intermittent, any one of them occurring at least 1X week. Contacted both GM and dealership in August and again in December and while issues are documented, no repair has been made because vehicle is not under the existing recall.

- West Chester, OH, USA

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problem #55

Aug 132008

G6 6-cyl

  • 57,000 miles

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

Brake lights staying on while engine on, lights turn off while braking. Cruise control disengages, have had brake switch, sensors, computer calibrated, lubricant applied, battery replaced and still no fix. 4 years of mechanic bills, and still no permanent solution!!! now they want to charge me 1000 for a BCM...GM needs to fix this issue!!! I have a small child and am afraid to drive with him!!!! such a shame that they are letting owners suffer with this and not correct it!!! I have been robbed!!!

- Hillsboro, OH, USA

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problem #54

Dec 202011

G6 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
Cruise control randomly turns off.

- Rochester, MN, USA

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problem #53

Oct 172007

G6

  • 56,000 miles
Brake light not working, on all the time. Turn off when braking. Will not shift to drive without flooring the brakes. Cruise control also will not work.

- La Puente, CA, USA

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problem #52

Dec 012011

G6 6-cyl

  • 66,000 miles

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

Electronic power steering problem. While driving, a power steering warning appears on the radio screen. After the warning, 3 tones sound inside the car. Then, the steering gets very tight and all power steering goes away. This is a very dangerous situation while driving at highway speeds. The only way to correct the issue is to turn off the car and restart it. This problem can lead to serious accidents when power steering is lost. Please report this issue to GM and require a recall before more serious injuries, or death, occur.

- Brownsburg, IN, USA

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problem #51

Nov 072011

G6

  • 40,000 miles
The brake lights and cruise control work do not always work. Sometimes they don't work at all and other times the brake lights come on without pressing the brake pedal. I got a warning from a police officer that I had no brake lights and then realized that when my cruise control was not working, neither were by brake lights. My wife said sometimes she cannot got the car out of park and must turn off the car and try again to get it out of park.

- Charleston, SC, USA

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problem #50

Jul 282010

G6

  • 89,000 miles
I have a 2006 Pontiac G6 that has faulty steering. I was going around a turn at 45mph and my steering gave out and I couldn't move the steering wheel as I was going around this turn. Thank god there was no one coming the other way, otherwise it would have been a serious accident. Several occurrences happened like this and my mechanic can't seem to find the issue. On a website called G6 owners forum, I was reading through different people's experiences and there are hundreds of people dealing with the same issue with different years. I have also read that there was one death involved with this very issue and many injuries reported. I really think GM/Pontiac needs to step up to this issue and schedule a recall to protect the owners of current GM vehicles.

- York, PA, USA

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problem #49

Aug 132011

G6

  • 69,500 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving various speeds he was informed that his brake lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised him that the vcm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500.

- Newcastle, PA, USA

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problem #48

Feb 032010

G6

  • 110,000 miles

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

I own a Pontiac G6 2006 its the worst car I have ever owned I have put 4000-6000$ in to this car and still continue to have problems on a daily basis from the power steering catalytic converters brakes tire rod ends wheel bearings and numerous other problems I have paid more on fixing the problems on the car than I have paid on the car there are currently no recalls to my knowledge but I strongly believe the entire car should be recalled and GM should pay back what the car was purchased for!

- Andover, IA, USA

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problem #47

Aug 062011

G6 6-cyl

  • 89,000 miles
The brake lights on the vehicle come on randomly while driving. This causes the lights to be inoperable while depressing the brake pedal. I have been in several close calls for rear end accidents. Stopped by the police on 2 separate occasions. Also this is the exact problem that GM has in the 2005-06 Pontiac G6 brake light recall notice. I have had the vehicle serviced under recall 2 times now. The fix lasts approximately 3 to 4 months, then the exact same, extremely dangerous, brake light and cruise control issue returns. When the problem occurs the cruise control disengages at random also. This has caused many nerve racking situations when cruise control disengages in traffic while traveling up a hill. GM's fix of applying dielectric grease to the connector is a band aid type fix and is not a remedy for this extremely dangerous recall issue. The newer model G6 vehicles do not have this issue, making it obvious that GM saw a need to fix the problem in house. This problem has been occurring for 4 years at minimum. The car currently has 89K miles and I am the original owner since new. I keep the car in immaculate mechanical condition. This defect needs to be fixed in the correct manner before somebody loses a life.

- Allen, MI, USA

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problem #46

Jun 202011

G6 6-cyl

  • 55,010 miles
Cruise stopped working, brake lights came on when pedal not depressed, and off when depressed exactly as described in recall #09V036000.

- Ocilla, GA, USA

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problem #45

May 202011

G6 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
My 2006 G6's brake lights stay on while driving. When the brakes are tapped, they will go off for about 10 seconds before turning back on. When the brakes are pressed to stop, they do not illuminate. When the brake lights are malfunctioning, the cruise control will not engage. This appears to be an issue many G6 owners are experiencing yet GM dealers call it a "no fix." (whatever that means).

- Greenwood, MO, USA

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problem #44

May 252011

G6 6-cyl

  • 91,000 miles
Rear brake lights fail to turn off even when you are not using the breaks. The rear brake lights stay on even after you turn the car off. The only way to get them to turn off is to pump the brake until they turn off. People driving behind you do not know if you are stopping.

- Angola, NY, USA

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problem #43

Dec 072010

G6

  • 30,000 miles
My current problem with my 2006 Pontiac G6 sounds the same as the recall for the 2009 Pontiac G6. Today (12-8-10) I had to bring in my car in to the dealer after putting my car in park, which then proceeded to roll. The wiring system did not seem to recognize park or disconnected from the transmission. I later tried to turn the ignition and the car would not turn on at all. 4 months ago I brought it in for the key getting stuck in the ignition because the car didn't recognize it as being in park. Three other times I had issues with the brake/foot peddles. I would have to break to accelerate and drive to slow down or it would not accelerate at all until it reached 30mph. It would automatically drive in traction control and read decreased engine power on the panel. In addition, I have recently had a fountain of water pouring into my car surrounding the sunroof on either side of panels btwn the front and rear windows, resulting in severe interior damage and subsequent mold spores growing. Instead of the filter surrounding the sunroof filtering water out, it is filtering water in.

- Audubon, NJ, USA

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problem #42

Dec 042010

G6

  • miles
Brake lamps won't operate properly brake lamps may not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed. In addition, the cruise control may not engage, and greater brake pedal force may be required to shift the vehicle out of park and illuminate bake lights.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

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problem #41

Nov 292010

G6

  • 70,200 miles
In the past few weeks, the steering wheel has been shaking to the left and right while the vehicle is stop. I did not think anything of it until I stop at a traffic light. The steering wheel lock up and could not move left or right. The information center on the radio displayed a power steering warning. I was stuck in the middle of the road until minutes later I turned on the car again and regain control of the steering wheel.

- Forest Park, GA, USA

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problem #40

Nov 112010

G6 6-cyl

  • 88,995 miles
While driving, suddenly the power steering indicator lights comes on and the steering wheel is impossible to control. This is the fourth time this issue has occurred but every time I shut the car off and turn it back on the problem goes away. Every mechanic I have brought the car to says there is no problem when they do a diagnostic check.

- Bridgeport, CT, USA

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problem #39

Nov 192010

G6

  • 58,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact was driving at various speeds with the radio in activation and unexpectedly the radio failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they stated that the radio system would need to be replaced. Also, the technician informed that the radio defect was a common problem. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 58,000.

- Griffith, IN, USA

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