NHTSA — Steering Problems

2006 Pontiac G6 (Page 17 of 57)

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:
51 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
30 / 1
Average Mileage:
75,713 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 steering problems

steering problem

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2006 Pontiac G6 Owner Comments (Page 17 of 57)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #807

Apr 032011

G6

  • 110,135 miles

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

Driving my power steering and exterior lighting goes out all the time. Also my passenger air bag says service air bag all the time. My car has also just shut down on me on numerous occasions on the highway etc.

- Ypsilanti, MI, USA

problem #806

Aug 172014

G6 4-cyl

  • 133,547 miles
Scariest incident in my life, lost steering of the car as I turned into oncoming traffic (45 mph). I had to use full muscle and weight to turn the car out of the path of oncoming traffic. Someone with less muscle would have resulted in head on collision. This incident is related to GM's number for this recall is N140115. I do not think GM is taking this seriously.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

problem #805

Jul 092014

G6 6-cyl

  • 135,000 miles
My son was driving and he couldn't turn the wheel back as he came out of a curve. This resulted in the vehicle being wrecked and totaled.

- Wilmer, AL, USA

problem #804

Jun 132014

G6

  • 193,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact received recall notices for NHTSA campaign numbers: 14V153000 (steering) and 14V224000 (transmission shift cable). The dealer and manufacturer stated that the parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the power steering and brakes failed intermittently while driving various speeds. The failure mileage was 193,000.

- Liberty , KY, USA

problem #803

Aug 112014

G6 6-cyl

  • miles
Steering wheel locks up while driving, interior electric have glitches.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #802

May 142014

G6

  • 144,000 miles
Out getting lunch and the steering wheel lock on me as I was driving.

- Little Elm, TX, USA

problem #801

Jul 012014

G6

  • miles

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

I have received 2 separate recalls for my vehicle regarding the power steering, one in 2012 and one in June of 2014. Both recalls claimed that there are no parts available, and have not been for 2 years now. I have just received in July of 2014 (2) more recalls on my vehicle, regarding the body control module, and transmission shift cable, again stating that no parts are available. My fiance drives this vehicle and it frightened me to thing that her transmission cable could go, so I contacted GM about the issue to attempt to find out how long until the parts are available, since I worry about her safety. I was told to wait until the parts become available, one of which I have been waiting over 2 years, and to ignore the recall letters, that they don't mean much and they are "forced" to send them out. I was told to continue to wait like everybody else for the parts to become available, and not to worry unless I receive more letters. I have never seen such a blatant disregard for customer safety. I have already attempted to contact GM about this issue at no luck. Please help.

- Wesley Chapel, FL, USA

problem #800

Feb 082013

G6 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
Lost power steering. Why isnt this a recall for this VIN #" how did they seperate what VIN # were ok and what ones needed to be recalled"

- Alger, MI, USA

problem #799

May 012014

G6

  • 88,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the power steering failed without warning. The contact also mentioned that the vehicle would veer to the right. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V153000 (steering) however, the part was not available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

- Woodbine, NJ, USA

problem #798

Dec 012010

G6

  • 36,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph during inclement weather, the traction control system failed causing the contact to crash into a wall. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. In addition, the contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel and was difficult to maneuver. The contact also stated that while parked, the vehicle shifted out of gear. Additionally, the front passenger tie rod, ball joint, and the hub wore out prematurely. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 36,000.

- Covington, PA, USA

problem #797

Nov 012010

G6

  • miles

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

Bought a Pontiac with only 15 miles on it, shortly after that I began to hear a "popping" noise in my steering wheel. Took the car back to the dealer, dealer returned the vehicle. Dealer did not advise me what they had done with the vehicle, only told me that it had been fixed. I did not hear the "popping" noise for a period of time. When it began to start making the noise again, I once again returned it to the dealership, at this time they advised me that they had to change the racket pinion. I left dealership and it worked fine for a short time and it began to make the noise again. I returned the car back to the dealership and at that time they advised me that it was the racket pinion again and they had already replaced this part 3 time, and it was not fixable. I was unaware, they had changed it the first time. After all this time, I have actually located a mechanic who explained to me that it is not just the racket pinion, but also the bracket and joint. Now totally up to approximately $1600 of parts and labor to fix properly.

- Lindale, TX, USA

problem #796

Nov 012013

G6

  • 132,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the steering wheel vibrated when attempting to stop the vehicle. The failure occurred on numerous occasions and caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 132,000.

- Grandview, WA, USA

problem #795

Jul 012014

G6

  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 14V153000 (steering). The contact stated that the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact did not experience a failure.

- Glassport, PA, USA

problem #794

Nov 152006

G6

  • 6,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that during winter months, the steering wheel became inoperable. Additionally, the contact mentioned that the steering wheel would shake when the motor was running at start up. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was repaired. The failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V153000 (steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,000.

- Sicklerville, NJ, USA

problem #793

Jul 282014

G6 6-cyl

  • miles
When driving the steering wheel gets hard and almost impossible to drive.

- Eloy, AZ, USA

problem #792

Jun 162009

G6 6-cyl

  • 64,277 miles
Stated vehicle was in for repair at on the above date. Repairs completed on this date match the scope of work that should be completed under campaign # 14V153000. Vehicle was serviced at lavery automotive sales and service, llc. 1096 West state St P.O. Box 3545, alliance, Ohio 44601. Dealer phone: 330-238-1037. Dealer repair order # [xxx]. owner requesting reimbursement for repairs. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- North Canton, OH, USA

problem #791

Jun 022014

G6

  • 209,418 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while making a turn, the power steering failed. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to maneuver and locked without warning. The vehicle was merged to the side of the road where it was restarted. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for further inspection, diagnosis and repair. The contact was not notified of recall NHTSA campaign id number: 14V153000 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 209,418.

- Grayling, MI, USA

problem #790

Sep 012013

G6

  • 50,000 miles
2013: Automatic light opening door became completely inoperable. Extremely dangerous for females during nighttime hours, even when pulling into driveway or going to car from home. I also began having problems with the turning signal level. I had to manually switch the blinker off after turning, otherwise my blinker would stay on the entire drive. In March, 2014, the lever completely snapped off, and I have to shove it into place before and after turning to properly execute any turn because the lever hangs after every movement. I began hearing a "thumping" sound at random times when applying my brakes. Initially, I thought it may be related to the brake line/pads/rotors or tires; however, I have had both areas of my vehicle inspected, and the technicians could not find anything wrong. The "thumping" noise continues more frequently every time. No definitive answer as to what is causing it. I have also had the vent for my defroster crack off, causing the pieces of the vent to fall into the ventilation system, but hasn't caused any significant problems with my cooling/heating/defrosting system (yet). In January, 2014, my power steering notification would randomly come on and steering lock up while in parked position. In April/may, 2014, the problem escalated within weeks, and my power steering disengaged while pulling out of the bank parking lot, and then again pulling into my neighborhood. At that time, I contacted GM regarding the problem, and was told that there was a recall (yet GM owners manual had not placed it online), but the parts were not available. Today, power steering went out after hitting a water puddle in the pouring rain. Had it not been for me knowing exactly what to do (put on hazards, put vehicle in park, turn off and then turn on vehicle), I would have ended up in serious accident.

- Lafayette, LA, USA

problem #789

Mar 132012

G6

  • 80,000 miles
While accelerating onto the highway the vehicle loses power and all service, warning and dash lights come on. They flash and flicker until I lift foot off gas pedal, but will come right back if I step on the gas to hard. This issue only occurs when performing a hard acceleration onto the highway.

- Lake Orion, MI, USA

problem #788

Apr 252011

G6

  • 84,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was restarted and resumed normal operation. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering torque sensor failed and as a result, the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 84,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.

- Lebanon, IL, USA

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