NHTSA — Suspension: Front Problems

2006 Pontiac GTO (Page 1 of 4)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,266 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 GTO suspension problems

suspension problem

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2006 Pontiac GTO Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #72

Apr 182010

GTO

  • 19,106 miles

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

Front passenger side suspension strut failed. Oil leaked out on smooth road surface. There was no activity prior to failure that would lead to unit being under abnormal stress. There are only 19000 miles on vehicle. Both front struts were replaced with monroe units as I would have no faith in standard units.

- St Pete Beach, FL, USA

problem #71

Apr 182010

GTO

  • 25,500 miles
Struts leaking oil- struts bushing collapsed- no recalls from GMC seems alot people are having this problem with 06 Pontiac GTO.

- Phenix City, AL, USA

problem #70

Jul 012009

GTO

  • 26,000 miles
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. We have a vehicle that keeps on shredding tires - that is not very safe.

- Palm Coast, FL, USA

problem #69

Jan 152008

GTO

  • 14,500 miles

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

The excessive negative chamber and the inadequate strut bushings caused the front tires to prematurely wear out. The car was under warranty but I was told by the dealer this was not covered. I had to purchase new tires and pay to have the front end aligned.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #68

Dec 062009

GTO

  • 52,000 miles
Tire wear on 2006 Pontiac G.T.O. hitting struts causing tires to separate. Taken to dealership, out of warranty so no repairs can be done. Car was in for the same repairs during the warranty period. All tires were replaced at that time, but problem still remains.

- Monroe, MI, USA

problem #67

Mar 122009

GTO

  • 28,745 miles
Strut rubbing on inner wall of front tires. My 2006 Pontiac GTO has 28K miles and I had to replace all four tires. Even though I had the car serviced directly at the dealer since the original purchase, they only reported a concern with alignment. Come to find out the root cause was a rub on the struts which now requires me to replace all four tires. I had to park the vehicle for months to save enough for the $900 replacement. Had this done today only to be told they still rub. I plan to address this with the dealer bit don't expect positive results. After reading up on this from the internet it sounds like I'll need to purchase a camber kit ($350 retail) plus installation fees and re-alignment. This design flaw should be compensated by the vehicle's manufacturer not the buyer. Appreciate any advice or assistance you can offer.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #66

Nov 152008

GTO

  • 20,000 miles

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

No abnormal event led to failures; context was normal driving. Failures were front suspension components; prematurely worn (1) strut rod bushings (I.e., radius rod bushings), (2) strut mount bushings, (3) lower control arm bushings, & (4) end link bushings. The consequences of (I.e., symptoms caused by) combination of 1, 2 & 3 were excessive, irregular, out-of-spec movements in, & wandering of, front suspension & steering components & front tires (which are connected to suspension/steering components)--both in camber & castor--as evidenced by (a) excessive negative camber, which caused (A1) premature inner tire wear, (B) excessive movement or vibration in front wheels, which caused (B1) some inner front tire contact with front struts, & (C) significantly reduced control, & increased instability, of car on road. Front tires are secured to car by triangulation of three major suspension components: Front strut (secured to strut tower through strut mount bushing & bearing), strut rod (secured to front of engine cradle through strut rod bushings), & lower control arm (secured to side of engine cradle through lower control arm bushings), each of which experienced failure. Servicing dealer replaced, under manufacturers warranty, strut rod bushings, strut mount bushings, bearings, & hardware, lower control arm bushings (& lower control arms, since comes as an assembly), & end link bushings (have photos of collapsed, crowned strut mount bushings). Not replace tires or pro-rate. However, GM's replacement with oem parts does not correct underlying problem of poor quality/design oem suspension parts. Substantial out-of-spec movements in geometry of front suspension components in 04-06 Gtos serious safety issue not appropriately addressed by GM or ntsb (ntsb action #PE07010). Appropriate solution is safety recall 04-06 Gtos to replace front strut mount bushings & radius rod bushings w/high quality, heavy-duty parts (e.g., $350 part number gtotirerubpack at www.peddersusa.com).

- Flower Mound, TX, USA

problem #65

May 082009

GTO

  • 18,000 miles
I took my 2006 GTO into the dealer in Jan. 2009 for some warranty repair work on the fan switch. While performing a safety inspection the dealer noticed the right front strut was rubbing on the tire and causing significant wear on the inner tread. I had noticed a clunking sound as I went over speed bumps or turned tight like you would in a parking lot for approximately 3 months prior to that. I asked if they were related and the service attendant said possibly, but that all the Gtos made noise when cranking the wheel because of the wide tires. I asked if the strut was covered under the warranty and they said no, it was some type of front end damage that caused it. The car had a fender bender in Nov. 2006, but it was re-aligned in Dec. 2006. No mention was made at the time that the strut rubbed on the tire. I didn't have the money to have it repaired right away so I wasn't driving it until I April 2009 when circumstances made it my only vehicle. After a few days of driving, I noticed the car would sometimes suddenly shudder in the front suspension and pull very hard to the right. On May 8, 2009 after making a left hand turn from a stop, as I started to straighten the wheel the car jerked to the right onto the shoulder. I tried to steer it back onto the road and the car continued to slide into the ditch. A passerby pulled the car out of the ditch and I limped it back to a friends house where we jacked it up and inspected it. It seemed to drive fine and other than the unusually worn tire everything appeared fine. I'm now afraid to drive it and still don't have the money to get it repaired, so it is parked in my driveway. After doing some online research, it seems that I am not alone in this dilemma. Is Pontiac, GM or macpherson looking into this?

- Seabeck, WA, USA

problem #64

May 032009

GTO

  • 23,700 miles
I have a 2006 Pontiac GTO with just under 24,000 miles. While doing a brake job I noticed that I had major wear on the inner sidewalls of my tires due to contact with the struts. The driver's side front tire had major wear on the inner edge as well as shredding along the sidewall diameter. The passenger side was not as bad on the sidewall, but there was still wearing of the sidewall. The inner edge of the tread had also worn greatly. The dealership refused to do any repair work for this stating that I would have to replace the front tires and to get an alignment. I have done a lot of research regarding this subject and have found many other GTO owners having the same issue or worse.

- Zion, IL, USA

problem #63

Apr 142009

GTO

  • 15,500 miles
2006 Pontiac GTO had to have all 4 tires replaced as the car has the strut rub problem that I have heard and read about since I bought the car. One of tires developed a slow leak and I took it to the local dealer where it has had its regular service done. They called me out to look and showed me how all of the tires had wear on the inside and one in particular was virtually shredded. I have had frequent rotations done on this car as a precaution since learning of this problem. Although with each rotation I would ask the dealer if there were any signs of this abnormal tire wear and they always acted like they never heard of such a thing. It is obviously a design flaw as what vehicle needs all new tires every 10-15 thousand miles because of inner tire shredding? I find it hard to believe that there has not been a recall on this automobile to fix this problem. I am just thankful that I did not experience a blow out on the highway because of this obvious design flaw.

- Prairie Village, KS, USA

problem #62

Apr 112009

GTO

  • 30,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac GTO. The contact stated that there was premature wear on the inner shoulders of his two front tires. The failure causes both front tire belts to be visible from the struts. In addition, the contact noticed sparks coming from the front tires while driving various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not determine the cause of the failure. The repair will cost $1,000. The vehicle is still under warranty; however, the dealer will not honor the warranty. The failure mileage was 30,000.

- Perris, CA, USA

problem #61

Nov 182008

GTO

  • 29,000 miles
When removing my summer tires, and installing my winter tires I noticed that my front right tires inner shoulder was worn down to the steel belt. I was very concerned, as the car has been aligned by the mfg regularly, and the tires had low mileage on them. The tire was in a condition such that it could lose pressure at any moment. After research, it appears as if the front radius rod bushings and front strut mounts have failed. A major contributor to this failure was the fact that the vehicle was made in australia and shipped to the us for distribution/sales. During the shipping process, the vehicles were strapped down such that their suspensions were fully compressed. This extended load allowed for key suspension components to fail prematurely. Another contributor to the failure is the fact that the tires mounted to the vehicle in the us are wider than the tires included with the vehicle in australia. The wider tires infringe upon the clearance between the tires and front struts. The early failure allows the tires to wear unevenly, and permits the tire to contact the strut mount during cornering, breaking and acceleration. Countless other owners of this vehicle have seen the same issue, and the mfg "fix" is to align the front tires such that the camber is so large that it spaces the tire away from the strut. This is a band aid repair, as the front suspension performance is now limited, and the tires wear the outside shoulders prematurely.

- Solon, OH, USA

problem #60

Oct 292006

GTO

  • 14 miles
I purchased a 2006 Pontiac GTO and from the start I heard a clunking sound at the front end while driving or slowing to stop. It appears to be the struts or control arms. This does not sound like a car without any problems and my friends have noticed the odd sounds like the car is getting ready to breakdown.

- Lagrange, NC, USA

problem #59

Oct 102008

GTO

  • 8,700 miles
Front struts replaced before purchase 8/07(leaking) front right strut replaced 10/07 rear valence flew off on parkway replaced 10/18/07 tire rub front right dealer blames manufacturing defect on frame dealer also states front bumper sprayed. Fraud car bought new no accidents on car.

- Eastchester , NY, USA

problem #58

Jun 152008

GTO

  • 36,000 miles
Front struts on my 2006 Pontiac GTO failed after only 20 months of use. This failure results in loss of directional stability and causes an increase in stopping distance. The car has seen no track time. It is my daily driver, mostly highway use.

- Riverview, FL, USA

problem #57

Oct 042008

GTO

  • 7,000 miles
My car has worn out three sets of tires since 8/7/2006 when I purchased it new. I had a flat tire today. When I took the tire off the driver rear side of the car it was badly worn on the inner threads again. It looked to me that the tire had actually rubbed something as opposed to tire wear. I was so aggravated when I finally got home I went on LS1@GTO.com and was advised by other members that the issue is called strut rub. I will be contacting GM when they open today. I am in the process of finding out what parts will correct the problem.

- Irving, TX, USA

problem #56

Sep 262008

GTO

  • 34,291 miles
I was doing an oil change and noticed that the inside of the front tires were worn to the steel belts. I removed the wheels and noticed there was bare metal showing on the inside of the strut tower brace. I replaced my entire set of tires and the same thing is occurring. I brought my car to the dealership and they tell me it is an alignment issue. I just had my alignment done 5 months ago at pep boys auto parts store. Now the dealer told me that they did it wrong. I am being charged for inspection of my vehicle.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #55

Sep 082008

GTO

  • 31,700 miles
I took my 2006 Pontiac GTO in to get tires rotated and balanced. As the mechanics took the tires off the car to balance them they observed severe tire damage on the inside of the tire. The mechanics stated that the front tires have been rubbing against the struts on both side of the car. I have replaced the original tires on the car prior to this incident due to the mechanic stating tire failure because of improper alignment. This is ridiculous my car is currently at the dealership as they look for a reason to not warranty the problem.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #54

Aug 182008

GTO

  • 24,000 miles
I am the original owner of a 2006 Pontiac GTO with 17" wheels. The struts rubbed the front tires until a chunk of rubber and metal coils were loose swinging around behind my tires. Both of my front tires have to be replaced, even though the right tire has a lot of tread left, because the strut rub has eaten almost all the way through the tire. I was lucky I didn't have a blowout, but I noticed it in time. Pontiac will not warranty anything, only offering me a free alignment in which they told me they were going to adjust to the maximum negative camber to try to move the tires as far away from the strut as possible. I have less than 24 thousand miles. I have had strut problems before. One side has been replaced 2 times and the other side once, not for strut rub. This sucks.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #53

Aug 172008

GTO

  • 7,100 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac GTO. While driving 70 mph, the contact traveled a distance of only 200 miles. After returning home down a dirt road, he heard scratching and rattling noises. The contact looked under the vehicle and noticed oil leaking. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the struts failed. The contact searched GMC's website and discovered that the struts were supposed to be replaced before the vehicle was sold due to a recall on both front struts. He is in the process of getting the struts replaced. The contact feels this is a safety issue because a serious crash could have occurred due to the faulty struts. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 7,100.

- Milford , MI, USA

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