NHTSA — Steering Problems

2006 Pontiac G6 (Page 31 of 57)

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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:
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 31 of 57)

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problem #527

Feb 102009

G6

  • 130,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact was driving 35 mph when the power steering light illuminated causing the steering to fail. The vehicle was turned on and off but the light continued to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who repaired the power steering system. Two months later, the power steering failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they replaced the electronic module within the system. The vehicle was taken to the dealer at least three times in regards to the power steering failure, at the contacts expense. The vehicle was not under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted who stated they will contact him in regards to the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

- Lancaster, KY, USA

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problem #526

Mar 252011

G6

  • 115,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6 SE. The contact stated that the power steering warning light was illuminated with the loss of power steering assist. The contact had to utilize extreme bodily force in order to maneuver the steering wheel. The failure recurred several times and the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who performed a diagnostic that located the failure at the power steering module. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer would not assist with the repairs. The failure and current mileage was 115,000.

- Ada , OH, USA

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problem #525

Jan 112011

G6

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 20 mph and attempting a turn, the contact experienced a loss of power steering for five to ten seconds. The vehicle continued to operate normally and the failure recurred sporadically. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was 72,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Grosse Point, MI, USA

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problem #524

Mar 292011

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 139,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the steering failed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the failure occurred because the steering column was shaking. The dealer did not state what was causing the steering column to shake, but the contact stated that she could feel a shimmy when driving the vehicle. The steering shaft was replaced by the dealer previously on 6/30/2008. The manufacturer stated that the part was no longer covered by the warranty and not under recall. The failure and current mileages were 139,000. Updated 5/24/11

- Cushing, OK, USA

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problem #523

Mar 022011

G6

  • 80,000 miles
I have a 2006 Pontiac G6 and loved it til I started having power steering issues. Come to find out it has electric power steering pump, which was not disclosed at time of purchase. The computer system in the car is failing causing the loss of the power steering pump. Its bad enough I have to pay the car every month but now to have to pay for this additional replacement as the warranty is up, is just not feasible. It is a safety issue and can cause an accident, but it is my only transportation. Hoping they aren't waiting for a fatality before they issue a recall.

- Gilroy, CA, USA

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problem #522

Mar 222011

G6

  • 80,000 miles
Power steering failure after not driving car multiple days. Turning off the car & turning back on sometimes would get power steering working again. Has failed three times.

- Vacaville, CA, USA

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problem #521

Feb 222011

G6

  • 100,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 70 mph, the contact heard a chime inside of the vehicle followed by the loss of power steering. There was an illumination of the power steering warning indicator on the instrument panel. The warning indicator would illuminate intermittently. The contact was able to continue driving and the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Grand Haven , MI, USA

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problem #520

Mar 202011

G6 6-cyl

  • 86,261 miles
Loss of power steering while driving, almost causing an accident. I corrected the power steering problem by turning car off then on a few times until the in dash display did not say power steering anymore.

- Killeen, TX, USA

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problem #519

Mar 152011

G6 4-cyl

  • 123,000 miles
Driving down hwy 4 in senatobia Ms. Steering began to more by itself then became extremely hard to steer completely. This incident happened today so it has not been repaired, but I have talked to the dealership who says it will cost 700 to fix.

- Coldwater, MS, USA

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problem #518

Mar 082011

G6 6-cyl

  • 61,000 miles
Approximately 3 weeks ago, my car began to show me a "power steering" error. It would pop up, and I would lose my power steering. This would go away after turning off and restarting the car. As of two days ago, March 8th 2011, the error is on my dash and I have no power steering at all.

- Woodbury Heights, NJ, USA

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problem #517

Mar 052011

G6

  • 142,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that as he exited the highway onto an off ramp, the vehicle exhibited a warning chime followed by a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was turned off and when restarted, the power steering had reset itself. The contact stated that he had not experienced the failure before. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was told that the electronic power steering assist had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage and current mileages were 142,000.

- Pontiac , MI, USA

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problem #516

Mar 062011

G6 6-cyl

  • 68,000 miles
I own a 2006 Pontiac G6 and recently had a problem with my power steering. I was turning right into a parking lot and I heard a noise from my car and my steering wheel jerked back the opposite direction. I parked the car and try turning my steering wheel and it would only move one way or the other about a quarter turn and then jerk back. I have not yet got the word from the dealer as to the problem but I have read that these cars are having alot of problems with the steering system, and there was no warning leading up to this the car had been running fine.

- Nashville, TN, USA

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problem #515

Mar 022011

G6

  • 54,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving approximately 35 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated as the steering wheel became very stiff and difficult to turn. The vehicle was pulled over and shut off. When the vehicle was restarted, the steering wheel operated as normal. Approximately fifteen minutes later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The failure and current mileage was 54,000.

- Lansing, MI, USA

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problem #514

Feb 262011

G6 6-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
Last year my 2006 Pontiac G6 started making this popping sound everytime I turned my steering wheel. I took it to the dealership where I purchased my vehicle. They stated that it was my intermediate steering shaft. They had also stated that this was a factory defect. However I ran into the problem of my warranty company refusing to replace until it failed. The dealership told me that it was safe to drive. Last Friday I was pulling into my drive way and my steering wheel locked while still in drive and moving and power steering flashed across my radio screen. I called the dealership again and on the following Monday they had my car towed to the dealership. The intermediate steering shaft and torque sensor had failed. I would definitely consider this a safety issue. Had I been driving down the highway I could have been seriously injured. When I picked my car up I noticed the steering still was not right. They stated it was registering a heat sensor code for the power steering motor. They also stated eventually I would have to have it replaced, however yet again the warranty only covers this when it fails. Why has no one recalled this vehicle. It has more problems than I cant count. I no longer feel safe driving my car.

- Florence, CO, USA

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problem #513

Feb 282011

G6 4-cyl

  • 68,649 miles
Extremely unhappy with GM and the Pontiac G6. My electric steering went out again. Back in August 2010 my electric assist went out and I had it "repaired" by GM due to the recall.. well it worked up until today 2/28/11 and my electric steering went out again. My steering suddenly became hard to move and I almost crashed into my driveway gate but I was able to stop. I got the error message of "power steering" in my dic. I took it to GM and it is now suddenly not covered even though they did not properly fix the issue the first time. They want $800+ to fix the issue and replaced the motor. Very unsatisfied, have always been a GM fan and our family has 5 GM cars. I need this issue resolved as I cannot drive my car without the power steering as it is unsafe and I cannot afford a $800 repair! this needs to be resolved by GM asap! its not fair for us owners to be driving around in an unsafe vehicle that the most important component for safety failed!

- Norwalk, CA, USA

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problem #512

Feb 152011

G6

  • 122,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on the highway, she noticed that the power steering became very difficult to maneuver. The power steering warning light illuminated on instrument panel. The dealer was contacted and they stated that they are aware of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were approximately 122,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

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problem #511

Jan 142011

G6 6-cyl

  • 112,000 miles
I own a 2006 Pontiac G6 that now has around 112,000 miles on it. For the past 6 months or so I've been experiencing difficulty steering the vehicle at times. This is one of many issues I've experienced with this vehicle. Last week when I started the vehicle, the information menu started flashing "power steering", which indicates that more than likely a new steering column needs to be installed. I've researched and have found that this is an issue that millions of Pontiac G6 owners have complained about and that an extended service plan had been generated to repair the problem free of charge courtesy of GM, but only to drivers with 100,000 miles or less. In my case, with over 100,000 miles on the car I now have to pay out of pocket at least $800 to fix this defect with GM's automobile. This should be a recall!!! the steering wheel gets really hard to turn all of a sudden while your already driving. This is extremely dangerous to me and other drivers on the road. I want my complaint to be documented and would also like an explanation as to why this major defect has not been classified as a recall. I will never buy a GM vehicle or any other american made vehicle ever again in my life. GM will not assist me with paying for this repair and I do not have the means to do so at this time, but I do need a car to get to work everyday. This is ridiculous!

- East Patchogue, NY, USA

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problem #510

Feb 072011

G6 6-cyl

  • 126,788 miles
The power steering went out on my 2006 Pontiac G6. About a year ago I heard clunking coming from the steering column. Now my power steering has gone out completely and now I know what ths clunking sound was. And reading online it seems like I'm not the only one.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

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problem #509

Feb 092011

G6

  • 124,000 miles
Driving on rt 64 in il, Pontiac G6 power steering fails, can hardly move the wheel to turn stayed on rt 64 till it was more rural to turn I was afraid I couldn't. this is a hazard and has great potential for serious accidents GM needs to take responsibility to correct this..this needs to be recalled no matter how many miles you have on your car. The property damage is obviously the steering failure my car is in the shop and the damage to my nerve wracking white knuckle ride home.

- Paw Paw, IL, USA

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problem #508

Dec 282010

G6 6-cyl

  • 59,500 miles
I own a 2006 Pontiac G6 and the power steering went out while I was driving the car in December.. I almost had a wreck. I went to auto zone and purchased power steering fluid and I was able to add some to the system. Three days later the same thing happened, luckily I was driving on a street where I could pull over. I came home and called Pontiac in san diego, ca. And was informed by the dealer to complain to the Pontiac headquarters. I contacted the headquarters and nothing has been done. In last 5 weeks the power steering has gone out a total of five times and I almost wrecked twice. I live part time in the usa and part time in Mexico. The last time I contacted Pontiac they said when I returned the usa to contact them. All I am getting is a run around with no answers. I told them the car was dangerous..their emails to me are very negative and I am totally unhappy with their response.

- Ca, CA, USA

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