2006 Pontiac G6 problems & reliability
1,909 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Pontiac G6, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
48 complaints report injuries (61 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Pontiac G6 vehicles were involved in 95 fatal crashes with 72 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1,219 | 64% |
| Electrical System | 244 | 13% |
| Exterior Lighting | 198 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 117 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 116 | 6% |
| Power Train | 88 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 76 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 69 | 4% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 63 | 3% |
| Suspension | 56 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 48,000 and 116,000 miles), based on 1,567 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The vehicle experienced a complete failure of the Electric Power Steering (EPS) motor, matching the identical failure symptoms of NHTSA Recall 15V064000, but this specific VIN is excluded from the campaign. Operating this vehicle without electronic power assist put extreme torsional stress on the manual steering…”
Steering · filed Jul 6, 2026
“When first started sometimes power steering does not work. Temporary fix is to restart the car. It's gone out while I was driving. This is very scary and hard to turn when it goes out.”
Steering · filed May 14, 2026
“Airbag light staying on dash and the passenger seat does not register a person sitting in it. The passage seat bag alert does not making a sound”
Steering · filed May 7, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Brake Light Switch/Sensor Malfunction
Engineering Analysis EA13005 · opened Jun 6, 2013 · closed Jul 1, 2014 · led to recall 14V252000
- Brake Light Malfunction
Recall Query RQ13001 · opened Feb 4, 2013 · closed Jun 6, 2013
- STOP LAMP MALFUNCTION
Preliminary Evaluation PE08054 · opened Sep 15, 2008 · closed Jan 30, 2009 · led to recall 09V036000
- LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST
Preliminary Evaluation PE07023 · opened Apr 25, 2007 · closed Sep 25, 2007
Technical service bulletins
754 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Pontiac G6. The 10 most recent:
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or…
PIP5358D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 20, 2025
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 25, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician…
PIT5099H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 12, 2024
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only).
02-00-89-002X · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized…
PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Pontiac G6 has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Pontiac G6?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.