repaired · 2016 Q2
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
2006 Pontiac G6Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,910 owner complaints about the 2006 Pontiac G6, most often about the steering. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-224 the manufacturer reports only 54% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 2, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2006 Pontiac G6 has problems
1,910 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
1,220Steering63 crash/fire/injury
245Electrical system12 crash/fire/injury
198Exterior lighting2 crash/fire/injury
117Air bags
116Service brakes
89Power train
76Fuel/propulsion system
69Vehicle speed control
63Service brakes, hydraulic
34422 other systems31 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1220 | 63 |
| Electrical system | 245 | 12 |
| Exterior lighting | 198 | 2 |
| Air bags | 117 | 21 |
| Service brakes | 116 | 12 |
| Power train | 89 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 76 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 69 | 5 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 63 | 3 |
| 22 other systems | 344 | 31 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
6 recalls
2006 Pontiac G6 recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2015 Q4
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2016 Q2
Power train: automatic transmission
Risk. If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle…
repaired · 2016 Q2
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Show 2 more recalls
no report yet
Exterior lighting: brake lights
Risk. BRAKE LAMPS THAT ARE NOT OPERATING PROPERLY MAY NOT WARN A DRIVER IN A FOLLOWING VEHICLE OF THE BRAKING STATUS AND COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. IF THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, THE FRONT AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MAY BE DISABLED WHEN IT SHOULD BE ENABLED, OR ENABLED WHEN IT SHOULD BE…
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Pontiac.
Mileage at failure
When do steering problems start?
74kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 1,030 steering complaints. 68% were reported before 100,000 miles.
95under 30k miles699under 100k miles331100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Steering
67 owners mentioned a cost$800median
Middle half: $681 – $1,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2006 vs. every other G6 year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the G6 median. How we score
'05'06'07'08'09'10'14
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2006 Pontiac G6 safety ratings
2006 Pontiac G6 2-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2006 Pontiac G6, and the recalls they led to.
- Brake Light Switch/Sensor MalfunctionLed to recall 14V-252
- LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSISTNo recall
- STOP LAMP MALFUNCTIONLed to recall 09V-036
- Brake Light MalfunctionNo recall
In owners' words
What G6 owners report
Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
While driving I'm going around a corner and the steering was grabbing and getting tight I had to mussel the car home then it stopped doing it the again and again now my steering has not power steering and when I back up it grabs sometimes out of my hands and almost breaks my arm. This car is a…
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…
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.
Own a 2006 G6?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.