2006 Pontiac G6 Problems: Steering (1,888 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2006 Pontiac G6 is Steering (56% of 1,888 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2006 Pontiac G6?
1,066 of 1,888 filings named Steering (56% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Lights (177 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Lights, Steering, Transmission / driveline, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2005 has 666 reports on file; this year has 1,888. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 90
- Fires 11
- Injuries 61
- Deaths 2
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 1,066 | 56.5% | 49 crashes · 4 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 177 | 9.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 109 | 5.8% | 3 crashes · 4 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 97 | 5.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 81 | 4.3% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 75 | 4.0% | 14 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 63 | 3.3% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 52 | 2.8% | 3 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 35 | 1.9% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 314 | 16.6% | 22 crashes · 3 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 06V417000 was reported 89 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 09V036000 was reported 270 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V153000 was reported 2,966 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V224000 was reported 2,979 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V252000 was reported 3,081 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V064000 was reported 3,276 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 50 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 81 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 108 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 72 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 69 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 45 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 78 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 72 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 63 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06V417000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V036000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V153000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V224000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V252000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14E044000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V064000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE07023 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE08054 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ13001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA13005 |
Safety Recalls (7)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Lights, Steering, Transmission / driveline, and Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 06V417000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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 DISABLED. IN EITHER CASE, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH THAT REQUIRES AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, A FRONT PASSENGER'S LEVEL OF INJURY MAY BE INCREASED.
- Remedy:
- BECAUSE A REPLACEMENT LEATHER SEAT COVER THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM IS NOT AVAILABLE, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) WILL REPURCHASE THESE VEHICLES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS STATED IN GM'S LETTER TO OWNERS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2006. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT GM AT 1-877-477-1022 TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REPURCHASING THEIR VEHICLE.
-
Recall campaign 09V036000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL APPLY A DIELECTRIC LUBRICANT TO THE CONNECTOR TO PREVENT CORROSION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FOR YOU FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PONTIAC AT 1- 800-620-7668 OR OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 14E044000
Safety recall 14E044000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492.
-
Recall campaign 14V153000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
-
Recall campaign 14V224000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- 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 may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the PARK position, the transmission may not be in PARK. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.
-
Recall campaign 14V252000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
-
Recall campaign 15V064000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- 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.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly, free of charge. The recall began February 24, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14772. Note: This is an expansion of recall 14V-153 to cover additional vehicles built between April 1, 2006 and June 30, 2006.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2006 Pontiac G6?
Owners named Steering most often — 1,066 of 1,888 reports (56%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2006 Pontiac G6?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Lights, Steering, Transmission / driveline, and Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2006 Pontiac G6?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-16. YearTell is not a government agency.