Gear Shifter Stuck In Park

CarComplaints.com Seal Of Avoid Like The Plague

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.

7.3

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
44,350 miles
Total Complaints:
3 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (2 reports)
  2. replace shifter (1 reports)
2006 Pontiac G6 accessories - interior problems

accessories - interior problem

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2006 Pontiac G6 Owner Comments

problem #3

Jan 122010

G6 3500 V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 67,566 miles

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

I have had my car for 3 years now. It has had multiple problems, but this one is the most annoying because I believe it is also connected to a few other problems I have been having for about the past 2 years now. Slowly getting worse. So I start the car, can't get it in to drive, so I press on the brake pedal as hard as I can and shift it into drive at the same time. It seems to work. However, I have also friends that have been driving behind me call me and ask if I'm stepping on the brake a lot. And of course I say "No, why?" So they tell me my brake lights keep flickering down the road. Which is probably why I can't get my cruise control to work right or should I say stay on. And also why my car gets stuck into park, because the car doesn't think I'm on the brake.

- sandersg6, Roscoe, IL, US

problem #2

Dec 222009

G6 3500 V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,000 miles

We were in the process of moving out of state. After starting the car, you could not take it out of park. I figured out a combination for it. You have to turn the car off, grab the shifter and squeeze the button to take it out of park. While squeezing the button start the car, with out letting go of the shifter. Once the car is running, you can take it out of park. I brought it the a dealer where we are living now. Of course they could not "duplicate the problem". By this time the factory warranty was close to being out. They said no problem, the situation is noted in their system, and if it did it again, just call them and they would take care of it. Needless to say, it never got fixed. They say there is nothing they can do.

Update from Sep 10, 2010: I no longer have the G6. I did find that there was a recall on some of these models. Mine did not fall under the recall, although it had the same problems. There is a connection on the body control computer that gets corroded. The recall has them cleaning it and applying some kind of grease. I found this connection and pulled it. It appeared to be clean and in good shape. I didn't not have any electrical grease available at the time. I just plugged the connection back into the body control computer. For 3 months after that I did not have any problems with the shifter, brake lights or cruise. I still got rid of the car. If the brake lights do not come on, you can not take the car out of gear. If the brake lights come on, while driving with the cruise control comes on, and the brake lights decide to come on, on their own, it will shut off the cruise control.

- magoos4x4, Texarkana, AR, US

problem #1

Jul 032008

G6 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 32,467 miles

Very annoying to get into your car and not be able to move. Ten minutes later the problem disappears until the next time, which could be later in the day or a week down the road. Very sporadic; there are no bulletins; I brought the car into the dealer and of course nothing happened, so dealer at this point is not doing anything about it. This has now happened on 4 separate occasions in the space of 2 weeks. It seems that I will have to wait until the problem becomes permanent. However, the service man did mention that a similar problem existed on the G5, and that they had to replace the shifter.

- Rene C., Embrun, ON, Canada

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