NHTSA — Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

2006 Pontiac G6 (Page 2 of 3)

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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:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
38,306 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 brakes problems

brakes problem

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2006 Pontiac G6 Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #25

Jun 242010

G6

  • 33,005 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While making a left or right turn the vehicle stalled without warning. She was able to move the vehicle onto the emergency lane. The check engine light illuminated after the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the computer caused the failure to occur. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately a year ago, she experienced brake failure when the brakes were applied and crashed into the vehicle in-front of her. The failure mileage was 33,005 and the current mileage was 35,000.

- Buffalo Grove, IL, USA

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problem #24

Jul 012010

G6

  • 89,000 miles
Brake light malfunction that occurs constantly. Brake illuminates when driving and turn off when the brakes are applied. Vehicle has the same symptoms described in recall id# 28422 but according to Pontiac my vehicle is not covered in the recall.

- Sellersburg, IN, USA

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problem #23

Apr 152010

G6 6-cyl

  • 6,000 miles
Since the car was almost new (6,000 miles) the brakes pulsate and need constant repair - eventually the pulsation leads to what I would determine an uncomfortable/uncontrollable breaking problem. Dealer has indicated the type of brakes on this car have a problem with corrosion. They are able to repair and car seems ok for a few months then problem recurs. Last time the dealer charged approximately $400 for repair (May 2010). The car is now starting to again display some of the same symptoms, starting to pulsate, brakes making dragging sound. The car has 43,000 miles as of this date and been taken to dealer at least 2 times per year for brake problems since original purchase in August 2006.

- Mansfield, TX, USA

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problem #22

Jun 292010

G6

  • 21,000 miles

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

2006 Pontiac G6, currently with 76,400 miles at 21K my brakes were already in the yellow. At 38K, I replaced the front brakes and had the car aligned. At 45K, I had to replace the front brake pads again. At 50K, I had to resurface the rotors. At 54K, I had to install new rotors and new front brakes... again. I purchased high performance, cross-drilled rotors, and the brakes that were recommended to go along with them, and had them installed at a reputable brake company. At a little over 54K, I had to do another alignment. At 64K, another alignment was recommended and performed. At 71K, brakes are in the yellow again. And now, today, at 76K, had to resurface the new rotors, and was told that my front brakes are, once again, nearing the red. And I'm pretty sure, if I had the energy, money and time to check the alignment again, it would need to be re-aligned again. Pontiac G6 has some sort of problem that causes a ridiculous amount of brake and rotor wear, and alignment issues. Period.

- Perris, CA, USA

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problem #21

Jun 072010

G6

  • 41,609 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated the brake lights would intermittently illuminate when the brake pedal was not depressed and when depressing the brakes, the brake lights would not illuminate. In addition, the cruise control would not operate when engaged and the gear shift selector would intermittently shift out of the park position when the brakes were depressed. The manufacturer advised there were no recalls on the vehicle and would not provide any assistance. The failure and current mileages were 41,609.

- Amelia, OH, USA

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problem #20

Dec 152006

G6 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
Since about 6 months after I bought the car I noticed how shaky the car would get when I pressed on the brakes going at speeds 60mph or faster. I have replaced my brakes twice and they still squeak and shake. My husband is going to try to have my rotors turned to see if that helps but this is ridiculous. With the power steering issues and the brake issues, I really feel like Pontiac has built an unsafe vehicle.

- Winfield, MO, USA

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problem #19

Jan 012007

G6

  • 10,000 miles

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

I have a 2006 Pontiac G6. There is a popping noise everytime I turn the wheel at low speeds. The brakes on my car have squealed since a couple of months after I bought this car. I have taken the car to get checked on countless occasions, and am told my brakes are fine, and that they can replace the breaks and rotors (even though they are fine), but they cannot say that it would make them stop squeaking! I am also having a problem when I start the car. I will turn the key and it will start, but it keeps turning like it is not started, then just shuts off. I have been reading about other complaints from people online, with their steering. I have a baby, and I am afraid that something is going to happen when she is in the car with me. We cannot let something awful happen, before there is a recall! there are too many people having these problems, so lets be proactive, instead of reactive!

- Dennison, OH, USA

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problem #18

May 062010

G6

  • 66,250 miles
I have a 2006 Pontiac G6, with 66,638 miles on it. I am having issues with the brakes and the cruise control. The brake lights stay on and when I push on the brake pedal they go out, when I am in park I have to push the pedal all the way to the floor in order to put it into gear. I have noticed at times they flicker. I can not set my cruise control either. I have made phone calls to the dealer and to Pontiac about the GM recall # 80317. I was told that this recall only matches VIN #'s 64100001 to 64100093 and that I will have to pay for work that needs to be done on the car. I questioned why I can have the same make and model as the recall but my VIN # does not match? they informed me that the part numbers and the manufacture may be different!!! I feel this is a safety hazard to myself and my family and GM is not wanting to help me fix the problem, all they are looking for is taking my money for what seems to be a manufacture defect in the car.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

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problem #17

Feb 222010

G6

  • 60,000 miles
2006 Pontiac G6 sucks. The steering pops, brake always squeak eventhough I replaced the rotors and pads, and lose power steering. A week out of my extended warranty and they will not cover it. The same dealership where I brought 4 of the 5 cars I owned. All were GM models. I stood along that brand until now. I hope it totally goes out of business. Do some one have to die before this issue gets solved. Toyota is fixing their issue. American cars, service, and quality sucks. Never again will I buy GM cars.

- St Louis, MO, USA

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problem #16

Jan 202010

G6

  • 15,000 miles
Brakes for G6 are poor quality possibly leading to fatal crashes. 2006 Pontiac G6 have to replace the brakes at least every 15,000 miles.

- Waterford, MI, USA

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problem #15

Nov 032009

G6

  • 22,000 miles

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

2006 Pontiac G6 with 22,000 miles on it. Was told that both front and back rotors need to be replaced at a cost of $660. Investigated on line to discover that this is a "common" issue with Pontiac vehicles that the rotors warp and rust with as little as 12,000 miles. My vehicle is covered under a bumper-to-bumper warranty, however GM claims this falls under "normal wear and tear". it is not normal for rotors to need to be replaced so soon.

- Wheeling, IL, USA

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problem #14

Oct 162009

G6

  • 22,000 miles
All four brakes and rotors replaced at 22,000 miles due to pre-mature wear and sub-standard original parts. Dealership wanted outrageous prices to replace with the same crap parts. Also suggested replacing a failed ball joint and strut which was just out of warranty. Offered minimal assistance from GM, so went to Mr. Tire which was much better and cheaper. This car is just made poorly.

- Beachwood, OH, USA

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problem #13

Jul 232008

G6

  • 24,000 miles
The front brake rotors on my 2006 G-6 Pontiac keep warping after only 10K miles it causes the front end to shake violently on the internet it seems there is a lot of other owners going through the same thing & all GM wants to do is resurface the rotors once but then 10K miles down the road you have the same problem if someone doesn't recall the rotors someone is going to end up dying from a brake failure this is the 2nd time I complained but another owner call you guys & someone told him that know one has complained about the rotors which is not true I filed a complaint about 2 months ago.

- Breckenridge Hills , MO, USA

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problem #12

Jan 102009

G6

  • 60,000 miles
I bought my '06 Pontiac G6 in June of 08. I had to have new brakes put on the car in Dec '08. At the brake shop I was informed that my rotors were badly worn (more than normal) so I had them machined, the tech also informed me that I needed ne calipers. In Jan of '09 my breaks began squealing again! my rotors were once again worn! I have read many complaints about the braking system of this model and therefore believe that there must be a defect. I needed new rotors when the car only had 60K miles! this is not normal!!!!! it is my understanding that nothing has been done by GM on this issues, and I believe that it is time!!!! I am afraid that one day my breaks are going to go out! I can not afford to have my brakes done every month, nor should I have to! thank you for your time, sarah mae

- Houston, TX, USA

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problem #11

May 192009

G6

  • 24,000 miles
I purchased a Pontiac G-6 2006 from elco Chevrolet the car only had 20K miles on it. The 1st night I took it home the front end shook violently when I applied the brakes I wanted to cancel the sale right then & there but they assured me it was just rust on the rotors. So they resurfaced the rotors & it stopped the shaking for about 6 months now the car is just as bad as the 1st night I bought it. After looking on the internet it seems that there is an awful lot of people with the same problem some with as few as 8K miles and many people are calling for a recall because forget about the dealer helping you after the sale. This is a safety issue is the government going to wait until someone dies before they do something about this. In this economy I am doing good to keep up the payments on the car let alone having a major repair bill when I haven't even made 7 payments on the car yet.

- Breckenridge Hills , MO, USA

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problem #10

May 062009

G6

  • miles
I have now had my car alittle over a year now and im getting fed up with it. The brakes on my car seem to work only when they want to then have a grinding sound when I push the brake and the car isn't even that old, when I turn my wheels the is a knocking sound coming from the motor, and now my radio is all messed up. The radio works but it wont turn off. The screen on the radio shuts off but the music keeps playing and I have to manually shut the system down. I have only bought from Pontiac in the past but having to deal with this now and the problems just keep coming I don't think I will ever buy a Pontiac again!

- Altoona, IA, USA

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problem #9

Apr 242009

G6

  • 53,000 miles
The car was purchased from auction in April of 2006. I have had the car three years now. From the time that I purchased the car I have had problems with it starting. It will turn over but dies immediately after it starts. It usually take three tries before it will start. Today I got in my car and turned the key nothing would come on, no lights no radio no noise nothing. I thought it was the battery. I tried it three times and then on the fourth time it started like normal. I checked the battery and it is fine. I have had it in the service department three times for this issue but because it would no do it at that time they could not determine what is wrong with it, the diagnostic test did not show anything. The service airbag warning also keeps dinging. I have taken it in and they reset it and said it was ok, now it keeps doing the same thing but it is not covered by warranty to have it serviced. I have had trouble with the powersteering also. There are times it will be extremely hard to turn and then in a few seconds it is extremely easy and now in the last few months I have had problems with the brakes. The brake pads were replaced two months ago and about two weeks after they were replaced they have started making a really loud squeaking noise and sometimes a grinding noise. Not sure what needs to be done since the brakes were just maintenance. The car has been very dependable but I am afraid that it will not stay that way for long.

- College Station, TX, USA

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problem #8

Mar 192009

G6

  • 76,000 miles
While traveling to work on the highway at about 65mph. I tapped on the brake and turned the wheel to avoid an object in the road. When I released pressure off the brake pedal the wheels were all locked and the brakes were still engaged. I slid out of control and was unable to get the brakes to release pressure off the wheels. I finally came to stop by hitting the concrete median. If it would have been a busier time of day I would have been in a horrific accident. I feared for my life during this incident. There was no indications leading up to what happened. I as many others also have the loud clunking noises in the front, it sounds if my front end is going to fall out. I am afraid to drive it at this point as the brakes still feel as though they are partially engaged. Given the date of occurrence I have not at the chance to take it in and have it evaluated, I will be doing that this week.

- Cabot, AR, USA

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problem #7

May 042007

G6

  • miles
Pontiac G6 3.5L I have had this car 2 1/2 years bout it with 15,00 miles have had nothing but problems the steering clunking noise is the worst now have had a new column put in still makes the noise have had the rotors replaced, the brakes replaced at 28,000 now when im driving im hearing a clunking noise going over bumps when im turning there is a clicking noise when I push on my brakes I keep getting a shimmy after I put new rotors on and like the car have owned Pontiac before but now don't know if ill buy another with so many problems with this one.

- Rock Springs, WY, USA

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problem #6

Nov 172008

G6

  • miles
I have had this car for almost 3 years. It squeaks like the plastic is rubbing against each other. The brakes have not stopped squeaking. I have had them redone about 4 times. The black rubber strip is rotting. There is a leak on the passenger side coming through the little square right about the seat belt. My warranty is up and my extended warranty does not carry over to fix any of this. My car upholstery was already redone once due to a flooding and I paid for that. Now the backseat smells like mold. The handle on the passenger side of the car has been replaced twice because it keeps coming off. This is the worst investment I have ever made. I just found out that the power steering is actually electric. I hate it.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

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