NHTSA — Steering: Electric Power Assist System Problems

2006 Pontiac G6 (Page 1 of 2)

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.

3.3

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,832 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 steering problems

steering problem

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2006 Pontiac G6 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #36

May 102014

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 83,214 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the power steering assist failed and caused the steering wheel to seize. The power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a sensor in the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,214 and the current mileage was 83,536. Updated 8/11/14 updated 8/30/2017

- Besota, MO, USA

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problem #35

Mar 122014

G6

  • 72,126 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the vehicle lost electric power steering without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,126 and the current mileage was 72,405.

- Auburn, IN, USA

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problem #34

Jan 242012

G6 4-cyl

  • 80,715 miles
I was driving down the crowded interstate, headed home from work and my steering wheel locked up. I could not turn to get to the shoulder of the road and could not steer so I had to stop. I turned off the car and restarted it and luckily the steering came back. I was past by semi trucks honking and one slamming on his brakes behind me to keep from hitting me. Once I drove the car home I told my dad what happened and he checked the car. He realized that the car had electric steering. He decided to let the dealer look at it. They offered no explanation but rather a repair cost of $1,200. He then looked online and found that there were hundreds of similar cases by just googling "Pontiac G6 steering problems". this is when he decided that I needed to file a public safety complaint.

- Amarillo, TX, USA

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problem #33

Jan 122011

G6 6-cyl

  • 84,045 miles

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

Drove to a restaurant, when we finished eating. I noticed on the radio display it said "power steering", was able to drive and turn with no difficulty, when we entered the highway without warning the steering became very difficult, felt that driving the car was unsafe and pulled to the shoulder, turned the car off and called for a tow, but when the tow arrived, I was going to drive the car onto the trailer and the steering had returned, so I finished the drive home. When you start the car sometimes the steering is working other times it is not.

- Amarillo, TX, USA

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problem #32

May 022011

G6 6-cyl

  • 118,000 miles
The Pontiac G6 2006 is having steering problems like the other Pontiac G models. The electronic steering in the vehicle fails and the steering becomes very hard and it is almost impossible to control. It would be hard for my wife to control it, she is a small woman. It takes a lot strength on my part to steer it. I would like to let other Pontiac G6 owner about this problem before they have an accident.

- Antioch , CA, USA

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problem #31

Sep 092011

G6 6-cyl

  • 45,600 miles
The electronic power steering stopped working and the power steering light came on in the radio. After I shut the car off and restarted it, the steering working again but it soon failed and went through the process of restarting car to get it to work. It seems to do it more when the steering wheel is turned all the way to the right. It now does it frequently and the car steers so hard when it happens, it would be easy to loose control and crash. Pontiac says this is not a safety recall and they will not honor warranty on my car. NHTSA did investigate this under action number PE07023 but Pontiac still states it is not a safety problem. I disagree and feel Pontiac should correct this prior to an accident happening.

- Monticello, IL, USA

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problem #30

Sep 202010

(reported on)

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

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

Letter from senator brown on behalf of constituent regarding a letter she received from GM informing her of a potential problem with her 2006 Pontiac G6 (dot/I#2010-1254-respond to cleveland, oh office) the consumer received a letter in the mail, that stated owners of some 2006 Pontiac G6 vehicles equipped with electric steering may lose power steering without warning and it would require more effort to steer the vehicle properly at lows speeds.

- Avon Lake, OH, USA

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problem #29

Aug 102010

G6

  • 123,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact received notification of an unknown manufacturers recall pertaining to the power steering electronic power assist. The contact stated that the manufacturer would not replace the power assist module if the vehicle was over 100,000 miles and the contact was over the mileage limit. The contact stated that the power steering has failed four times within two weeks and he was unable to control the vehicle. The power steering would reset itself when the vehicle was shut off for fifteen minutes or more. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was around 123,000.

- Greensboro, NC, USA

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problem #28

Aug 012010

G6

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the steering wheel began abnormally pulling to the left making it difficult for the contact to maintain the vehicle straight. The dealer informed the contact that the power steering electric motor would need to be replacing to correct the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact believed the failure should warrant a recall due to the possibility of a crash. The failure mileage was 74,000.

- Bemotte, IN, USA

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problem #27

Jun 122010

G6 4-cyl

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated the power steering warning light would illuminate followed by a loss of power steering. The contact stated the failure would occur sporadically. The contact would shut off the vehicle and when restarting, the vehicle would resume normal operation. The dealer advised that the electronic power assist module was failing and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was unable to provide the failure mileage. The current mileage was 89,000. Updated 11/03/10 updated 11/04/10

- Sideny Center, NY, USA

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problem #26

Dec 192009

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 29,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving at speeds of 25 mph, the power steering failed. The contact spoke with the manufacturer who advised there were no recalls on the power steering for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was 33,000 and the failure mileage was 29,000. Updated 06/29/10 updated 07/14/10

- Highland, IN, USA

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problem #25

Jan 132010

G6

  • 54,700 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving 35 mph the power steering light flashed on the dashboard and the power steering began to malfunction. The steering wheel became difficult to control. A local mechanic informed the contact that the power steering assist motor needed to be replaced. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was not covered by a warranty and that he would be responsible for the repairs. The failure and current mileages were 54,700. Updated 5/6/10 updated 05/20/10.

- Norton, KS, USA

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problem #24

Jan 032010

G6 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving 25 mph the power steering light flashed on the dashboard and the power steering malfunctioned. The contact had to shut off the vehicle and restart it to reset the power steering. The contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The failure could have caused a crash to occur. The failure mileage was 48,000. Updated 04/20/10

- Baton Rauge, LA, USA

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problem #23

Jan 252010

G6 6-cyl

  • 54,511 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While driving 5 mph the power steering wheel light came on and the steering wheel locked, once the engine was shut off and turned back on the vehicle functioned normally. The diagnostic code was S150. The failure has occurred 3 additional times. The failure mileage was 54,511 and the current mileage was 55,000. Updated 07/07/10.

- Glen Burnie, MD, USA

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problem #22

Jun 012008

G6 6-cyl

  • 6,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that the electric power assist steering would cause the vehicle to change lanes without any assistance from the driver. The vehicle would dart from one direction to another without the driver moving the steering wheel at all. The manufacturer stated that the warranty was extended for the two previous year's models for the same failure; however, they would not assume liability for the 2006 models. The failure has become progressively worse. The failure mileage was 6,000 and current mileage was 60,799. Updated 8/18/09 updated 08/21/09.

- Biloxi, MS, USA

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problem #21

Jun 102008

G6

  • 41,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Pontiac G6. While making a left turn at approximately 15 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The power steering then immediately failed. She had to use both hands to control the steering wheel. There was no crash. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer the following day. The mechanic stated that the failure was related to the electric power steering motor, and advised that the motor be replaced at the cost of $370. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 41,000.

- Sulphur, LA, USA

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problem #20

Dec 282007

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 34,000 miles
Power steering losing power and unable to steer.

- Brooklyn, OH, USA

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problem #19

Jan 082007

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles
Power steering stops working, front of car vibrates when driving above 55mph.

- Okatie, SC, USA

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problem #18

Feb 212008

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 46,000 miles
I have had this problem with the power steering electrical system when the car was under warranty and now that it is not under warranty, I have to pay all this money to get it fixed.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

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problem #17

Feb 202008

G6 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 45,300 miles
A few weeks ago when it first became cold out, I noticed that occasionally when starting my car it would say power steering on my driver information center and I would be unable to turn my wheel due to not having any power steering. When this would happen I would turn my car off and restart it as many as 4 times before I would finally have power steering. Then on 2/20/2008 I was driving on the freeway and my driver information center told me that I had no power steering. I pulled over to the side of the freeway and stopped my car and shut it off. When I turned it back on I had power steering again.

- Burnsville, MN, USA

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