2005 Pontiac G6 problems, complaints & recalls

Updated from NHTSA data · How we count

Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Pontiac G6, most often about steering. There are 3 recalls for this model year.

Complaints
38
Recalls
3
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Median mileage
175,000 mi
at time of problem

Key facts

  • Steering is the most-reported problem area, named in 30 of 38 complaints (79%).
  • Electrical System (7) and transmission & drivetrain (5) follow.
  • Half of the complaints that list mileage happened before 175,000 mi.
  • Owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries.
  • The 2005 Pontiac G6 has 3 recalls on file.
  • NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations covering this vehicle.
  • It ranks 5th of 6 Pontiac G6 model years by our severity-weighted complaint score (1st = worst).

2005 Pontiac G6 problems by category

  • Steering · 1 crash
    30 complaints
  • Electrical System
    7 complaints
  • Transmission & Drivetrain
    5 complaints
  • Engine
    5 complaints
  • Airbags
    4 complaints
  • Other / Unknown
    3 complaints
  • Brakes
    2 complaints
  • Lighting
    1 complaints
  • Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
    1 complaints
  • Acceleration & Cruise Control
    1 complaints
  • Visibility & Wipers
    1 complaints

A complaint can mention more than one problem area, so categories add up to more than the total.

Most-reported components

Component (as filed with NHTSA)Complaints
Steering30
Electrical system7
Power train5
Air bags4
Engine4
Unknown or other3
Service brakes2
Exterior lighting:brake lights1

When problems happen (mileage)

3Under 10k10k–30k30k–60k60k–100k2100k–150k17150k+
Mileage at the time of the problem, for 2005 Pontiac G6 complaints that list mileage.

2005 Pontiac G6 recalls (3)

  • Recall 14V252000May 14, 20142,440,524 vehicles
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING · ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH · VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.

    Risk: 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 14V224000Apr 30, 20141,131,113 vehicles
    POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

    General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.

    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 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 14V153000Mar 31, 20141,373,177 vehicles
    STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.

    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.

    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.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • EA13005Opened Jun 6, 2013Closed Jul 1, 2014led to recall 14V252000

    Brake Light Switch/Sensor Malfunction

    On May 14, 2014 General Motors (GM) announced a recall action (14V-252) involving model year (MY) 2004-12 Chevrolet Malibu, MY 2004-07 Malibu Maxx, MY 2005-10 Pontiac G6 and MY 2007-10 Saturn Aura vehicles.An increased resistance can develop in the Body Control Module connection systems and result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS, or brake light switch) circuit that can cause the brake lamps to malfunction.As a result, and according to GM, the brake lamps may illuminate when pedal application is not being applied or may not illuminate when pedal force is applied.Additiona…

  • RQ13001Opened Feb 4, 2013Closed Jun 6, 2013

    Brake Light Malfunction

    The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ13-001 on February 4, 2013 in response to complaints alleging that the brake lights do not operate properly on model year (MY) 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles. Complainants allege that the brake lights illuminate when the brake pedal is not depressed, and turn off once the brake pedal is applied. In addition the driver may have difficulty shifting out of PARK, or the cruise control may not engage properly. In response to ODI?s Information Request, General Motors (GM) submitted a significant number of warranty claims and over 1, 100 …

  • PE08054Opened Sep 15, 2008Closed Jan 30, 2009led to recall 09V036000

    Stop lamp malfunction

    Gm notified the agency by letter dated january 28, 2009, that it will conduct a safety recall of pontiac g6 vehicles built from january 3 through january 31, 2005.vehicles produced during this time period have shown a highly elevated incident rate of improper operation of the brake lamps. Odi opened this investigation after receiving reports that consumers would use their brakes and discover that the brake lamps would not illuminate.also, consumers report that the brake lamps would illuminate when the brake pedal was not applied.odi's review of the complaint data finds that the complaint rate …

  • PE07023Opened Apr 25, 2007Closed Sep 25, 2007

    Loss of power steering assist

    During this investigation, general motors (gm) indicated that approximately 15,600 model year (my) 2005 pontiac g6 vehicles built from november 3, 2004 through january 5, 2005 may experience a loss of power steering assist due to an insufficient crimp at the torque and position sensor transducer located in the steering column assembly. Gm has indicated that it plans to send letters to the owners of these vehicles to inform them that it will extend the warranty coverage for the eps system in their vehicles to 7 years or 70,000 miles.statistical analysis of the failures in the population affecte…

Recent 2005 Pontiac G6 complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

  1. Filed Nov 6, 2025SCSteering
    Vehicle: 2005 Pontiac G6 VIN: [your VIN] Mileage: 185,000 Issue: Sudden **total loss of power steering assist** — **same symptom as NHTSA Recall 14V153000 (GM 14116)**. Recall **was completed years ago**. **Replacement part installed by GM failed in under 5 years**. GM Customer Assistance **refused coverage** under **Special Coverage #14299 (repeat failure after recall)**. Told me “warranties stopped in 2020” — **incorrect**. #14299 covers **repeat failures of recall parts**…
    NHTSA complaint #11697857 · source
  2. Filed Sep 12, 2025CASteering
    I was driving car and went to turn and the steering wheel was very hard to steering. It was as if I had no power to steering. This happed several times without any accidents.
    NHTSA complaint #11686959 · source
  3. Filed Oct 28, 2024GAAirbags
    SERVICE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT on and car has not been in any major accidents requiring an airbag. Also, causes the car horn to not work. Dangerous because if I should happen to get in a major accident the airbag may not deploy, I can not warn cars about to back into me because the horn doesn't work.
    NHTSA complaint #11622371 · source
  4. Filed Apr 22, 2024200,000 miCAElectrical SystemLighting
    The contact owns a 2005 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the brake lights had remained illuminated after braking. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 14V252000 (Electrical System, Exterior Lighting, Vehicle Speed Control,…
    NHTSA complaint #11584486 · source
  5. Filed Jan 4, 2024176,000 miSDSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain
    The contact owns a 2005 Pontiac G6. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel started vibrating and became difficult to turn. Additionally, the steering wheel was turning to the left independently. The contact stated that the power steering warning light and the power train warning light were illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact stated that the steering wheel was stuck in a left turn position and would…
    NHTSA complaint #11563538 · source
  6. Filed Jan 3, 2024SDElectrical SystemSteering
    My steering wheel started twitching and there's Minimal steering. While driving down the road, the steering wheel twitches with lots of slack and no really control. When you turn the car off and back on power steering comes on in message center on radio and car with wrench on dash comes on and steering wheel gets extremely hard to turn. But if you turn the car on and off again then steering wheel gets loose and twitchy again with no control. Electrical, all my relays and…
    NHTSA complaint #11563340 · source
  7. Filed Dec 22, 2023TXBrakesElectrical SystemSteering
    A few months ago, I was pulling out of a parking lot and started to brake , but my car was not stopping. I quickly pumped my brakes and then my brakes worked. All my brake lights came on; ABS, BRAKE, TC, Check engine; and car maintenance light all came on. They periodically would go away but would return when it rained, or if the brakes gave out. Brakes have gone out twice, once while driving on freeway. Before this issue, I had taken it to a mechanic as the brake light was…
    NHTSA complaint #11561581 · source
  8. Filed Mar 27, 2023GASteering
    I was driving down the street And I'm about to take that right turn. On The Verge of taking a turn My steering became very hard and I could barely turn the wheel. Luckily that wasn't any uncommon traffic because I had to take the turn wider than expected But was able to pull over. When I got safe to the side of the road, "power steering" was illuminated on my dash. I turn the car off that cracker back up and I was able to get home
    NHTSA complaint #11514089 · source

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Other 2005 Pontiac models

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 10, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology