Steering. Review the 295 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Exterior Lighting. Review the 190 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 178 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

25 crash reports20 fire reports17 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

178 reports

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67,125 miles · May 16, 2013

Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

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I BOUGHT MY 2009 PONTIAC G6 SEDAN BRAND NEW. I HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR DOOR LOCKS WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS. MY 3-YEAR-OLD NIECE WAS IN THE BACK SEAT AND BOTH REAR DOOR LOCKS ACTUALLY LOCKED OPEN! SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SHUT THE DOORS AND DRIVE UNDER "SAFE" CONDITIONS. I HAD TO BUNGEE-CORD THE DOORS LOCKED AND DRIVE TO THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP. THE LOCKS HAD RESET AND THE DOORS WERE ABLE TO CLOSE. THEN IN 2010, MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCKED SHUT ON ME! I WASN'T ABLE TO GET OUT OF MY CAR. AFTER 2 HOURS THE DOOR LOCKS RESET. THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN TO THE REAR DOOR. THIS TIME, I WAS ABLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP THAT I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH ALL THE DOOR LOCKS AND THEY SAID THEY CAN ONLY FIX THE ONE SINCE THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME. IN 2011, I HAD SIMILAR ISSUES WHETHER THE DOORS WERE LOCKED SHUT OR LOCKED OPEN. EVERY TIME I WOULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, THE LOCKS WOULD RESET AND THE PROBLEM WAS LEFT UNDIAGNOSED. IN FEBRUARY 2013, MY FIANCE HAD TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO HIS LOCAL MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC GOT LOCKED INSIDE MY VEHICLE! THEN IN MAY 2013, I WAS WITH MY NIECE AGAIN AND THE REAR DOORS AND DRIVER DOOR LOCKED OPEN! I GAVE THE CAR SOME TIME TO RESET, AND THE DOOR UNLATCHED AND CLOSED. BUT THEN IT GOT LOCKED SHUT! SO I DROVE MY CAR FOR 2 DAYS WITH THE DOORS LOCKED SHUT. I HAD TO CRAWL OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT AND ENTER/EXIT THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE LOCK MECHANISM WAS BROKEN AND THAT IT NEEDED REPLACED FOR $400 EACH BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY! SO I CALLED GM. THEY SAID THE DOOR LOCKS WERE NOT RECALLED, THE CAR WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. PONTIAC IS VERY WELL AWARE OF THE DOOR LOCK ISSUES, AND SO IS- THE MECHANIC. THESE ARE FAULTY LOCKS! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10512318

63,000 miles · Apr 11, 2013

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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IN MAY 2012 THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT SO WE REPLACED IT WITH A BRAND NEW LIGHT. WITHIN 2 WEEKS (JUNE 8TH), I WAS DRIVING IN INDIANA WHEN I NOTICED MY HEADLIGHT WAS OUT AGAIN. WE AGAIN REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT AND SINCE THEN IT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN I START THE CAR IN THE MORNING AND THE HEADLIGHT IS OUT, THEN MOST OF THE TIME, IT WILL TURN ON AS I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IF THE HEADLIGHT IS ON WHEN I START THE CAR, THEM MOST OF THE TIME AS I DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD IT WAS FLASH AND THEN SHUT OFF. I HAVE BEEN STOPPED BY POLICE OFFICERS FOR THE HEADLIGHT BEING BURNED OUT AND I REFUSE TO BUY ANOTHER HEADLIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10505905

65,000 miles · Mar 26, 2013

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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I OWN A 2009 PONTIAC G6. IN AUGUST OF 2011, MY LEFT FRONT HEADLIGHT BEGAN TO WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL IT NO LONGER WOULD ILLUMINATE. I REPLACED THE BULB IN THE HEADLIGHT, AND IT WAS BACK TO WORKING AS IT SHOULD. A MATTER OF SIX OR SO MONTHS WENT BY AND THE RIGHT LIGHT BEGAN TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM UNTIL IT WENT OUT. I REPLACED IT AS WELL, HOWEVER, WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED, ALTHOUGH INTERNET RESEARCH SEEMS TO SHOW A PROBLEM WITH THE CONNECTOR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10504598

45,000 miles · Oct 9, 2012

Electrical SystemService Brakes

WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAIN ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED. ALSO CRUISE CONTROL IS INOPERATIVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10479327

82,065 miles · Sep 25, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

MY HEADLIGHT WENT OUT ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO I REPLACED IT AND THEN IT WENT OUT AGAIN AND HAD SOMEONE LOOK AT IT AND WAS TOLD THE WIRING WAS MELTING WHICH I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN ON THE DRIVER SIDE LAST YEAR AND HAD A FRIEND REPLACE THE WIRING. CONTACTED PONTIAC AND THEY SAID I HAVE TO GET DIAGNOSTIC TESTING DONE.I HAVE NOTICED T…

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NHTSA ODI #10477087

49,000 miles · Sep 9, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior LightingService Brakes

VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAIN ON EXCEPT WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED, THEN IT GOES OUT. THIS HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT YET, BUT IT HAS HIGH POTENTIAL IF A SUDDEN STOP IS NEEDED THERE WILL NO WARNING FOR THE VEHICLE FOLLOWING OURS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10474396

35,000 miles · Sep 4, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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I HAVE REPLACE THE HOUSING THAT HOLDS THE HEADLIGHTS (PIGTAILS) ON BOTH SIDE OF THIS PONTIAC FIVE TIMES NOW. THE CAR SENDS TOO MUCH ELECTRIC CURRENT TO THE LIGHT BULBS THAT OVER HEATS THE PIGTAILS AND MELTS THEM. I'VE SEARCHED ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING TO THE G6'S. THIS HAS TO BE ADDRESS AND GM SHOULD DO A RECALL TO FIX THIS BEFORE THE CARS CATCH ON FIRE. PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH YOUR RESPONSE WITH THE WORD "PONTIAC" IN THE SUBJECT LINE. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE REPORTED THIS. PLEASE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEONE DIES IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10473827

90,000 miles · Aug 17, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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ON 12/31/2011 I WAS PULLED OVER FOR A BURNT OUT HEADLIGHT. UPON REPLACING THE BULB I NOTICED THAT THE SOCKET WHERE THE BULB PLUGS IN WAS MELTED. I PUT A NEW BULB IN AND IT WORKED FOR 3 MONTHS. WHEN THAT WENT OUT IN MARCH OF 2012 I REPLACED IT AGAIN. NOW IN AUGUST OF 2012 THAT BULB BURNT OUT. THERE IS A CONNECTION TO THE MELTED HARNESS AS THE BULB THAT BURNT OUT WAS MELTED SLIGHTLY WHERE IT MADE A CONNECTION TO THE SOCKET. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE THAT GOES WELL BEYOND MY VEHICLE AS A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. WHEN THE LIGHT BULB BURNS OUT AT NIGHT IT PUTS EVERYONE AT A SAFETY RISK WHICH IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. GM NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10471320

Mileage unknown · May 3, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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MY DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS OUT. I REPLACE THE BULB FROM 2 DIFFERENT AUTO STORE AND STILL NOT WORKING. THEN MY DAD LOOK AT THE CONNECTOR LOOK AND SEEN THAT 1 OF THE WIRES WAS BURNED OUT. SO I WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO GMC AND SEE IF THEY CAN FIX IT SINCE I HAD EXTENDED WARRANTY. AFTER TELLING SERVICE DEPT MY ISSUE AND WHAT I THOUGHT WAS WRONG; I GET HIT WITH A $89 DIAGNOSE IT FEE THAT I HAD ALREADY HAD TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY CALLED AND LET ME KNOW THAT MY CONNECTOR WAS BURNED OUT AND NEED TO REPLACE THEM IN ORDER THE LIGHT TO WORK AND IT WASN'T COVERED THRU MY EXTENDED WARRANTY SO I HAD TO PAY $290 TO GET FIX. AFTER GOOGLE THIS ISSUE LOOKS LIKE THIS A ON GOING ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE THAT I THINK SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMETHING ELSE GET SHORTAGE DUE TO BURNED OUT WIRING. I DON'T HAVE THE VIN# AND MILEAGE LEFT PAPER WORK AT HOME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10457224

Mileage unknown · Apr 27, 2012

Electrical SystemExterior LightingPower Train

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MY BRAKE LIGHTS STICK OR REMAIN ON EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT BEING PRESSED MAKING IT APPEAR THAT IM RIDING MY BRAKES. I HAVE BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE ONCE ALREADY. I HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH TWICE AND IT WORKS FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS ONLY. I HAVE SEEN A RECALL IN THE 2005 AND 2006 MODELS BUT IT IS STILL OCCURING IN THE NEWER MODELS. I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF BLOGS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF CAR. THIS IS JUST AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN WHEN YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS ARENT WORKING CORRECTLY. AS WELL AS THE CAR GETTING STUCK IN PARK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10456640

Official recalls

14V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

May 14, 2014

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.

Consequence & remedy

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.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

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.

Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Exterior Lighting:brake Lights

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Electrical System:wiring

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

14V153000 · Steering:electric Power Assist System

Mar 31, 2014

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.

Consequence & remedy

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.

12V460000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

Sep 18, 2012

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

09V073000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift

Mar 6, 2009

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

AQ10001 · Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

Opened Nov 18, 2010 · Closed Dec 28, 2015

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Unknown Or Other

On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and responses from the manufacturers and the rental car companies can be found in the document repository by accessing the ?Associated Documents link above.In December 2015, Congress enacted the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.One section of the Act prohibits rental car companies from renting, leasing, or selling motor vehicles subject to open safety recalls.With the passage of the FAST Act and its prohibition, there is no continuing need for the agency to investigate rental car recall completions.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The agency reserves the right to open any future investigations, including audits of individual recalls, or groups of recalls, or rental car companies, to examine more closely safety recalls performance and completion issues in this area.