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

What owners actually said

712 reports

155,000 miles · Oct 22, 2013

Fuel/propulsion System

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I BOUGHT A USED 2009 PONTIAC G6 WITH 90,000 THOUSAND MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD IT FOR A 1 YEAR AND 2 MONTHS BEFORE I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. IT ALL STARTED MESSAGE SAYING "CHECK YOUR GAS CAP". I WOULD PULL OVER AND CHECK GAS CAP IT WAS VAPORIZED. I OPENED AND RECLOSED THIS WAS ABOUT 5 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE IT TAKES 15 MINUTES TO GET TO FROM HOUSE TO TOWN. WITHIN 10 MINUTES MY GAS TANK WOULD WAD UP LIKE A PLASTIC BOTTLE AND WHEN I WOULD TURN CAR OFF AT WORK YOU COULD HEAR IT UN FOLDING. THIS WENT ON FOR 2 DAYS THEN ON THE 2ND TIME MY CHECK ENGINE CAME ON I CALLED AND TOOK TO A DEALERSHIP CLOSE TO ME. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE CARBON CANISTER IT WAS GOING TO COST 700.00 TO FIX. I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY SO I DROVE FOR A FEW WEEKS LONGER THEN MY CAR WAS DIE WHEN YOU GO TO STOP AT RED LIGHTS OR SLOW DOWN. BOTH TIMES SEMI TRUCKS WERE BEHIND ME. THE SECOND TIME IT DID I CALLED MY HUSBAND CRYING SAID I WAS TOO SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR WITH ME OR MY SON IN IT. SO I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND TOOK TO THEM TO BE FIXED THIS WAS IN SEPTEMBER. THEY KEPT THE CAR A WEEK CHANGED CARBON FILTER AND FIXED SPEED CABLE THIS WAS MAKING THE CAR DIE. I GOT MY CAR BACK DROVE FROM DEALERSHIP AND STARTED TO DRIVE HOME WHEN I NOTICED CAR STILL NOT FIXED IT WAS SAYING I HAD NO GAS SO PUT GAS IN AND IT SAID I HAD 183 MILES WORTH OF GAS BY THE TIME I GOT HOME I HAD 134 MILES OF GAS LEFT. I HAD CALLED DEALERSHIP TO LET THEM KNOW THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT SO IN LESS THEN 24 HOURS TOOK MY CAR BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY KEPT IT A WEEK SAYING GAS TANK NEED TO BE REPLACED SO THEY REPLACED IT AND REPLACED CARBON FILTER AGAIN. NOW THE CAR WORKS FINE JUST WANDERING HOW LONG BEFORE IT ACTS UP AGAIN. I CALLED PONTIAC HEADQUARTERS IN ALL THIS TIME AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP WITH THE PROBLEM BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE ANY WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10548882

61,100 miles · Oct 22, 2013

Steering

THE POWER STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING THE LIGHT CAME ON THAT SAID POWER STEERING ESC. THIS IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS. CALLED GM AND THEY SAID THAT THE THERE WAS NOT A RECALL ON 2009 GS6. I TOLD THEM THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THIS IN PREVIOUS YEARS AND IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT CORRECTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10548862

50,000 miles · Oct 8, 2013

Exterior Lighting

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT BEING APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE V…

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NHTSA ODI #10547189

32,677 miles · Oct 5, 2013

Exterior LightingService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD COME ON WITHOUT DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL AND CRUISE WOULD DISENGAGE. DEALER ADVISED A PEDAL SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO CORRECT. ALSO NEED TO HAVE FRONT ROTORS MACHINED AND BACK BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED. SEEMS LIKE LOW MILES FOR THE BACK BRAKES TO NEED REPLACEMENT (COUNTRY/HIGHWAY DRIVING). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10546831

83,000 miles · Oct 3, 2013

Vehicle Speed Control

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 PONTIAC G6. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED WHILE IT WAS SET AT 62 MPH. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, HOWEVER THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

NHTSA ODI #10546649

70,100 miles · Oct 3, 2013

Electrical SystemService BrakesVehicle Speed Control

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WHEN TRAVELING ABOVE ABOUT 10 MPH THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKED. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT UNTIL THE CAR SLOWED TO ABOUT 10 MPH AT WHICH POINT THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. BRAKING WAS NORMAL AT ALL TIMES. WHEN PULLING AWAY FROM THE STOP, THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AGAIN AROUND 10 MPH. THE CAR CONSISTENTLY DID THIS OVER A TRIP OF ABOUT 60 MILES. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER, THE ISSUE WASN'T PRESENT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BRAKE SWITCH AND LUBRICATED A CONNECTION. THE ISSUE HAS RETURNED 2 DAYS LATER. THIS ISSUE COULD BECOME DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY DURING BRAKING ABOVE 10 MPH WHEN FOLLOWING VEHICLES WOULD NOT BE AWARE THAT THE CAR WAS BRAKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10546636

60,363 miles · Oct 1, 2013

Electrical SystemExterior LightingUnknown Or Other

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2009 PONTIAC G6 LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILURE: "UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM" AS BEAMS WORK INTERMITTENTLY; MY LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED LEFT LIGHT BULB, BUT REFERRED ME BACK TO DEALERSHIP AS "THIS WAS A KNOWN DEFECT IN THIS CAR." REPLACED LIGHT BULB (REPAIRED (MECHANIC WAS UNSURE, BUT REPLACED ANYWAY) AND LOW BEAMS WORKED A COUPLE OF DAYS, NOW ONE (RIGHT MORE RANDOMLY LEFT), AND SOMETIME BOTH LOW BEAMS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. MY WIFE HAS RECEIVED ONE WARNING FROM POLICE; HEADLIGHT WAS WORKING AGAIN WHEN SHE RESTARTED CAR AFTER THE WARNING. WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY BOTH LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS FAIL WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THESE RANDOM FAILURES IN LOW BEAM ILLUMINATION REQUIRES THE DRIVER (MY WIFE USUALLY) TO IMMEDIATELY SWITCH ON HIGH BEAMS. BOTH HIGH BEAM LIGHTS ARE WORKING AT THIS TIME, BUT THESE EVENTS TEND TO INFURIATE ONCOMING DRIVERS WHO HIGH BEAM BACK AT US, SO BOTH DRIVERS ARE BLINDED. IN MY OPINION, THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT ANY SPEED AT NIGHT OR IN THE RAIN DUE TO RANDOM LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT OUTAGES. THEREFORE, WE USE OF THE G6 IS LIMITED. THOUGH WE LIKE THE MODEL AND HAD HOPED FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS OF USE, MY WIFE DOES NOT TRUST THE LIGHTS WILL STAY ON AT NIGHT, OR WHEN IT RAINS. I FEEL BAD ABOUT DUMPING THIS CAR ON THE USED/PRE-OWNED CAR MARKET WITHOUT FILING SOME FORM OF OFFICIAL COMPLAINT. FROM A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH, THE MANUFACTURER (GM) APPEARS TO BE IGNORING THIS SAFETY ISSUE AS A STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. SADLY, GM WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNTIL PEOPLE DIE AND A CLASS ACTION SUIT IS FILED. I WOULD NOT CALL THE PONTIAC G6 A LEMON, IT IS JUST PLAIN TOO SCARY TO DRIVE UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SOLUTION COMING FROM GM AND MY MECHANIC CAN'T FIX IT. THIS SITUATION MAKES THIS VEHICLE USELESS AND UNSAFE HALF THE TIME, I.E., UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED AFTER DARK! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10546457

55,000 miles · Sep 28, 2013

Fuel System, Gasoline

HAD TO REPLACE FUEL PUMP @ 55,000 MILES. ACCORDING TO OTHERS, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. WE HAD A SMELL OF GAS AND FUMES LEAKING INTO OUR GARAGE FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG...THIS IS WHERE OUR WATER HEATER IS!! COULD HAVE BLOWN UP THE HOUSE... RIDICULOUS, THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY, MANY OTHERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10546016

130,000 miles · Sep 25, 2013

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior LightingVehicle Speed Control

THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL WORK AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING IT QUITS. THIS SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ALSO, SEEMS RELATED TO THESE TWO MESSAGES SOME TIME COMING ON: "SERVICE TRACTION" AND "SERVICE ESC." *JS

NHTSA ODI #10545346

130,000 miles · Sep 25, 2013

Exterior LightingVehicle Speed Control

WHEN I PRESS ON THE BRAKES THE BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T COME ON AND WHEN I'M NOT PRESSING ON THE BRAKE LIGHTS THEY ARE ON. THIS SEEMS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE CRUISE ALSO KICKING OFF AT THE SAME TIME. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10545343

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)