The cars power steering went out on my son after a power surge going around a slight turn. He went head on with a box truck an been in the hospital for 3 weeks now with multiple compound fractures to his leg, ribs, tibia, fibia, and femur. Never received a recall notice for this recall. I would never of risked my sons life over a recall.
The worst 2009 Pontiac G6 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Steering296
- Lights190
- Electrical178
- Brakes77
- Fuel system46
- Transmission46
- Airbags40
- Acceleration35
- Engine32
- Driver assistance22
- Seats12
- Wheels12
- Locks9
- Body7
- Visibility7
- Suspension6
- Tires3
- Seat belts2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 Pontiac G6
Headlights 137Power steering loss 88Adaptive cruise 42Steering lock-up 40Loss of power 36Fuel smell 28Engine failure 27Airbag light 21Fuel pump 19Door locks 15Fire or smoke 14Fuel leak 13Check engine light 12Won't start 12No deployment 10Stalling 9Jerking 8Steering noise 7Overheating 6Won't shift 6Transmission failure 6Grinding brakes 5Wipers 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2009 Pontiac G6 mention
C0545 3
Recalls 4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
- What is wrong
- 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 number 14V252000 · Recall details
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 14V153000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 12V460000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- 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".
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 09V073000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2009 Pontiac G6
Defect investigations
Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit
On November 18, 2010, the federal safety agency'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.
AQ10001
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 Pontiac G6 1,047
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Unknown or other
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- Unknown or other
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Electrical system
- This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline...
- This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or...
2009 Pontiac G6 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 22 | 30-33 | 25-26 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17-19 | 26-29 | 20-23 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 26 | 20 |
| 3.9L 6‑cyl | FWD | 15 | 22 | 18 |
What 2009 Pontiac G6 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I purchased a used 2009 Pontiac G6 for my son less than 7 days ago (3 ). While driving on the highway attempting to exit the ramp, the steering wheel began to get very hard to turn. We nearly crashed! Just yesterday placed the car in park. Although the shifter showed it was in P for park as well as on the dash, the car began consistently moving in reverse. This vehicle is a safety hazard for my child and due to it being a used vehicle Im not protected by a warranty. The 2009 Pontiac G6 recall list states that these issues are known, yet his VIN was not listed I believe it should’ve been. We need contacted ASAP.
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): [XXX] Component Affected: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM Description of Defect: My 2009 Pontiac G6 (VIN: [XXX]) with a manufacturer build date of XXX suffered a sudden, total loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist while driving. The dashboard displayed a power steering warning message and sounded a chime, and the vehicle immediately reverted to heavy manual steering. This sudden loss of power assist heavily increased steering effort, creating an immediate crash hazard. Why an Investigation/Expansion is Necessary: A formal VIN search via the federal safety agency recall lookup tool returns 0 active steering recalls for this vehicle. GM narrowly tailored the safety recall population for 2009 G6 models under the federal safety agency Campaign ID 14V153000 to a build window ending on XXX (per GM Bulletin 14116). However, my vehicle has experienced the exact same part failure and safety risk as vehicles built earlier in 2008. The failure mirrors the dangerous torque sensor and motor assembly defects acknowledged in GM Special Coverage Adjustment #XXX. I request that the federal safety agency investigate and expand the vehicle population for Campaign 14V153000 to encompass late-2008 production dates, as the dangerous defect clearly persists beyond the original recall cutoff INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was turned off, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The failure became more persistent over time, and several attempts were needed for the power steering feature to become operable. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the vehicle had experienced Mass Air Flow Sensor, Power Train System, Catalytic Converter Efficiency, ABS, Wheel Speed Sensor, Wheel Hub, Wheel Bearing, and TPMS failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and became aware of several recalls related to the year, make, and model vehicle; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,737
The contact owns a 2009 Pontiac G6. While driving 20 MPH or slower, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed, making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle was turned off and restarted for the power steering assist to become operational. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,800.
The power steering keeps going out causing turning to become incredibly hard. This started in Dec of 2025. I replaced the column in 2022 because of the same issues and it is happening again now. I see some 2009 VINS have been recalled but my vin isn’t apart of that.
Vehicle looses power steering sometimes, the last time I was in traffic on a bend and went up onto the sidewalk. It's almost impossible to steer when it happens.
There is an immediate loss of steering while driving a 2009 Pontiac G6. The steering wheel locks up making it difficult, at times impossible, to steer the vehicle left or right. The only way to unlock the steering wheel is by placing the vehicle in 'Park' and turn the ignition off to restart the vehicle.
My brake lights are malfunctioning. It has not worked correctly in years. When you press on the brake, the brake lights turn itself off. When not pressing on the brake, my brake lights are on. I reached out to the GM dealership and I told them that the recall was fixed, but the issue is ongoing and poses extreme safety issues. I have gotten pulled over for this. No lights are on my dashboard. I have owned the car since the beginning of COVID and the issue has happened since.
I purchased a used 2009 Pontiac G6 3.9L almost 4 years ago. I have experienced white smoke pouring from under my hood 3 times so far. I've taken it to the dealership and first time was informed it was a bad power steering hose leaking onto the exhaust- preCat area. The second repair dealership said it was a faulty hose. The third time dealer said it was a bad motor mount. After extensive research online, found out several years of G6 cars have the high pressure power steering hose about 1 inch from the exhaust pipe. This is causing the hose to melt due to the heat. GMC started making heat protective wrap around these hoses which still does not solve the problem-still burns thru. With a simple online search 2006-2010 G6 with the v-6 engines are still having this problem, costing owners money/time and safety issues. When I saw the white smoke, I lost my power stearing, causing panic and difficult steering. GM should have a recall, find a permanent solution where owners/family can feel safer. Most of these cars have low miles considering the age- Are owners afraid to drive the car due to the power steering hoses and exhaust being too close. Causing more concern for safety, and the costs for repairs and tow trucks.
Compare the 2009 Pontiac G6
Other model years
Questions about the 2009 Pontiac G6
Is the 2009 Pontiac G6 reliable?
Owners have filed 713 complaints about the 2009 Pontiac G6, close to a typical G6 model year.
What is the 2009 Pontiac G6 year score?
The 2009 Pontiac G6 scores 71 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Pontiac G6: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Pontiac G6?
Steering, with 296 complaints, typically around 110,171 miles. Next is lights (190).
How many recalls does the 2009 Pontiac G6 have?
4 recalls, covering electronic stability control (esc), steering and power train.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Pontiac G6 steering?
Yes, 1 recall: 14V153000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Pontiac G6 have bad steering?
The Pontiac G6 model years with the most steering complaints are 2006 (1,220 complaints), 2007 (541 complaints) and 2005 (459 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2009 Pontiac G6 get?
Official estimates for the 2009 Pontiac G6 range from 18 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 22 city and 30-33 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2009 Pontiac G6?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history