Pontiac · Grand Prix · 2006
2
Recalls
239
Complaints
-
Not Rated
The 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix has 2 recalls and 239 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Most reported issue: power train (44 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Remedy Status
GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. A POTENTIAL MATERIAL OR DESIGN DEFECT COULD RESULT IN THE STEERING KNUCKLE BREAKING IN THE HUB AREA.
Remedy Status
DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DORMAN'S TOLL-FREE HOTLINE AT 1-800-523-2492 AND PRESS 5.
My headlights quit working while I was driving with no warning
Seems like a bad motor gasket cause it’s a constant burning oil smell with no visible leaks at all
Unknown
got cutoff on a busy highway going 70mph and they slammed their brakes. i had 6 car lengths between us and immediately started braking but we were just skidding. I had the choice of hitting the vehicle or swerving left towards the median. I chose the latter. The steering locked up, the abs did NOT kick in and the airbags did NOT deploy. we hit a median at 70mph and no airbags?! I was point of impact. It hit the front drivers side, destroying the light and entire front. the car spun around and it hit again but this time it was the back passenger side/light. Again, NO airbags deployed. So my abs, steering, and airbags all had issues. We are so lucky no one is hurt in severeity but I am beyond fuming, scared, and confused why all of those locked up/failed to serve their purpose! Most severe injuries were me with contusions, strains, and a herniated disc in my neck (likely to cause chronic pain, per doctor.) cop already found me not at fault so no ticket/points, to give an idea. person kept driving. one person stopped and happened to be 4 cars behind us and verified what happened to us. The vehicle is totaled. We are sol on a car now as insurance said it wasn't worth having collision considering how old it was... never had an accident or ticket in 10+ years of driving. the car failed me.
MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AND WHEN YOU TRY TO GO OVER 40 THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD AND HAS A HARD TIME SHIFTING AND WILL CONTINUE WHILE IN CRUISE CONTROL. I ALREADY HAD WORK DONE ON THE FUEL LINE CAUSE THE LINE WAS CLOGGED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD CAUSE THE FUEL WASN'T GETTING PUSHED THROUGH. MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT AFTER MY BOYFRIEND PARKED IT. HE ONLY NOTICED IT WHEN HE TRIED DRIVING AWAY AND HE COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL LIKE USUAL. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES ITS THING WHILE IN MOTION. ALSO THE HEADLAMPS! THE BRIGHTS STAY ON, YOU HAVE TO HOLD THE DIMMER SWITCH BACK TO GET THE BRIGHTS TO TURN OFF BUT IF YOU LET GO OF THE SWITCH THEY TURN ON AND FLASH PEOPLE. IT ONLY TURNS OFF WHEN TURNING LEFT. THE AC COMPRESSOR BLEW TOO. I HAD BOUGHT THE VEHICLE 3 YEARS AGO DURING THE WINTER SO IT WAS BLOWING COLD AIR, BUT WHEN SUMMER HIT IS WHEN I NOTICED IT WAS ONLY BLOWING AIR FROM OUTSIDE INTO THE CAB. THE HEATER WORKS, BUT THE AC DOESN'T. MY BOYFRIEND WAS DRIVING HOME RECENTLY AND COULDN'T MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL AND ALMOST HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION BECAUSE OF THE POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING HAPPENED IN TOWN AT HIS PLACE OF WORK AND HAD TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY TO COME HOME. THE CRUISE HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE HEADLAMPS IS A CONSTANT THING, WE PULLED THE FUSE THAT CONTROLS THE BRIGHTS AND THE DIMS WORKED JUST FINE, BUT IT'S HARD TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WITHOUT BRIGHTS.
MY CAR STARTED ON FIRE WHILE ON A CITY ROAD BECAUSE OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEY COMPLETELY SPRUNG OFF SERPENTINE BELT MELTED COOLANT RESERVOIR MELTED FUSE BOX BE MELTED FROM THE FIRE HOW MANY OTHER THINGS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE POWER STEERING PUMP LEAKING FLUID AND HITTING MY EXHAUST CAUSING A FIRE IN MY CAR
MY VIHICLE TURNS OFF THE LOW BEAMS WHEN I AM DRIVING AND I CAN HAVE AN ACCIDENT
BAD ENGINE HAD WHILE DRIVING ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BAD KNOCKING NOISE WITHIN THE MOTOR DO TO FAULTY PARTS MECHANIC SAYS A PART FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAR STARTS BUT HAS BAD NOISE WITHIN THE ENGINE AND NOW VEHICLE IS RENDERED USELESS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER NOR THE DEALER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND UNOCCUPIED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OR POLICE WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
YOU CAN TURN THE KEY ON AND HAVE COMPLETE POWER INSIDE THE CAR THE DASH EVERYTHING BUT NO POWER TO THE MOTOR. THEN YOU CAN SOMETIMES TURN THE KEY AND THE CAR WILL HAVE THREE TO FIVE SECOND DELAY CRANKING. OR YOU CAN TURN THE KEY OFF AND THERE'S A 3 5 SECOND DELAY IN THE CAR DYING. YOU CAN BE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR WILL DIE. IT TAKES IT 5 TO 45 MINUTES TO CRANK. MY FRIEND WHO IS AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER FIGURED OUT THE ISSUE AND ADDED A NEW WIRE TO SUPPLY POWER TO THE MOTOR. THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE KEY IGNITION. I NEED THIS FIXED. I HAVE A TWO-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON AND I DOORDASH. IT HAPPENS CONSTANTLY. *TR
MY 2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX EXPERIENCES HEADLAMPS TURNING OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THEM TO TURN BACK ON AGAIN. I DRIVE COUNTRY ROADS HOME FROM WORK AT NIGHT WHERE THERE ARE NO STREETLIGHTS AND THE SPEED LIMIT IS 45-50 MPH. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD ! ! ! IT IS SOCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE FOR GM TO IGNORE THIS ISSUE. FOR SOME REASON 2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX IS NOT PART OF GMS PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL (RECALL NUMBER: 14291 WHICH ONLY REPLACES THE HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE HDM FUSE). I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE HDM RELAY TWICE ALREADY, WHICH ONLY LASTS FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS BEFORE BURNING OUT AGAIN. OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM IS NOT JUST WITH THE FUSE BUT LIKELY WITH THE ELECTRICAL WIRING OR THE FUSE BOX ITSELF. THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM MUST BE INVESTIGATED MORE THOROUGHLY BEFORE SOMEBODY IS KILLED. I DID READ THAT 2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX WAS OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM FOR PROBLEMS STEMMING FROM THE HEADLAMP MODULES FOR 12 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER HAPPENS FIRST. UNFORTUNATELY, THE HEADLAMP PROBLEM JUST BEGAN FOR ME IN 2019 AT WHICH POINT THE CAR WAS 13 YRS OLD AND WAS NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM OR THE SAFETY RECALL, WHICH IS SIMPLY ABSURD ! AT THE VERY LEAST GM SHOULD NOW INCLUDE THE 2006 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX MODEL IN THE 14291 PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL. BUT GM REALLY NEEDS TO RELEASE A PERMANENT FIX FOR THE PROBLEM RATHER THAN A TEMPORARY FUSE REPLACEMENT EVERY COUPLE MONTHS. HAS ANYONE INVESTIGATED IF THESE OVERHEATED HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE RELAYS HAVE CAUSED ELECTRICAL FIRES OR MELTED THE UNDER HOOD BUSSED FUSEBOX? IF GM IS NOT WILLING TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, I HOPE WE CONSUMERS CAN COUNT ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) TO FORCE GM TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR LOOKING INTO THIS SERIOUS MATTER.
BOUGHT THE CAR IN JANUARY THE LOW BEAM WILL NOT WORK HAVE REPLACED BULBS AND MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH
ENGINE DIES ABRUPTLY WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY SPEED LEAVING THE DRIVER WITHOUT BRAKES OR POWER STEERING; VERY DANGEROUS DOWN HILL, ON CURVES, CHANGING LANES, AT SIGNALS, AT STOPS, DURING T;URNS, ETC.
YESTERDAY DRIVING HOME, MY CAR A 2006 PONATIC GRAND PRIX, 3.6 SUPERCHARGED " ENGINE REDUCE POWER" CAME ON. TO FIND OUT IT WAS MY THROTTLE BODY, MECHANIC SAID ITS COMMON, WHEN I WENT TO LOOK ALSO ONLINE TO FIND OUT ITS COMMON WITH ABOUT EVERY CAR..
ENGINE SHUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING AND SAYS STARTING DISABLED DUE TO ELECTRIC THROTTLE CONTROL, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, ABS TRACTION CONTROL OFF. THIS HAPPENS WHILE MOVING AT THE CORRECT SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY, STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT IN THE CITY, AND WHILE MAKING TURNS. SOMETIMES WHEN IT HAPPENS I LOSE POWER STEERING AND HAVE ALMOST O CONTROL OF WHERE MY CAR GOES. AT FIRST THIS ONLY HAPPENED ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, BUT NOW IT CAN HAPPEN UP TO 10+ TIMES A DAY
MY GRANDPARENT GAVE ME THE CAR A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I LOST POWER TO ALL FUNCTIONS OF HEADLIGHTS. I COULD NOT TURN THEM AT ALL, WHETHER THE CAR WAS STATIONARY OR MOVING. I THEN REPLACED A FUSE THAT FIXED THE PROBLEM BRIEFLY. AFTER AWHILE, MY HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO STAY ON AFTER I HAVE SHUT THE CAR OFF. DURING THIS TIME, MY HIGH BEAMS WERE THE ONLY FUNCTION THAT WORKED. DUE TO THIS ONGOING PROBLEM, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MULTIPLE BATTERIES AT LEAST THREE TIMES. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND THE 2007 GRAND PRIX MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE. IFM ASKING THAT GM EXTENT THE RECALL TO THE 2006 MODEL YEAR SO THIS ISSUE, THAT I HAVE DEALING WITH FOR YEARS, CAN FINALLY BE RESOLVED.
ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THERE WAS A FIRE REPORT MADE. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 180,000 MILES AND WAS WELL MAINTAINED.
BRIGHTS COME ON WHEN USING EITHER TURN SIGNAL. SOMETIMES IN COLD WEATHER THE BRIGHTS COME ON WITHOUT TOUCHING TURN SIGNAL LEVER.
I BOUGHT MY CAR USED, AND A FEW WEEKS LATER IT WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH "CHARGING SYSTEM FAILURE" WHEN I WOULD TRY TO TURN IT ON AND IT WOULD NOT START, IN STATIONARY POSITION. AT THE TIME, MY CAR KEY HAD 3 OTHER KEYS PLUS A SMALL KEYCHAIN, AND A CLASP TO HOOK ONTO A BELT LOOP OR SOMETHING. AFTER I TOOK OFF THE CLASP, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS, JUST EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. I'M WONDERING WHAT CAN BE DONE SINCE THERE WAS A RECALL SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS AND IT WAS NEVER TAKEN CARE OF PRIOR TO ME BUYING IT.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix has 2 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 239 owner-reported complaints for the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix.
NHTSA has not published a safety rating for the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix are power train (44 reports), exterior lighting (27 reports), electrical system (21 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 2 recalls on record for the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Look up recalls and complaints for any year, make, and model.
This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.