Problems · NHTSA complaints
2006 Pontiac Grand Prix problems
Owners filed 239 complaints about the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix with NHTSA between Dec 2005 and Aug 2023. The most-cited component is electrical system (65).
Complaints
239
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
17
Reported by owners
Fires
21
Reported by owners
Injuries
22
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system65
- Power train61
- Exterior lighting48
- Steering42
- Engine32
- Air bags19
- Service brakes, hydraulic11
- Service brakes10
- Suspension10
- Vehicle speed control9
- Equipment8
- Tires7
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Visibility6
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
0
11
18
9
10
18
17
16
50
31
15
13
8
8
6
5
2
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 11 |
| 2008 | 18 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 10 |
| 2011 | 18 |
| 2012 | 17 |
| 2013 | 16 |
| 2014 | 50 |
| 2015 | 31 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
65 reports3 crashes14 fires1 related recall
“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”
Power train
61 reports1 crash
“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.”
Exterior lighting
48 reports7 fires
“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…”
Steering
42 reports7 crashes4 fires1 related recall
“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…”
Engine
32 reports1 crash7 fires
“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.”
Air bags
19 reports13 crashes1 fire
“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.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.