2006 Pontiac Grand Prix: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 239 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (23% of complaints); the 2005 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jul 2014
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 239 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“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”Owner report · Engine · Jan 2021
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2020
“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.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2020
Show 7 more owner reports
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2020
“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”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2020
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Oct 2019
“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..”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2019
“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”Owner report · Engine · May 2019
“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.”Owner report · Electrical System · Apr 2019
“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.”Owner report · Engine · Apr 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 17 of these complaints and injuries in 22 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
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: 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: 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.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact Grand Prix by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix reliable?
NHTSA has 239 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix. The most complained-about area is power train (23% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 92,000 miles or less.
Does the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:ignition. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.