i found nothing specific to this, so i figured i'd post here inviting anyone with an '06 G6 with steering issues (lockup) to post their experience.

so far it seems as though this is a non-issue, but if you've had it happen, prove me wrong...

I havent had any steering lock up... but I would be curious to see if anyones experianced any difference in steering, sometimes wheel turns with no effort, others alot stiffer? But definatly not locking up happening here!

I had the stiff to loose steering thing going on. Also locked up on me once. Stealer replaced the power steering motor. Just got it back yesterday...will have to wait and see if it gets any better.

damn..i thought you guys were spared :(

Githianki - make sure to keep us posted on details.

just not liking the sound of the steering lock up...



also, to those that do have issues (hopefully not many), what engine? i'm mostly curious to see if it's an issue with the 2.4 or not, but i guess only time will tell...

I have not heard of any cases regarding lock ups in the 2.4, it seems to be the 3500 only right now, but someone correct me if Im wrong.

I have a GT Coupe and the only steering problem I had was when it is really hot outside, the steering would make a wierd sound when I turned. Like a muffled whale mating call is the best way I can describe it... LOL.

that sound would be a typical sound when power steering fluid is a little low...:D but this is a very old thread as well ;)

I have a 2006 G6 GT with 39K miles. There is a clunking / popping noise when turning in both directions at low speeds. (seems to come from the left side) I took it to the dealer and they replaced the left tie rod. After picking up the car the noise is still there. I suspected the CV joints at first, but after reading the forums I think it could be the rack and pinion. I am taking it back to the dealer on Monday. I have not experienced the “locking” up of the steering. I am a little worried since I am suppose to drive home for thanksgiving and have to go through the mountains. I will post a update when I hear back from the dealer.

I used to sell cars for Enterprise and noticed that many GM cars like the Malibu, Impala, and Grand Prix all doing that popping sound/steering feel issue. I sold a Malibu to a customer who complained about it and took it to a dealership who said it was normal. C'mon we all know it isnt! I did find out that there is a bullitin on this, but you have to pay to have the work done. What work needs to be done is beyond me. I wish it was a recall so then GM pays for the issue.

I have a 2005 G6 that does the same thing and has 98k on it already! I would'nt worry about that for your drive home on turkey day.

But I will say that my power steering wend off right in the middle of driving a curvy 45mph road and freaked me out. I pulled off the road, and noticed the car with the wrench light icon on my dash was lit. I turned the car off and waited about 5 minutes. I turned the car on and viola...problem gone. I'm very nervous about that because if it happens again that could be a major accident. I called my mechanic at Firestone (dont laugh) and he said it could be a loose belt so stay tuned. I'll post what he finds out..... I did see the article about the investigation of this happening also....

Hey yall.. I have a 2006 G6 GT... When I bought the car I noticed that my steering wheel was turning to the left when it would start up.. All of a sudden I started having trouble with the power steering. The light would come on saying the powersteering was low.. Now I cant even drive my car. The steering wheel will lock up as soon as I start the car. I have been looking for recalls and other things about it and I have came to this. They have had 19 reports on 06 G6's with power steering problems. They have had 2 crash's and 1 injury. If you are having the same problem you can go to www.nhsta.dot.gov and file a complaint. They havent had any recall's on it but they are saying that the fuse is getting hot. They say it is under investagation. If we all complain about this issue if you have it. They will recall this problem. If you have the same problem please post it and let everyone know.

My 2006 G6 with a 2.4 engine had a steering issue. The steering locked up with my wife driving the car. The steering quickly returned and a message was displayed on the stereo indicating the power steering had failed.

A new steering motor was fitted under warranty

my 06 v6 is in the shop right now with streering problems. i will start the car and try too turn the wheel and there would be NO power steering, driving down the road in a turn felt like there were dead spots in the power steering.
also i will get a thumping sound when turn the wheel

To All G6 Owners: The Thumping Sound When Turning The Stearing Wheel Is The Intermediary Steering Shaft. I Just Found This Out From An Honest Pontiac Dealer. Thank Goodness I Still Had My Warranty. It Is In The Shop Right Now For Repairs. Gm Has Not Recalled This Problem Yet, So Send In Your Complaints To Assure You Will Be Covered. Save Someone From A Highway Injury Or Death, Spread The Word.

my 06 v6 is in the shop right now with streering problems. i will start the car and try too turn the wheel and there would be NO power steering, driving down the road in a turn felt like there were dead spots in the power steering.
also i will get a thumping sound when turn the wheelgot mine back today they replaced the steering shaft both upper tierods and one lower tierod they said this should fix the power steering problem....we will see....

My 2006 G6 with a 2.4 engine had a steering issue. The steering locked up with my wife driving the car. The steering quickly returned and a message was displayed on the stereo indicating the power steering had failed.

A new steering motor was fitted under warranty

Have you had any problems with this since then? My fiance's car lock's up BADLY when she's going 45-55 mph!!! This has happened a few times now, Pontiac fixes it...still does it, there's a bulletin out about it now.....tomorrow i'm dropping it off and giving them the keys, if they don't buy the car back, i'm calling my lawyer.............
/rant

but has anyone had this problem?

To All G6 Owners: The Thumping Sound When Turning The Stearing Wheel Is The Intermediary Steering Shaft. I Just Found This Out From An Honest Pontiac Dealer. Thank Goodness I Still Had My Warranty. It Is In The Shop Right Now For Repairs. Gm Has Not Recalled This Problem Yet, So Send In Your Complaints To Assure You Will Be Covered. Save Someone From A Highway Injury Or Death, Spread The Word.

had the same problem,dealer replaced steering shaft,i put another 4000 km,started clunking again,put in another steering shaft

had the same problem,dealer replaced steering shaft,i put another 4000 km,started clunking again,put in another steering shaft

I had on my wife's 2005 G6 GT last year (12 months ago) replaced by dealer steering shaft & rack/ pinion due to clunk/ thump noise at low speed turning.

So here I am after 12 months with same issue again, so I figured to look at it myself and see where the GM engineers srew it up ...and was I surprised what I saw :(.

1. U joint at the end of the steering shaft (engine compartment)was dry and causing then portion of the clunk ...but the joint itself was ok with no free play in it...so I took multy purpose automotive grease and apply nice coat over the U joint while working with steering left n right.

2. Steering shaft joint under the steering wheel (indermidiate shaft) where one slides into another ...had residue of dried out "white lithium grease". I sprayed "teflon" lubricant at the seam while working steering left/ right so it could evenly run inside the shaft.

Those two (2) points were causing the clunk noise ...it was 10 min of my time and the problem is gone for few month's.
I would recomend all of you guys to do the same thing and follow up once or twice annualy.

Good luck

I have an 07 GT. I got a new steering shaft and my dealer said everything was good. When I get up to 60-65 mph, I can feel my steering wheel shake. No idea why

I have an 07 GT. I got a new steering shaft and my dealer said everything was good. When I get up to 60-65 mph, I can feel my steering wheel shake. No idea why
you might need tire balance ...and wheel rotation?!

Those were the first things I did. That didn't work so I went and bought new tires

Those were the first things I did. That didn't work so I went and bought new tires

:(

- Visually inspect tires for hump on the sidewall or thread part (bad tire).

- Missing wheel weight on rim. (lost the balance).

- Loose wheel nuts (not tight) or rust buildup on the rottor/ wheel contact.

- Drive on different road at the same speed 60/65mph (bad road).

- If you have hubcabs, inspect for proper fit (loose or bent hubcab).

Note: Any vibration at steering wheel is coming form front tires/ wheels!
One of above scenarios MUST be causing your problem....let me know what you're able to see/ find!

P.S. check your tire pressure ...shouldn't be above 35psi.

:(


P.S. check your tire pressure ...shouldn't be above 35psi.


why shouldn't it be above 35 psi? My dad is always preferring 42 psi, and I don't know why, and I prefer to go by what the car says to have! so i just wanted to know the logic behind it.

:(

- Visually inspect tires for hump on the sidewall or thread part (bad tire).

- Missing wheel weight on rim. (lost the balance).

- Loose wheel nuts (not tight) or rust buildup on the rottor/ wheel contact.

- Drive on different road at the same speed 60/65mph (bad road).

- If you have hubcabs, inspect for proper fit (loose or bent hubcab).

Note: Any vibration at steering wheel is coming form front tires/ wheels!
One of above scenarios MUST be causing your problem....let me know what you're able to see/ find!

P.S. check your tire pressure ...shouldn't be above 35psi.

Along w/ these suggestions, I would like to ask what brand of tire did you have vs what you just put back on?

why shouldn't it be above 35 psi? My dad is always preferring 42 psi, and I don't know why, and I prefer to go by what the car says to have! so i just wanted to know the logic behind it.

Logic behind my magic number 35psi is that it seems to be the safest? psi for
street driving while still having tire (thread) contact with road and not being to harsh and feeling every little bumb on the road?!

With underinflated tires you WILL damage tires and probably will have accident :( , most shops will inflate to 32 psi ...but try to hit the curve with 32 psi and you'll be surprised when you find yourself fighting the curve and reducing the speed.

With overinflated tires you wil get better sterring response ...but will feel every road imperfection.

All of this goes back to back with tire size eg. 16"-17" or 18" ...the smaller tire diameter the softer road feeling you'll have, while lower tire profile 50mm 55mm or 60mm will give you less tire flex in curves.

60mm profile will get you better through snow then 50mm :)

So my ULTIMATE solution is having one set of tires for winter and another for summer and inflate them with Nitro gas to 35psi ...what a steering response:banana:

This topic could go forever ...every person/ car and tire is different ...soccer Mom's have different driving habits then car enthusiast :D

Keep in mind also the amount of rubber touching the ground depends only on tire pressure. So the higher the pressure, the less rubber on the road so less traction, and vice versa. Also, tire blow outs and damages are more likely with higher tire pressure.

Also, tire blow outs and damages are more likely with higher tire pressure.

DEAD WRONG!!!!

With underinflated tire you WILL damage the sidewalls and tire will expand due to friction (heat) while speed increases and will explode bcoz the belts are not designed in street tires like in drag racing tires that can handle expansion ...next time you have a minute watch drag racing at take of and you'll see the tire expanding almost a whole foot :(

It is obvious if you inflate it to dangerous limits that it will give up sooner or later ...hitting the pothole with overinflated tire I think it will do the trick and damage the tire if not explode.

While with under inflated tire (26psi ?!) you have to make sharp maneuver to avoid something on the road.....good luck not ending in the dich :(

I think anywhere between 30 and 40 PSI are safe limits depending on driving habit.

It is obvious if you inflate it to dangerous limits that it will give up sooner or later ...hitting the pothole with overinflated tire I think it will do the trick and damage the tire if not explode.


That is exactly what I mean. Over-inflation, even by about 5 psi, will significantly increase your chances of tire damage due to road hazards such as potholes, curbs, etc. Under-inflation also has its own set of problems but at least they are not as susceptible to damages caused by road hazards. The point is, both over-inflation and under-inflation cause more harm than good. It's best to just stick with factory recommended tire pressure for optimum overall performance. The amount of testing manufacturers do to come up with the recommended tire pressure is really quite extensive.

cheers :beer:

Hi there,
I would ask each one of you to stand and make a complain through:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
This is the only way to push Pontiac to recall the car for this steering problem
Thanks

Hi there,
I would ask each one of you to stand and make a complain through:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
This is the only way to push Pontiac to recall the car for this steering problem
Thanks

Thanks for the link ...i just filed a complaint and did a quick search afterwards, it looks like there are only 100 or so official complaints to NHTSA


let's have all of you do the same and we might get a recall before we crash due to steering problem :(

Not sure if the steering issues with my car are associated with the following information. However, it may help other Owners with similar issues!

"Popping" sounds when turning the wheels solved on my G6 for now.

The popping sounds were from the strut bearings on my G6
Once new bearings and struts were fitted to the front end, the steering seems to be lighter and easy to move. Most likely due to the fact that various front end parts were removed and cleaned etc..
The removed strut bearings were found almost completely seized.

Keep this in mind if you have poping sound from the front end when turning the wheels. Have the strut bearings checked - they might be cause of the noises.

Note - the strut bearings from GM are crap. If they fail again - I will be sourcing aftermarket bearings

Well I have now experienced issues with our 2006 G6 GT. the alert "Power steering" comes accross the radio then 3 chimes like an open door then you lose all power steering and it becomes impossible steer. Of course the car is out of warranty :(, I called GM and opened a claim with them, I also filed a complaint with the NHTSA about the vehicle. I have to take it into the dealership on monday and then GM customer care will contact me to "further assist me". It has happened 3 times in the last 2 days with this car and it is very dangerous very dangerous to safety of the driver and others around the car at the time. I'm hoping it is a computer related issue and not something major. Overall since we got the car it has had numerous steering issues whether it clunks, or oversteers to one direction or vibrates.

I had the same problem for about three months on and off last spring. I called the dealer and they said to bring it in. Well they couldn't fix it unless it was acting up and if it acted up I couldn't get it there. So anyway, I found that if I turn it off and restarted it eventually the steering would "reboot" and all was well. This was 6 months ago and it cleared itself up, since then no problem. I think sometimes these cars are haunted. The temp guage failed to work for 2 days, I still had heat and then it came back to life by itself. Sometimes the passenger seatbelt alarm chimes with no passenger. Interesting vehicle but I love it. 06 sedan 2.4 29k

Hey Marlin

My temperature gauge did the same as yours – it stopped working then started to work again all by itself.
I replaced the water temperature senor – which didn’t solve the problem
Long story-short…I traced the problem to the ECM which had a shorted circuit involving the temperature sensor loop.
GM had to fit a new ECM under warranty (8 years) – which solved the problem completely. Note – GM tried to blame the wiring harness – which was not the case with my problem… the wiring harness was in good shape – no grounds or shorts.
SO… I bet your ECM has a shorted circuit as well. I know of a number of other G6, Malibu and Auras cars that have had the same problem – all were ECM issues! :beer:

Well the verdict on mine is the sensor in the upper steering column went bad, so after tomorrow and $600 bucks it will hopefully be fixed. At first I was going to take it to the dealer but I since changed my mind and having the work done elsewhere ( i do not want to be raped on it to hard). I opened a claim with pontiac and made them aware I will be calling them everyday monday through friday to make there lives a living hell. I think its ridiculous that they will not own up to there engineering mistake. This problem with the steering on these cars are a grave safety issue and someone someday will get killed. They told me that they do not have any records of issues with 2006 g6's and there steering, I told the company mule to search the net and there he will find all the info he needs. I also wrote a complaint to the NHTSA and when I have the bill I am going to contact the better business bureau.

I find it funny now today 2/2/10 that the FEDS are investigating GM for power steering issues with the cobalts...the same issues we have mind you, and when I call GM and harass them they still claim no issues with there EPS system. Maybe if everyone in a GM crashes then they will change there tune.

I called GM about my 2006 G6 power steering. They blew me off. I had to spend over 700 dollars to get it fix. They act like they don't know about it. What happens is that the power steering will apear on when first start the car and go away and eventually the steering wheel will jerk and rattle all by itself and then power steering will go in and out. I made a complaint with NHTSA- 1-888-327-4236 . If you have the same problem please call NHTSA. This needs to be recalled!!!

Yea your experience sounds just like mine, $700 repair, and Pontiac could care less about there loyal customers. They act like they have no clue of any problems. they really have made sure that these will be the last GM's I own for awhile. I also recommend making a complaint with NHTSA but unfortuately it seems like with all the recent events with all the automakers that they are in bed with the auto makers instead of regulating them.

I contacted Transport Canada with respect to the problems with the Electric Steering - G6 models and sister cars.
I was told by the investigator that Transport Canada is pressing GM to acknowledge there are issues with all electric steering systems fitted to GM vehicles.
I imagine that NHTSA is also pressing GM into issuing a recall as well. The only problem is the American Government made such a fuss over Toyota - they are unwilling to have GM investigated as well.. But too bad... Safety should trump pride!

I have a 2006 G6 GT with 39K miles. There is a clunking / popping noise when turning in both directions at low speeds. (seems to come from the left side) I took it to the dealer and they replaced the left tie rod. After picking up the car the noise is still there. I suspected the CV joints at first, but after reading the forums I think it could be the rack and pinion. I am taking it back to the dealer on Monday. I have not experienced the “locking” up of the steering. I am a little worried since I am suppose to drive home for thanksgiving and have to go through the mountains. I will post a update when I hear back from the dealer.

Answer: Having a G6 2005 , 3.5 L. In April 2009,I brought the car to a GM dealer for a klung noise in the steering wheel. The greased the intermidiate steering shaft. On winter 2010 the klung reapeared (but not as strong). Someone on your forum brought a solutions by spraying the shaft with W-40
Easy access indeed . Inside the car almost at your feet, you see the shaft going thru the bottom of the firewall. 2 weeks ago i sprayed good this section of the shaft. I beleive that the fact that W-40 is very liquid, it penetrated good. NO MORE KLUNG NOISE since then. Dont know how long it will last, but a W-40 can is much less expensive than the 100.00$ + that the dealer charged me plus the bothering and waiting time....

Regards

JML

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Lubing the steering shaft with WD40 isnt exactly the best thing to do since it is more of a penetrant. I suggest you use white lithium grease. You can get it in a spray can that comes with the extended nozzle attachment for the end. It is thicker and will last much longer than WD40. I lube mine and it lasts a minumum of 8 months before I do it again. Also, a great way to do it is to remove the panel from under the steering wheel and unscrew the shaft from the joint. That way you can move the shaft in and out while working in the grease. It is a little more time consuming, but you get better results.
Cheers! :D

I was having trouble with that thumping sound as I turned the wheel at low speeds,too. I pulled both front wheels, and went over everything, checking for any looseness or play, and found nothing. So, I started searching the web, and found all these scary posts about steering failure. Our 2006 has been issue-free from day one (My wife actually started to work on the G6 line at Lake Orion the week this car was made). I found these posts, where others sprayed lube in the steering joints,and I did the same. This has seemed to take care of the problem for me,too. Thank you to the folks who took the time to post this simple remedy-it saved me a trip to the dealership, at the very least.

It actually happend to me twice already.. i was tryin to make a sharp U turn n it lockd up the steerin wheel.. i have a 05 g6 v6 w 180XXX

I went to the garage yesterday and they told me that my electrical power steering has been recalled, as well my check engine light came on and it said that the computer needs to be updated. Hope this helps some one