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2009 Pontiac G6 Recalls, Problems & Maintenance

The 2009 Pontiac G6 has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 6 recurring issue clusters, led by “Electric power steering assist loss while driving.” Every Pontiac is now 15+ years old, which changes the maintenance question from 'what mileage?' to 'how old is it?' — hoses, belts, coolant, and brake fluid age out even on low-mile cars. The G6 uses GM's Oil Life System (change oil when the message appears, at most every 12 months) with Dex-Cool coolant and either the 2.4L Ecotec four or the 3.5/3.9L pushrod V6. Parts remain cheap and plentiful through GM's shared platforms — these cars are inexpensive to keep healthy if the age-based items aren't ignored.

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No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Known issues & problems for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2009 Pontiac G6.

Reported to NHTSA

Electric power steering assist loss while driving

STEERING

125 NHTSA complaints · 2018-01 → 2026-09

“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”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11719815
“THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS POWER STEERING ASSIST WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE POWER STEERING MODULE WAS REPLACED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11317903
“WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING AND ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11066123

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Brake lights illuminate or extinguish independent of pedal

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES

13 NHTSA complaints · 2018-04 → 2025-11

“My brake lights are malfunctioning. It has not worked correctly in years. When you press on the brake, the brake lights turn itself off”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11701284
“WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11098953
“BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING WHEN I STOP THE VEHICLE REPLACED BRAKE LIGHT SENSOR AND NOW THE TRUNK BRAKE LIGHT IS THE ONLY ONE WORKING REGULAR LIGHTS ALL WORK BUT THE LIGHT ON THE TRUNK IS THE ONLY BRAKE LIGHT THAT WORKS WHEN PRESSING THE FOOT PEDAL”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11361789

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Fuel odor from fuel tank or pump area

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

11 NHTSA complaints · 2018-04 → 2023-12

“Strong fuel smell from rear of Pontiac G6 near fuel tank. This is a common problem due to a cracked elbow on top of the fuel pump”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11561783
“STARTED SMELLING LOUD GAS FUMES FOUND OUT IT IS A GAS TANK LEAK WAS TOLD A RECALL WAS ISSUED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH PONTIAC G6 SERIES DEALER GM NOT AWARE IS THERE A RECALL TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11091050
“FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, STRONG SMELL OF GAS WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED IN GARAGE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11090373

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Headlight connector wiring burns and melts

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING

12 NHTSA complaints · 2018-02 → 2023-12

“Headlights are burning, melting and charged connections and causing dim lights”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11557821
“Head light connector is burning out too fast. Had to replace it 2x in 1 year”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11447202
“HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY STOP WORKING; HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS, CLEANED THE WIRES”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11066907

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Shifter cable failure preventing park or reverse

POWER TRAIN

8 NHTSA complaints · 2018-07 → 2024-11

“The contact stated that while in reverse, the vehicle continued to reverse and failed to stop. The gear shifter failed to shift to the intended gear, causing the contact to use the parking brake while depressing the brake pedal to stop the vehicle”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11491027
“THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO PARK. WHILE IN A PARKING LOT, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD NOT MOVE INTO PARK”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11222444
“AFTER SHIFTING GEARS FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE IN A PARKING LOT, MY CAR CONTINUED TO ROLL BACKWARDS”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11111862

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Air bag warning indicator illumination

AIR BAGS

7 NHTSA complaints · 2018-09 → 2021-09

“THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG INDICATOR FLASHED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11233290
“WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11181560
“PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING COMES ON.. HAD IT REPALCE NOW IT HAS TO GO TO A GM DEALER THE HAVE CLEARED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11229295

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Raw data + downloads for this vehicle →

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter (Oil Life System)

Every 5,000 mi

Change when the Oil Life System calls it, and at least every 12 months. On engines this age, many mechanics suggest a practical 5,000-mile ceiling — aging seals and PCV systems contaminate oil faster.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation

Every 7,500 mi

Rotate every 7,500 miles. Check tire date codes too — sidewall age (6+ years) retires tires on old cars before tread wear does.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

Brake Inspection

Every 7,500 mi

Inspect pads, rotors, and especially brake hoses and hard lines at every service — line corrosion is a real failure mode on 15-year-old northern cars.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Brake Fluid

Every 24,000 mi

Replace every 2 years. Decade-old fluid is the hidden cause of soft pedals and seized calipers on aging GM sedans.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$180–$200

Shop

~$125–$140

DIY

~$10–$25

DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Automatic Transmission Fluid (4T45-E / 4T65-E)

Every 45,000 mi

Drain-and-fill every 45,000 miles with Dexron VI. On high-mile units that have never been serviced, prefer repeated drain-and-fills over a pressure flush.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$330–$500

Shop

~$235–$355

DIY

~$60–$180

Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.

Spark Plugs

Every 100,000 mi

Iridium plugs at 100,000 miles on the G6's engines. Replace wires/boots on the pushrod V6 at the same time — they're brittle at this age.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Serpentine Belt & Tensioner

Every 60,000 mi

At this age, replace the belt AND tensioner as a pair on any evidence of cracking or noise — a weak tensioner eats new belts.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$195–$235

Shop

~$135–$165

DIY

~$20–$50

DIY-friendly if you can reach the tensioner. Inspect for cracks rather than swap on a strict mileage interval.

Engine Air Filter

Every 30,000 mi

Replace every 30,000 miles — a cheap, 5-minute job on the G6.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Coolant Replacement (Dex-Cool)

Every 100,000 mi

Dex-Cool is rated 5 years / 150,000 miles — but on cars this old the interval is effectively 'every 5 years.' Check for intake and water-pump seepage while it's drained; use Dex-Cool only, never mixed with green coolant.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Battery & Charging System Test

Every 25,000 mi

Test the battery and alternator annually. Parasitic drains from aging body modules are common on this era of GM — a healthy battery masks them until it doesn't.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$225–$390

Shop

~$160–$280

DIY

~$130–$250

Most auto-parts stores test and install batteries free with purchase. Skip the dealer markup.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

192 crashes 1990–2024

How the 192 occupant deaths break down

138

driver deaths

54

passenger deaths

192

occupant deaths

Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2008 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.

Why we show driver deaths too

Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.

Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.

IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

25

complaints mentioning a crash

20

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2009 Pontiac G6 reflects Pontiac's published service intervals and the GM Oil Life System system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

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