YearToAvoid

2010 Pontiac G6 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Best The 2010 Pontiac G6 ranks as the Best year among the 7 model years with data, with a complaint index of 17 and 272 complaints, far below 2006's index of 100. Steering problems dominate, making up 64% of complaints, with median failure mileage around 110,000.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
17/100
#6 of 7 G6 years
Verdict
Best
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
272
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
2
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
10
reported in complaints
Fires
1
Injuries
3
Top issue
Steering
Best nearby year
2005
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
24
20.5 city / 29.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
3 / 0

Top 2010 Pontiac G6 problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Steering173 (64%)
  2. Electrical System82 (30%)
  3. Brakes73 (27%)
  4. Airbags18 (7%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain14 (5%)
  6. Engine12 (4%)
  7. Structure & Body10 (4%)
  8. Fuel System7 (3%)
  9. Other6 (2%)
  10. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (1%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Steering wheel suddenly locks while driving at highway speeds, causing loss of control and crashes.
  • Power steering cuts out without warning, sometimes leading to collisions with barriers or curbs.
  • Airbags fail to deploy in crashes, including collisions involving another vehicle or road departures.
  • Brakes fail to engage when pressed, resulting in crashes into other vehicles.
  • Front rotors reported to slip during braking at low mileage.
  • Dashboard warning lights (ESC, traction control, check engine) come on together, linked to an electrical fault.
2010 Pontiac G6 complaints: complaints filed per quarter242011 Q12013 Q12014 Q32016 Q12017 Q32019 Q12020 Q42026 Q2
272 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2011 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2015 Q1 (24).

2010 Pontiac G6 recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 14V252000May 14, 2014Brakes2,440,524 vehicles

    Electronic stability control (esc)

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.

    Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

  2. NHTSA 12V460000Sep 18, 2012Transmission & Powertrain426,240 vehicles

    Power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)

    General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.

    Risk: If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

2010 Pontiac G6 fuel economy and fuel cost

City
20.5 MPG
Highway
29.5 MPG
Combined
24 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,700
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other G6 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002005200620072008200920102014
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2008Caution501,079420
2009Caution67712422
2010Best17272224
2014No verdict010—

All Pontiac G6 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Pontiac G6 reliable?
Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 G6 is the Best year among the 7 model years with data, with a complaint index of 17, the lowest along with the fewest reported problems relative to other years.
What problems does the 2010 Pontiac G6 have?
Steering issues account for 64% of complaints, including steering wheel lock-ups, followed by electrical system problems at 30% and brake issues at 27%. Median mileage at failure for steering complaints is 110,000.
Does the 2010 Pontiac G6 have any recalls?
NHTSA lists two recalls for the 2010 G6: one for brakes tied to a wiring harness issue and one for a 4-speed automatic transmission shift cable problem shared with related GM models.
How does the 2010 G6 compare to other years?
The 2010 G6 has the lowest complaint index (17) of the 7 years tracked, well below 2006 (100, Avoid) and 2007 (83, Avoid), and carries only 2 recalls versus up to 6 in earlier years.
What year Pontiac G6 should I avoid?
NHTSA data flags 2006 and 2007 as Avoid years for the G6, with complaint indexes of 100 and 83, compared to just 17 for the 2010 model.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.