Owners have filed 494 complaints on the Pontiac GTO, covering 2004–2006. The system named most often is Suspension (369 reports). Worst years by volume: 2004, 2006, 2005; cleanest: 2005, 2006, 2004. 11 reports describe a crash, 3 a fire, 2 a death. On average the car was 2.1 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Pontiac GTO
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 494 GTO complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Suspension 369 Read
Hello, I would like to send you a complaint concerning the safety of my vehicle. I own a 2006 pontiac gto. My car currently has under 25k miles on it and I have already had two sets of tires blow out on me due to inner tire wear. I have owned my car for less then 1.5 years and I have put under 19k miles on it. As far…
Vehicle was involved in a 1 car accident. For no known reason the vehicle went out of control while pulling out of a parking lot. Upon removal of the damaged front fender it was determined that the tires on this vehicle were bald on the inside of the tire. This damage to the tires it was ultimately caused the…
Leaking front struts on a 2006 pontiac gto silver/black car was purchased new from rogers auto group in chicago on june 3rd. The build date is feb 2006
Tires 29 Read
The contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. The front and rear tires are wearing unevenly. The tire manufacturer is bridgestone, the tire line is potenza, and the size, 235/40/18. The rear tires were replaced at the failure mileage of 12,000 and failed again at 19,000 miles; however, the front and rear are worn. The DOT…
The contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. While driving 60 mph, the steering column vibrated and shook excessively. The contact noticed that the tire tread was very low. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the failure was due to tire imbalance. A professional technician stated that the tires were rubbing…
I was driving at approximately 40 mph and the tire blew out. I went home and put on my "donut" to find out that the blow out occurred on the inside of the tire close to the tire wheel interface. I called my serviceman and had my two back wheels replaced
Electrical System 22 Read
Remote door lock failed to unlock or lock door and open trunk. I have to place the key in the door lock and then pull it out in order for it to work. It fails to open maybe 1 out of 30 attempts
Dashboard started flashing "check alternator". Shortly after, dashboard started flashing "ABS brake system off trak". After turning off car, it would not restart. Car has been in the shop for over a week, and another 10 days is estimated because of backordered alternator. Alternator apparently went bad after only 2…
The contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. The contact stated that the key became stuck in the ignition and was unable to be removed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, who diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The dealer fractured the key in the ignition as a result the vehicle had to be drilled to…
Power Train 17 Read
6 speed transmission manual will not go into any gears. 770 miles on car
The contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. The contact stated that the clutch pedal became loose and the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000
The contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. While parked, the vehicle failed to shift from the neutral position. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the clutch slave cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure…
Steering 14 Read
I took my 2006 gto into the dealer in jan. 2009 for some warranty repair work on the fan switch. While performing a safety inspection the dealer noticed the right front strut was rubbing on the tire and causing significant wear on the inner tread. I had noticed a clunking sound as I went over speed bumps or turned…
The contact owns a 2005 pontiac gto. While driving approximately 62 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly swerved towards the right and crashed into another vehicle. The contact and the driver of the other vehicle suffered personal injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the…
I was driving my clutch and gas went to the floor and my steering wheel broke and I ran through the woods
Engine And Engine Cooling 10 Read
Vehicle purchased new. Motor failed at approx 6,555 miles. Loud poof followed by flames shooting out of bottom end of motor. Engine failure also sprayed hot motor oil over undercarriage and body panels. Black smoke filled passenger cabin resulting in zero visibility and foul odor in passenger compartment. Lost power…
2006 pontiac gto engine failure on 05/15/2007. I had already come to a stop when the motor shut off. Went to take off again as traffic moved and saw engine light on. Car finally restarted but had to pull over about 1/4 mile again because of the motor shaking violently. The problem was diagnosed at the dealership as a…
The contact owns a 2006 pontiac gto. While driving 55 miles per hour the contact noticed the radiator was leaking. The contact stated that there was a leak underneath the vehicle when he shut the engine off. The contact spoke with the dealer regarding recalls for the vehicle. The contact spoke with the manufacturer…
Air Bags 7 Read
2005 pontiac gto 6/22/08 had left tire rear blowout which resulted in a front end crash, the airbags didn't deploy,and injuries occurred. Also damage resulted to the sides and rear of the car. Insurance decided it was a total loss due to $17,000 in damage. A blowout also occurred 12/2007 on the left rear tire while on…
Drove off a mountain in western n.c. Due to loose gravel. Went down over 300 yards plus. The air bags did not deploy. I received two skull fractures and two broken neck bones. Also, the skin on my left arm, was scraped to the bone. Numerous cuts and my entire body was sore. ...updated 10/22/14
I bought a brand new 2004 pontiac gto in june 2004. In august 2004 I was in an accident. I was driving when hit and as per my passenger(front seat) we hit a tree head on dead center at about 35 mph. We were wearing seat belts. The brake pedal bent and neither airbag deployed. The inside of the car was twisted and…
Fuel System 7 Read
Was driving the vehicle, 2004 pontiac gto, when it caught on fire. I am presuming it was caused by a problem involving the engine covers rubbing on the fuel line
While filling tank, gas back-splashed; immediately after driving, gas cap fell off (reverse pressure) and car started bucking violently. Gas had reversed its flow throughout the pressurized system. This happened on two subsequent fills
2005 pontiac gto the fuel rail cover on the driver's side of the engine rubs the fuel delivery line causing a cut in the line. This cut continues to get worse and will eventually compromise the integrity of the fuel line. There have been numerous reports of this line breaking and causing the engine bay to ignite from…
GTO years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Electrical System | 2 | — | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 3 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 6 | 1 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 40 |
| Average complaints per series | 12.4 |
| Worst single series | 25 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 2.1 years |
A model average of 12.4 hides a worst series at 25. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the GTO?
By complaint volume, 2004, 2006, 2005 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which GTO years are the cleanest?
2005, 2006, 2004 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Pontiac GTO have?
494 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2004–2006. Of those, 11 describe a crash and 3 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.