2010 Pontiac G6 Electronic Stability Control (esc) Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 6, 2026 · 55 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 55 complaints with NHTSA about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the 2010 Pontiac G6, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 101,833 miles. The words owners use most often: “service esc” (36% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Service ESC: mentioned in 20 of 55 complaints (36%)
  • Traction control: mentioned in 9 of 55 complaints (16%)
  • Off restarted: mentioned in 6 of 55 complaints (11%)
  • Lost power steering: mentioned in 5 of 55 complaints (9%)

At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems happen?

Based on 54 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles0 · 0%
10k–25k miles0 · 0%
25k–50k miles1 · 2%
50k–75k miles9 · 17%
75k–100k miles15 · 28%
100k–150k miles15 · 28%
150k+ miles14 · 26%

How serious are the reports?

Of 55 complaints, 1 a fire.

Pontiac G6 electronic stability control (esc) complaints by model year

Peak: 2010, with 55 complaints
2005: 122005122006: 312006312007: 332007332008: 442008442009: 182009182010: 55201055

n = 193 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearElectronic Stability Control (esc) complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2010 G65520%101,833
2009 G6183%95,000
2008 G6444%91,500
2007 G6333%102,000
2006 G6312%122,000
2005 G6122%135,149

When owners reported it

Peak: 2015, with 11 complaints
2013: 3201332014: 8201482015: 112015112016: 5201652017: 4201742018: 102018102019: 9201992020: 4202042026: 120261

n = 55 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (1)

Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiringMay 14, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V252000 · 2,440,524 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

The contact owns a 2010 Pontiac G6. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost electric power steering assist. The electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who…

Received Apr 28, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11734267

The power steering warning and service esc lights come on and it is almost impossible to steer. This happens while driving, it is a very concerning issue. It started with the steering wheel almost locked, esp when using the autostart. We would have to turn it off and then use the key to turn back…

Received Mar 26, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11319397

The traction light is coming on and going off intermittently. The power steering went out and reverted to manual steering. Sensor codes are intermittently coming up when the check engine light is lit. Problem with the evac system. There are problems with the starter engaging longer than it should…

Received Feb 25, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11311314
Pontiac G6
2005-2007 Pontiac G6 photographed in USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2010 Pontiac G6s have electronic stability control (esc) problems?

No. NHTSA has 55 owner complaints about electronic stability control (esc) for the 2010 Pontiac G6 (20% of the 272 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Pontiac G6 electronic stability control (esc)?

Yes: 1 safety recall list electronic stability control (esc). Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems start?

The median reported mileage is 101,833 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the 2010 Pontiac G6?

The most frequent phrase is “service esc”, in 20 of 55 complaints, followed by “traction control” (9).

Other 2010 Pontiac G6 problems

See all 2010 Pontiac G6 problems or electronic stability control (esc) problems across all G6 years.