What breaks most · 2006 to 2009 model years
Pontiac Torrent problems by year
Owners have filed 581 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Pontiac Torrent across model years 2006 to 2009. Three years stand out: 2006 for visibility complaints, 2007 for fuel system complaints and 2008 for air bags complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2006, 2007, 2008
- Complaints on file
- 5812006 to 2009, all trims
- Worst year
- 2006238 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 2115 fires · 33 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 78kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 4Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 238 | 10 | 0 | Visibility (73) | |
| 216 | 6 | 4 | Fuel system (53) | |
| 113 | 4 | 0 | Air bags (39) | |
| 14 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (5) |
What fails on the 2006 Pontiac Torrent
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 31% |
73 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2006 Pontiac Torrent |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 26% |
63 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2006 Pontiac Torrent |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 12% |
29 | 3 | Shop steering parts for the 2006 Pontiac Torrent |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 11% |
27 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2006 Pontiac Torrent |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 9% |
21 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2006 Pontiac Torrent |
| Wipers and visibilityWiper motors and blades | 7% |
16 | 0 | Shop all wipers and visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
13 | 1 | Shop brakes parts for the 2006 Pontiac Torrent |
| Seats | 5% |
12 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Driving, turned the defrost on, only cold air came out, unable to defog or defrost windshield. No heat whatsoever. Blows cold air at all times. Apparently some of the other GM vehicles based on the same platform have had the same problems.
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Fuel smell after driving. Gasoline leaking from the top of the fuel tank. Stabilitrax system light stays on even after the code was cleared by a certified GM mechanic.
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Noticed a strong gas smell looked underneath car and realized there is a gas leak coming from the gas tank area. Significant amount of gas pouring out . As i have read on other year models having the same problem!
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Pontiac Torrent years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2006, 2007, 2008 carry the most filings on the Pontiac Torrent. The 2006 alone has 238 complaints, led by visibility.
What is the most common Pontiac Torrent problem?
On the 2006 model year, the most-reported component is visibility with 73 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Pontiac Torrent problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Pontiac Torrent complaints that include mileage is about 78,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.