Each video chapter is noted in the description, and some of them have an affiliate link to the related part. Check out that gear oil link, though! So many reviews mentioning the GTO!

297k still going strong

I’ve had ownership of my 2006 GTO for 15 years and every problem you mentioned I resolved it. One ☝️ thing you forgot to mention are the Door 🚪 lock actuators on one or both sides go bad. At least they both were replaced once so far. For the rear gear oil Torco plus their additive will cure the gear noise for me. Improved racing Oil pan baffle will stop 🛑 oil starvations in drag racing and drifting. Oh Saftey Alert 🚨!!! Change that Factory fuel line in the engine bay to Earl’s or Russel’s. The OEM one is a Fire 🔥 hazard. P.S. lf the car 🚗 is left more than 2 or more weeks without starting you may have to Jump it. Darn Battery 🔋 drain.

Another issue I noticed a lot of GTOs have is the stitching coming apart on the seats.

Ok. I have owned my 04 since Dec 2004. 2nd motor..3rd transmission..driveshaft .3 set of gears..radiators,, brakes(a lot) tires and many a many smiles.

My problems in 14 years. 2006 bought new. 4 batteries Cracked radiator Replaced electrical window mechanism twice Head gasket leak Water cooler AC compressor and condenser. Expensive Lots of small things.

My 04’ is the most reliable v8 car I could ever fathom. I’ve had some reliability issues in terms of easy stuff. But this car overall is super reliable. Only things I’ve dealt with in this vid (bought an 04m6 in 16’ with 6k miles currently in 2023, 7 years later at 75k miles) are the fuel door popper, sagging rear springs and the loud fuel injectors. Not the lifters at all I change my oil every 3-5k miles w/ 5w30 full synth. No problems.

Even with all the problems that are annoying fixes you still get the bang for your buck scenario i’m looking at an 06 LS2 6 speed and even though it doesn’t have any of these problems yet I would start looking at replacing these just to get one step ahead so you would have a true reliable bad ass car and great job on the video this is the only video I found so far that actually identifies the common problems with the GTO

My problem with the my gto is that once I fix something it's like "O hey since you are fixing that here's this I wanted to talk you about" cars am I right?

Thank you for making this video, man. I bought an 06 GTO about a year ago around June 2020 that I have as a daily. This video will help a lot.

Don't know if anyone is still having the battery drain issue but something you can look into for it is the bcm sleep timer. Somehow someway they end up maxed out on the sleep timer which keeps the BCM on for a long time draining the battery. You can use a GM Tech2 and shorten the sleep timer to get the BCM to turn off sooner.

A few more common issues: Leather stitching comes apart due to UV exposure. Interior metal laminated pieces start to bubble Door window comes loose from window track (window can actually hit the door latch cable and open the door -- dangerous!) Carrier bearing failure -- car has two piece driveshaft and requires carrier bearing. And, I personally got hit with a bad ECM last month (P0601 code) - - ECM replacement in progress...

I bought mine new in 2006, not sure if it was mentioned in the comments, but after my 2nd radiator tank splitting, I replaced it with a Mishimoto all aluminum radiator and problem solved. With only 57k, I would have never guessed replacing the radiator twice.

Man, all these comments, I'm not sure I want one anymore. Been driving my Grand Am GT since 04 and haven't had any problems at all.

So the Pontiac GTO is a Holden Monaro from Australia, watched the video and I have not had one of these issues with my 04 CV8 Monaro. With regards to the fuel flap on my car it is a lever down by the drivers seat you pull which I think is mechanical so always works. As for the Boot you call it a trunk it is probably the boot struts that need replacing, that was one of the 1st things i replaced and my boot opens fine. My car has done 122,000 Kms and still looks like new the interior is perfect along with the paint and overall condition. Engine is faultless and I have changed the caster bushings to Polyeurphane and the front sway bushes otherwise just regular maintenance. Not heard of the glovebox issue nor had any electrical issues although I did change out the stock Radio for a Pioneer unit and the car can sit for a month without a drive and still has enough charge in the battery although I do like to run a trickle charger on it.

don't forget to change out the fuel line to braided line cause they rub as well and catch fire

When I had my 06 GTO, I had to replace the struts and springs from Lovells. Make a huge difference in the ride quality. Great video!

Agree 100% on the ECU,battery, transmission and also fuel pump problems. Now my steering is wobbling 😫, never stops, still love my 06 🐐

Back seats thread's stretch. I think every GTO I've seen, including mine that I purchased new, has the rear seats showing the padding

I only have three of these problems with my 04 which is the headliner gas door and rear Springs. The gas door I just push the button several times before getting out and it's always open that way

good info--i am currently looking for a GTO (2005-2006) good to know this problems ahead of time!!

For such a short video, a lot of information delivered so coherently too. I've always been a SBC/BBC guy, and just recently I was made aware how (some) MOPAR cars back in the 60's/70's had the oil sump in the front causing oil starvation issues like this GTO. Good video, well done!!!

Please make a vid on the wiring harness behind glovebox! I'm having electrical issues... love your content btw!!

Owned mine since December 2004... did the radius rod bushings and most of the rear suspension. No issues with the BCM wiring but wrapped it with rubber hose and zip tied it. Replaced the rubber fuel line with a Russell's stainless line. Headliner is starting to sag, will replace it this coming summer. Mine only has 9941 miles on it and I love it. Plenty of mods done and more to come...

I've got a friend who owns one . He didn't drive it very often so his battery was always dead. He was told that it was his anti-theft was draining it.

The radius rod bushings cause wheel shake under hard braking just FYI

Replaced my 04s radius rod and strut mounts with polyurethane bushings from whiteline. I also replaced the strut to knuckle bolts with bolts from a parts store as I've read the factory bolts are one time use only. I wrapped my bcm wires in rubber hose as my signals popped fuses when I bought mine back in 08. Over 175k and 13 years still loving mine.

I've had my 04 GTO now for 6 years and I haven't had any issues with the BCM yet..but I'm going to do something once I have the car back home (she's getting a 408 with LS3 top end) since I work in the 12 Volt industry now..also I have done all Polyurethane on everything suspension related and it is a massive improvement for anyone considering! A few other things that wasn't mentioned is the door lock actuators, mine act very strange and I need to replace them..also the carrier bearing on the factory driveshaft can be a problem as well..honestly there's a few little quirks with these cars but overall I think they're an incredible car to own!

I went through every issue you mentioned. I bought my 05 Quicksilver new, it has just 44k miles on it now. You can eat off the engine. I recently went through the car and replaced just about anything that could wear out. I had to do a clutch because it sits in storage so much. I did the flywheel and rear main seal too. Then I did belts, hoses, flushed the coolant system, changed the plugs and wires. Changed the trans and diff fluids too. Did all new struts, shocks, and springs. Anything it needs, it gets.

Drove my '05 GTO brand new off the lot and the only problem you mentioned that I have had is the trunk not unlocking. The one major issue I have had with mine is the driveshaft. The hangar bearings rip apart and then you have vibration and clunking noises. Also have the seat stitching problem.

I've owned my 2006 GTO for 15-16 years and I've only had the transmission rebuilt, and just recently had the suspension rebuilt...lower control arms, shocks, struts/mounts, sway bar end links, etc. It has 70k miles.

Had my 04 for two years and is my daily (180k miles). The gas door got stuck and had to open through trunk and removed carpeting. Looking forward to more GTO content when you have more time! 🙂 Thanks for all your videos!

Key cylinder seizing up to the point where you can't turn the key to start the engine

The battery drain is the worst for me. I hate it and feel I am constantly jump starting my GTO if I don't drive it daily. If I do not start the car, at least, once a week, the battery is dead and I have to jump it or trickle charge. It's much worse in the winter when the temps get below freezing. The battery is dead if not started every 3-4 days.

Yes, I have an 06 Gto and I had to take the radio fuses out because it constantly drain the battery and the radio would not turn off

Thanks for publishing this. If your current draw is bad enough to say, completely drain a battery in 2 days or less, it is not the BCM, or alarm, or any of the normal parasitic drain stuff. It is most likely the diodes in the alternator have gone bad, allowing current to backflow to while the car is not running. The trunk is a cheap and easy fix, change the lift struts. The radius rod bushings are bad in every, single GTO that has been on the road. They are a safety item that affects nearly every aspect of how the car drives and if they haven't been replaced already they should be the first thing a new GTO owner fixes. I've not heard the fuel door being a common issue.

Great videos buddy! Love all your videos. So happy gm/Pontiac gave it one last run that gave us a car we all enjoy so much.

Some of these issues apply to the LS2. The LS1s for example I've never heard of having an oil starvation issue.

Good video, I’ve replaced all that shit already. I also recommend replacing the driveshaft bearing if you don’t want a 1 piece drive shaft. Mine was completely destroyed when I replaced it with a one piece.

Might have been mentioned already but you forgot the ignition locking up lol happened to me once and took hours of lithium spray and other crap to finally break it loose, hasn't happened since but some people take it apart and use a Dremel on one area of it to prevent it from locking

Another common issue is ignition cylinder failing/breaking. Just had to change mine out. Thankfully nearby GM dealer had one on had, got it for 60-70$ fixed it myself.

04 here. 1) I have an issue with my windows not rolling down right away, i have to hold them for 5 secs and then they'll go down. 2)And don't forget the shift knob rattle. 3)The trunk not opening really gets me. Especially when I have to open it manually from the inside (multiple pulls) 4) e-brake might not hold at times so I really have to yank that bad boy up! 5) Might have to do with my after market clutch but when it get's hot it starts to act up. It gets sensitive but I just pump it a couple times and it's good. 6) Dead battery all the time 7) Sometimes door doesn't open so I have to manually open it. And of course that makes the alarm go off.

I am daily driving my 04 completely stock 104k miles atm. I have owned it since about 65k miles and had 0 issues. Car is fun drive and okay mileage but I can't bring myself to put any money into it since it'd be cheaper to buy one already fixed up.

Definitely battery drain. Power trunk latch failed. Took months for the part to come from Austrailia. Ignition cylinder locked up on my wife, Got it home with a flat blade screwdriver and hammer fix found on LS1 GTO. I replaced the ignition cylinder myself, not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. The gauges went ape shit on me once but it hasn't happened since. Its an 04, approaching 28,000 miles. It sits most of the winter months here in NC.

My rear differential, master cylinder, and starter all went out at the same time 😭 I wish I had a garage to work in so I could slowly work on my 2004 GTO over time. Now it's been just sitting for about a year. Best car I've ever driven. I feel when the wheels come loose, when to step on the throttle and hit them gears like I'm casually chewing gum lol. People still offer me a lot of money for it bit I plan on keeping it forever ☺

Can’t forget about the driver’s sun visor breaking, fuel line rubbing on the engine cover and the ECU failing.

Great job! Now I’m rethinking if I want to purchase one.

I’m on my second gto, went from an auto 5.7 to a 6 speed 6.0. I couldn’t be happier even though mine has problems here and there I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

I have an '05 LS2 6-speed, original owner. At 135K miles now. I've been through 3 sets of front strut mounts and need another set...front end clunking sound. I have heard about the wiring harness behind the glove box issue. I need to check that too...my horn will randomly blow by itself while sitting in traffic or hitting a bump. Another item I have replaced multiple times is my driver's side visor. It breaks internally and will not stay up. I have purchased 3 new ones on Ebay over the course of ownership. I think the cam inside the visor is plastic and breaks from frequently putting it down and up. Rubber exhaust hanger at the rear split causing tips to hang down and I was unable to find replacements, so I put treaded hose clamps around the rubber and reinstalled...problem solved. Other than these things, it's been a pretty good car. It even survived me hitting a 12 foot alligator on I-49 south of Alexandria, LA at 2:30 in the morning coming back from a Whitesnake concert! Body shop and insurance company had fun with that one!

The suede on the door panels will sometimes bubble up or begin to peel away from the door panels. The plastic on the steering wheel also starts to wrinkle. Dash gremlins. Out of no where the gas gauge will go to zero or the Speedo will go erratic. The paint on the door handles will begin to chip off.

The BCM wires really cause some weird things to happen. 1st GTO the headlights would come on randomly when it was parked. Look out the window and oh lights on again! LOL 2nd GTO the radio would come on by itself when parked. Then of course there's that phantom horn honk!

I have an ‘04. I had major electrical issues. Codes would go off for abs, TC, fuel gauge would drop to empty and the AC would quit working. It wasn’t the harness behind the glove box, it ended up being a faulty ABS control module. Once replaced, it fixed all of those issues. Other than that, it has been an amazing car. It is now procharged, with borla exhaust, etc. Super fun and reliable car. I drive it daily!

But Stephen, I thought the LS was perfect and infallible? Hahaha. The oil starvation issues are true across the board for LS based engines, minus dry sump, depending on your use case and maintenance of course. Oiling mods are a must do mods for drift cars as well! Awesome overview video.

I've owned my 04 gto since 05, the battery issue is the bane of my existence

In 14 years I have had my 2006 only 2 of the problems have showed themselves. On my 4th battery with only 68K miles and the electrical problem behind glove compartment. That happened really early on like in year one. Was covered by warranty.

Definately cover the wire harness behind the glove box with some corrugated wire loom. i did that and the metal it was rubbing up against. you know just to be on the safe side. 😁

Thanks for all the tips. Ive had one for about 2 years now, first thing i did is check and reinforce the wiring harness. It was fine, yet I still have electrical problems. The fog light indicator in the dash stays on even when the car is off, and if the car is running the head lights will be on even if the switch is in the off position

My '05 has a solid driveshaft and 4.11 gears. Any speed above 80 and the whole thing vibrates like an earthquake. Had the driveshaft balanced and rear diff rebuilt and it still vibrates like crazy!

I have a 06 spice red metallic 6-speed manual with 26,000 miles on it. Owned it for about 7 years and bought it with under 15, 000 miles mi on it. The only problem I have had is keeping traction and that is not a joke. B&m short throw shifter, stage 2 center force clutch, Cooks headers and Cooks mid pipe, Corsa sport Cat-Back exhaust, fast lsxr 102 intake manifold and Vararam intake. The car made 392 wheel horsepower to the wheels on a mustang Dyno which runs low

I own a 2005 "yellow'" jacket pontiac GTO (26,265 original miles on it ) and was told by the dealer that the steel trap that the used to anchor the car to the ship not only cause the sag in the rear end but also caused the car to lean a little bit on the drivers side...you have to look pretty hard but it's there. Also still on the car are the original shipping plastic covers they put on the door running boards....Freaked the dealer out when he saw the original shipping covers still in place. I have the tremec 6 speed in mine and about a year ago I blew the hydralic hose at the throwout bearing in the bell housing....Getting ready to have that fixed. A dealer in Houston,Texas - Tommy Vaughn Ford to me that I was at the wrong dealership looking for an investment car....They will make hundreds of thousands 04 Cobra mustang 4.6 litre but if you will go down to Erne Guzman pontiac GMC and look at the new GTO (2004) that will be an investment car...the word is out that they make a little over 40 thousand of them and then Pontiac is going under due to management problems and lack of sales...That will be an investment car....My hot rod days are over...I used to run a 1966 Chevy Nova sport coupe (11.21 et consistently ) and used to run the car at the old and gone Alamo dragway in Poteet,Texas just south of the Alamo city back in 1974......That was another misunderstood car by Chevrolet....anyways watch out for the hydralic hose line breaking and leaking at the throw out bearing of the car.....My fellow car club collector tell me if I can keep it together until 2025 I may get what i paid for it ...$25 grand for it...especially if there are only 10 thousand or left still on the road...Fastest car I ever saw go to the junkyard.....

Replace oil pan oem baffle with aftermarket one that holds oil upfront under hard acceleration.

Thank you very muck sir. Finally found a real review and not pretty pictures with dub step music.

For the Fuel tank latch there is a manual lever in the back seat at the head rest just FYI on that, the issue with the Drain is the security system. this car doesn't have a FAB,. the Key has to make connection to the ignition to send the start single to the computer. the security features on this car is the major issue. If you want to test to see if anything else could be the issue , get a test light and disconnect the ground from the battery, connect the test light between the post and ground cable, start pulling fuses and when the light turns off you found the issue.

This is always a great video to go back on to make sure I get everything checked out on my 2006 with 50k miles. Not sure if anyone mentioned but I had minor issue with the rear brakes. A whooshing and squeak that would come and go for no reason. I cleaned, Changed rotors and pads and calipers. The noises would come back after a few days or weeks. Check your emergency brake or parking brake set up. There are a set of Ebrake pads. They look like horse shoes. If they becomes worn down or warped and driven on for too long will cause this. Probably cause by the rear wheel shift you stated in your video. They are pretty simple to replace and aren't terribly expensive either. Might save someone with the same issues some money going through the entire brake system to find it. Thank you again for the help.

The fuel door is such a pita. Ive gone through 2 new ones that worked originally. Current one wont lock and pop. The oem rubber fuel line is sus and causes fires. Replaced mine with a braided line. The Blaupunkt system is def the problem. Ive left my 06 without trickle charging for 2 weeks and it started right up with a touchscreen pioneer i put in.

Oh my GTO cluster will go to Red hot to back down like turning on the AC. I haven't checked the glove box wiring harness but that should be next.

Doesn't sound to bad . No worse than other vehicles I've owned....I want one !

I have an 05 and my dash randomly turns off with a flashing traction control and abs message. Checked the wiring under the glove box and it's all fine and I even wrapped it in rubber to not rub or cut the harness. Just randomly happens lol

My ‘04 has electrical issues, checked the firewall wire running by the ECU, no issue - did preventative maintenance to prevent rubbing. My dash cluster/gauges, including the backlighting don’t get power most of the times, sometimes they operate properly, other times no power and I have to drive the car without working gauges. I know upon startup if they are working or not. Sometimes they fail or work while driving, but that’s infrequent. I think this is also related to my accelerated battery drain that drains a new battery in a couple days if I don’t disconnect it. I likely have a short somewhere, but am not an electrician by any stretch and need to have it looked at by a pro. I also heard of people having to replace their battery cables because they corrode from the inside out, so you can’t see the issue until it is too late. Some people down here in my South FL GTO group have done a trunk relocation of the battery while replacing the wires, but I don’t think I want to deal with that risk or reduction in the tiny trunk space.

Why didn’t you mention the fuel line that rubs on the engine cover the 2 Piece drive shaft . The slave cylinder the stock clutch the rip on the shoulder of the seat the ect.... lol thanks for the videos very helpful the cable that snaps in the trunk lid actuator of wait you said that the weather seals the front window cracking .... never ends but I love my GTO...

I’ve noticed that my radio will stay on a lot of times, haven’t figured that one out yet.. I love it though.. thanks for the video

Leds to traction control is due to a voltage check from the tcm to the resistance of the bulbs

I must have a good Tuesday made car. My only issue you listed is my trunk lock. Door locks and for some reason I needed a new cam after sitting for the winter as I always do. And I’ve owned my Goat since 2006.

Kudo to this vid and he links everything in the comments hell yea🔥

I keep a battery maintainer on my 04 GTO in the winter months. This helps to avoid the battery drain issue. I bought the car used with an aftermarket alarm, and I think it was a "do it yourself" job (causing the fast battery drain). When I have time, I'm going to take the car to a professional shop to have the alarm removed or have a new one installed. Also, I'm going to have them look at the possible "do it yourself" aftermarket radio installation.

I’ve had my window wiper switch go out on my goat. Nothing beats not seeing in the rain 🙃 I must say though, there’s more problems than meets the eye to the differential. That whine noise that you were describing was happening since the car was at 0 miles. 60k miles later popping, grinding when ever I’d take a sharp slow turn. Went to a junk yard and bought a whole new rear end no issues since. Other than the occasional popping coming to a stop. Your video was very helpful though. I would have never guessed the radius rod bushings would be an issue. Better off to replace them now while they’re actively cracking! Another thing to add for GTO owners is to check the stabilizer bars that ride parallel to the front struts. The OEM ones are super skinny and will bend.

Phantom horn honks - best issue with the BCM

On my 04 I definitely have the rear spring sag! I've had ppl ask me if the car has been lowered, now it's to the point where it scrapes going over the slightest bump in the road 😅

Man should I even buy one then? I was looking into getting one but these issues seen inevitable. I have a 92 Camaro RS. Still strong. Basic upkeep and it's a looker. Ice always wanted a GTO but I don't want to be bracing for costly issues.

My weirdest problem on my 04 is that sometimes my traction control randomly turns off and won’t come back on unless I restart the car. I have already checked the wiring harness

Only problem with GTO is I don’t have mine anymore☹️. Best car I’ve ever owned and fun as shit👍

Great video! I'm subbing. I don't think it's the entertainment system because I've owned 2 06's with aftermarket stereo systems and still had the battery drain issues. I'm pretty sure it's related to the factory security system. I kept both cars on battery tenders during the winter months. Now I have a CTS-V and no battery issues at all.

Another common issue is the center support bearing and the rubber disc's for the drive shaft, will probably fail. A one piece drive shaft is the way to go.

I don’t know if someone commented this but there’s a whining noise w revs and the water filling up in the right rear foot space lol. Bcm is a big one

Great video. The automatic transmission is another weak link. I lost the 3-4 clutch pack.

Man I know what u mean on them batteries if I dont start mine at least once every 2 weeks it goes dead, I have 05 and when i accelerate fast i get a foul smell kinda like some old nasty rear end oil not rotten egg smell it dont loose power or make any wierd noises dunno wtf it is I've had this car for 4 years and have had to change the steering rack, starter, carrier bearing and couplers, rotors shit like that the smell started about 3 months ago I've done the wire harness behind glovebox changed all the suspension and exhaust changed the gear oil with the additive bout a year ago, that smell though is annoying asf

No mention of the paint issues that seemed to plague a bunch of cars through the model years? I had an 04 Yellowjacket that developed a bad case of clearcoat peel. When I had the car I was a frequent visitor of the LS1GTO forums and it seems like it hit a whole bunch of cars.

Intake manifold bolts come lose making a knock sound. Happens due to motor vibration. Seen it many times people think a bad rod in the end just a few bolts need tighten

The rear wiring harness lighting and electrical system for modified lights go to Reference along with all issues the internal technicians guild for GM Holden Australia SIP techline publications. There are internal services bulletins for all these issues raised supplied to technicians. They are available in the GM SIP or published several times per year

I have a 2004 and my only issues are power steering whine even though it has plenty of fluid and no issues with the steering, and I believe my coolant tank as a small crack that only leaks when driving so after a few days I'll get the low coolant warning. My clutch slave cylinder gave up the job around 20K and I ended up replacing the entire clutch/pressure plate etc.. I bought the car in Feb 2015 that had 750 miles on it and was driven by salesman who apparently beat it a bit because the first to second synchro hangs a bit if driven aggressively. Basically this car was my daily commute vehicle for 13+ years and while driven aggressively on occasion has been an awesome car. It is now my weekend cruise vehicle.

The center display in the gauge cluster is dead in mine, so I have no idea how many miles are on the car. Plus, I just really hate the 1st to 4th gear lockout. I feel like that's unsafe because if I'm watching the road and not the gauge cluster I won't notice that it's active and I end up almost stopping dead in traffic because I can't go to second gear.

A local repair shop told me Pontiac went out of business due to o quality control. After hearing the problems sounds like new model problems, to read below sounds like poor quality. The company made an impact with the GTO, Trans Am, Super Duties and 421 cars. The performance cars looked good though.

I'm surprised that there aren't that many gto repair videos. I thought about recording my repairs to share with everyone just like you did.

Tumbler in ignition key lock goes bad where the key will not rotate to turn ignition on. Finally had to go with a better one custom made for the fix no more problem. Four ignition locks went bad stranding me before I got this good one. But I do have battery drain issues. If i let my GTO sit more than 4 days without starting it battery will run down. As long as I use it during that time my battery stays up.

How about peeling door handles, ignition barrels, bubbling of the steering wheel spoke covers, stitching on the rear corner of seats coming undone. You could make a list a mile long for these cars.

I had my fuel pump go out and the dealer told me to try and not have the fuel gauge go below 1/4 tank because of the way the pump is set up. They said it will eventually suck up air and burn the pump out.

I had one of these 15 years ago. I’m thinking about getting another one. They have gone up in value but the good ones seem to be well over $25,000. I’m going for a 2004 because I don’t like the hood scoops and they are less expensive. And I have a Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio for Insane performance

I've heard you can solve battery drain *on manual cars* by leaving them in reverse when off, similar to the C6 corvette, something about the circuit shutting off in the reverse gear. Dunno how to solve it on auto cars though.

"2006 GTO" the only problems I had with my gto was the radiator and the slave cylinder other than that nothing else. Fun car to drive very reliable and enough power for the street

Amazing video fam , very articulate with your words as well.