Pontiac›GTO›2006›Overview/pontiac/gto/2006/base/

2006 Pontiac GTO

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2006 GTO.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2006 Pontiac GTO is a passenger car that records a 6.6‑quart oil capacity and uses 5W‑30 API oil viscosity. It is paired with an Automatic 4‑speed transmission and EPA‑rated fuel economy of 14 city, 19 highway, and 16 combined miles per gallon. In its final model year the vehicle logged 216 owner complaints, a drop from the 245 complaints of 2004 but still above the 154 complaints recorded in 2005, with no recalls and the chief complaint again focused on the suspension.

Model year2006 2005 2004

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.6 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy14/19/16 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 85 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731172. Note the factory engine air filter, fuel filter and serpentine belt are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 85 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP225-60R17OEM · verified

Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731172
Engine air filter	92068161 discontinued
Fuel filter	92146684 discontinued
Spark plug	12621258
Battery	88866261
Front wiper blades	92057198 alt 92076914
Serpentine belt	92068285 discontinued · alt 92067037
Thermostat	12600171 alt 12570307

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	14 / 19 / 16 mpg
Drivetrain	Rear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the GTO of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

4.7–5.4 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 4.70 sec — 2005 Coupe

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2005	Coupe 6.0L V8	4.70 sec	13.30 sec	400 hp	RWD
2005	Coupe 6.0L V8	4.80 sec	13.30 sec	400 hp	RWD
2005	Coupe 6.0L V8	5.00 sec	13.30 sec	400 hp	RWD
2005	Coupe 6.0L V8	5.10 sec	13.50 sec	400 hp	RWD
2004	Coupe 5.7L V8	5.30 sec	14.00 sec	350 hp	RWD
2004	Coupe 5.7L V8	5.30 sec	13.62 sec	350 hp	RWD
2004	Coupe 5.7L V8	5.40 sec	13.85 sec	350 hp	RWD
2004	Coupe 5.7L V8	5.40 sec	13.90 sec	350 hp	RWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.6 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 75W-140 · GL-5 in the differential. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	5
Differential Gear Oil	75W-140 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	3.4 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	6.6 qt
Manual Transmission Fluid	ATF
Manual Transmission Fluid Capacity	9.3

Engine torques

Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	9.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts

100 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.75 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	9.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	85
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	176-183 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	55-62
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 na MFI ohms
Engine Compression	100
Engine Compression	100 Minimum psi
Engine Oil Pressure	6

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	24 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	63 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0002 in / 0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in / 0.003 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	1.181 in / 0.623 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

installation, 240 ft. lbs., step 2: remove bolt, step 3: install new bolt, 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 140

240 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep M11 bolts

1	22 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	90 degrees	90 degrees
3	70 degrees; M8 bolts	70 degrees
1	22 ft. lbs.; Starting at center and working outward, tighten all fasteners alternately and evenly.	22 ft. lbs

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

3.6 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.4

3.6 ft. lbs

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

11 ft. lbs., step 2: 15

11 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
Every 75,000 mi	Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

In 2006, the Pontiac GTO received 216 complaints and 620 total safety bulletins, with no recalls and one investigation, a slight increase in complaints compared to 245 in 2004 and 154 in 2005, while the number of bulletins rose sharply year over year. The most frequent complaint area was suspension, accounting for 173 of the 216 complaints, followed by combined suspension and tire issues (14) and tires alone (7). Power‑train complaints were minimal at four, and the vehicle had only three crash‑related complaints and none related to fire. Compared to the preceding and following years, the 2006 model sits at the peak of complaint activity in this generation, indicating a tightening trend in reported issues that is not mitigated by recalls. Given the elevated complaint count and the dominance of suspension‑related problems, a 2006 GTO may warrant extra caution or a thorough inspection before purchase.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

620

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

216

Owner complaints

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’04 ’05’06

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 216 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Suspension173

Suspension,Tires14

Tires7

Power Train4

Electrical System4

Engine & Engine Cooling3

Steering,Suspension2

Air Bags1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 620 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
02-00-89-002X	2024-09-09	Unknown Or Other	This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific GTO. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 85 battery Vehicles taking 6.6 qt Engine oil filter 12731172 Engine air filter 92068161 Fuel filter 92146684 Spark plug 12621258

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2006 GTO take?

6.6 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2006 GTO have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the GTO get?

EPA figures are 14 city / 19 highway / 16 combined mpg.