2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: common problems

Owners of the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 filed 178 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 178
involving a crash: 14

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 40% of all complaints
2 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
3 Steering 10% of all complaints
4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
6 Tires 7% of all complaints
7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
8 Structure 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 71 complaints (40% of all), 8 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 32 complaints (18% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 18 complaints (10% of all).
Electrical system: 14 complaints (8% of all).
Engine and cooling: 12 complaints (7% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 178 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion45 · 25%
brake failure17 · 10%
smoke, burning smell, fire13 · 7%
steering or power steering problems11 · 6%
A/C or heater10 · 6%
warning lights, check engine9 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise6 · 3%
vibration5 · 3%
airbags did not deploy4 · 2%
loss of power / limp mode4 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	71	8
Powertrain	32	2
Steering	18	0
Electrical system	14	0
Engine and cooling	12	0
Tires	12	0
Air bags	8	5
Structure	8	0
Visibility	7	0
Engine	5	0
Suspension	5	0
Equipment	4	0
Fuel system	4	0
Vehicle speed control	3	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Air bags did not deploy. As a result driver sustained hand injury, a broken jaw requiring surgery, and other minor bodily injuries. Vehicle had 313,000 miles
Air bags · crash · 2019-02-20 · NHTSA complaint #11181297
The vehicle rolled down the hill and crashed into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. The toddler did not sustain any injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 215,000.
Powertrain · crash · 2015-12-07 · NHTSA complaint #10808754
The contact observed brake fluid under the front of the vehicle and the brake lines were completely rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Ma 09/03/15 updated 11/03/2017
Service brakes · crash · 2015-07-01 · NHTSA complaint #10731526
Driving on highway at 60mph traffic slowed suddenly while pressing down on brakes when to floor I swerved to avoid slowing traffic and ran off shoulder in to grass and small trees to come to a stop had truck towed to my house found line over gas tank split open their was no pedal at all and no warning light for brakes…
Service brakes · crash · 2014-12-04 · NHTSA complaint #10662267
In 2007 it was involved in a frontal accident in which a driver turned in front of the driver at an intersection resulting in a frontal collision at 35 mph and the frontal airbags did not deploy. Chevy did the repair and certified the repair of the vehicle.
Air bags · crash · 2014-07-16 · NHTSA complaint #10610920
.I looked and noticed a line ruptured due to rust / rot and all the brake lines where in bad condition . I was able to crutch the truck to a repair shop and the repaired the steel line.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-05-28 · NHTSA complaint #10594650
Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway with the gear shift in the park position, and without the keys in the ignition, the vehicle rolled forward and crashed into a parked vehicle. There was no warning prior to the incident and no injuries were sustained.
Powertrain · crash · 2006-09-27 · NHTSA complaint #10169411
The contact stated that the front impact sensor failed and the air bag warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was unable to provide a replacement part because the part was no longer manufactured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer confirmed the failure.
Air bags · 2026-10-09 · NHTSA complaint #11770161

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20051
20068
200713
200819
200921
201021
201118
201211
201313
201419
201517
20165
20174
20182
20193
20221
20241
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,271 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Silverado 2500 has 121 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 178, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, steering. Total complaints: 178. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (25%), brake failure (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2006 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.