AI Damage2006 GMC Envoy Denali: common problems
Owners of the 2006 GMC Envoy Denali filed 84 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 84
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 24% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 23% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 14% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 12% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 10% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 7 Electronic stability control 8% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 20 complaints (24% of all).
- Electrical system: 19 complaints (23% of all).
- Engine: 12 complaints (14% of all).
- Suspension: 10 complaints (12% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 8 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 84 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Bulb sockets for reverse lights are corroded and rendered unusable due to placement and lack of protection from road grime. Caused lack of visibility at night while operating vehicle in reverse. ## vin failed ##
Tl contact owns a 2006 gmc envoy denali. While driving at 45 mph, the contact crashed into the rear of another vehicle. None of the air bags deployed. The contact suffered head injuries and a police report was filed.
Tl contact owns a 2006 gmc envoy denali. While attempting to decelerate from approximately 3-5 mph, the vehicle accelerated and struck the rear of another vehicle. Currently, the dealer has the vehicle and is unable to duplicate the failure. The engine size was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 10,266.
There was a vibration in the vehicle when the gas pedal was applied while traveling between 30 and 40 mph. The vehicle would also vibrate at any speed. It felt and sounded as if it needed to shift gears, as in a manual vehicle, but was in the wrong gear. It was involved in a crash in november 2006.
Takata recall ? Air ride suspension failure, over inflation resulting in a excessive bouncing ride and loss of traction on other sites I see that this was a 92% complain rate
The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and all the warning indicators illuminated. The contact mentioned that when the vehicle would start, it would cut off immediately.
My husband and I were traveling when the vehicle shut off with no warning at all and all the dash board lights came on. The vehicle would not restart but would turn. This happened saturday 9/2/17 on a country highway out in nowhere . We called a tow truck. Thank god for cellphones. On 11/12/2016 hub bearings replaced.
At every fillup we can smell gas like there is a fuel leak. I had a shop do a fog test and they confirmed a leak "somewhere from the top of the tank". The tank would need to be dropped to visually inspect at a cost of $400-$500 just for the dropping of the tank.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,956 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Envoy Denali has 59 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 84, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 GMC Envoy Denali?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, electrical system, engine. Total complaints: 84. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), fuel system, fuel smell (18%), stalls while driving (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 GMC Envoy Denali?
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 GMC Envoy Denali 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 2026-11-05.