AI Damage2006 GMC Envoy XL: common problems
Owners of the 2006 GMC Envoy XL filed 109 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 109
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 61% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- 4 Electronic stability control 5% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 4% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 4% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 66 complaints (61% of all).
- Electrical system: 23 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 8 complaints (7% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 5 complaints (5% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 5 complaints (5% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 109 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 | 66 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Both front driver and passenger seatbelts did not restrain. The seatbelts stretched out to their limit. Both front driver's seat and passenger seat twisted inwards toward the console. Severe bodily injuries occurred. On 08/23/2018, gmc was made aware of this. A case was opened.
When I went to the dealer about recalls they informed me the only open was a window switch. After a front end accident at 30 mph the tire blew out on the drivers side on impact.
We realize that "sudden acceleration" has in the past been blamed on drivers. I assure you that this car took off at full throttle and this driver did not trigger such a response. Circumstances prevented this from being a major ta with injuries. I have no axe to grind and seek no compensation of any form.
Steering wheel locks. It cannot be turned to the right as it will cause the entire care to swerve. When reversing the car turns in the opposite direction of where you are turning. I'm backing into traffic and have to manually pull the steering wheel as if there is a power steering issue.
I had the stabilitrak and reduced engine light come on my car for five months. I have replaced the steering wheel sensor, the throttle body, and had the relearn the idle thing done, to no avail. This makes my fourth time going to the dealer, because I thought they could fix it. I have always bought gm.
The contact stated that the front driver side power window switch failed to operate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 14v404000 (visibility).
While driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. In order to restart the vehicle, the contact would have to jumpstart the battery. Shortly after charging the battery, the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the vehicle.
Driving on the highway after putting fuel in and fuel gauge suddenly shows empty and my vehicle stalled. The fuel guage would then show full at times then empty. Now it shows empty all the time and has stalled 3 more times while driving in traffic.
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 3,369 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Envoy XL has 149 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 109, below 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.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 GMC Envoy XL?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, electrical system, visibility. Total complaints: 109. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (28%), warning lights, check engine (22%), stalls while driving (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 GMC Envoy XL?
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 XL 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.