2006 GMC Sierra 1500: common problems

Owners of the 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 filed 145 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 145
involving a crash: 8

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 46% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 14% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 9% of all complaints
4 Suspension 8% of all complaints
5 Air bags 6% of all complaints
6 Structure 6% of all complaints
7 Tires 5% of all complaints
8 Fuel system 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: 67 complaints (46% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 20 complaints (14% of all).
Powertrain: 13 complaints (9% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 11 complaints (8% of all).
Air bags: 9 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 145 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion30 · 21%
vibration14 · 10%
smoke, burning smell, fire12 · 8%
knocking, grinding or other noise9 · 6%
warning lights, check engine9 · 6%
A/C or heater7 · 5%
headlights and tail lights4 · 3%
airbag warning light3 · 2%
airbags did not deploy3 · 2%
brake failure3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	67	4
Electrical system	20	0
Powertrain	13	2
Suspension	11	0
Air bags	9	2
Structure	9	0
Tires	7	1
Fuel system	6	0
Steering	6	1
Wheels	6	1
Engine	5	1
Exterior lighting	5	0
Engine and cooling	3	0
Equipment	2	0

What owners report

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

While the contact's son was driving 30 mph, the power steering seized and the vehicle drifted and crashed into the guardrail of a bridge. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was totaled. A police report was filed. The driver was injured, but did not require medical attention.
Steering · crash · 2018-10-05 · NHTSA complaint #11133445
She could not stop in time and when she hit the other car her airbag did not deploy. She died from broken ribs that puncher-ed her heart and she bled to death at work two hours later, the coroner determined her death to be from blunt force chest trauma.
Service brakes · crash · 2016-09-19 · NHTSA complaint #10908049
Another vehicle was stop at the traffic light, and to avoid the obvious impact to the stopped car, I pumped the brakes several times and applied the parking brakes at approx. 30 mph.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-11-16 · NHTSA complaint #10655256
While the vehicle was parked on a non-leveled surface, it rolled backwards into a river. A police report was filed. After inspection, the contact concluded that the transmission did not engage itself into park, which allowed the vehicle to shift into reverse.
Powertrain · crash · 2009-03-19 · NHTSA complaint #10262471
The front air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle is currently at the body shop. The insurance company is investigating the failure and they also want gmc to explain why the air bags did not deploy. The current and failure mileages were 25,300.
Air bags · crash · 2007-09-17 · NHTSA complaint #10203247
The front left frame that the wheel and suspension bolt onto is in advanced rust stages. It is being considered unsafe to drive although the right side is still considered safe. Common issue from what I have heard. Took car in to replace the starter and shop doesnwant to work on it.
Suspension · 2026-09-09 · NHTSA complaint #11763156
Not even 4 mins on the road and I noticed the abs light came on the dashboard with the brake light and the front brakes began to smoke. I contacted the dealship but was disregarded and not offered an exchange or any type of solution for my problem I even explained my job required me to use my vehicle for transporting…
Service brakes · 2025-03-18 · NHTSA complaint #11648989
My passenger side wheel broke and went sideways when I turn off the highway in montzuma only going about 30mph
Wheels · 2021-03-09 · NHTSA complaint #11399872

When owners complained

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

200610
200712
20088
20098
201019
201114
20126
20134
201419
201516
201610
20173
20188
20191
20203
20211
20252
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,704 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sierra 1500 has 266 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 145, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
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 Sierra 1500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 145. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (21%), vibration (10%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 GMC Sierra 1500?

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 Sierra 1500 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.