2006 GMC Sierra 2500 problems & reliability
66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 GMC Sierra 2500, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 24 | 36% |
| Power Train → | 12 | 18% |
| Steering → | 10 | 15% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 9% |
| Tires | 6 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 3% |
| Suspension | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 43,500 miles (middle 50% between 29,250 and 94,188 miles), based on 59 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“My vehicle was totaled and I see their is a recall for the pitman arm that can cause total loss if steering and that is what happened to me”
Steering · filed Oct 28, 2020
“Brakes failed "completely", with no warning. No "warning light" on the instrument panel while driving on a public road in the county. All of a sudden absolutely no brakes. Had recently hauled a car on a trailer from emporia, kansas. Was preparing to haul calves to the sale barn. Now that would have been a total…”
Service Brakes · filed Jun 5, 2020
“Brake lines busted. This is a very serious problem because I was hauling a load and got extremely extremely lucky that it busted as I was pulling in driveway. I was pulling a loaded trailer with no brakes. This is a very common issue with the 2005 and 2006 2500 trucks. I can name 6 vehicles I know of in the past 6…”
Service Brakes · filed Mar 11, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
389 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 GMC Sierra 2500. The 10 most recent:
This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
23-NA-001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2025
This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
03-06-01-023I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 2024
This service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons for loss of oil.
03-06-01-023H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2024
This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only).
02-00-89-002X · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2024
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized…
PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2024
Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to…
General Communication · Service Campaign · issued Aug 26, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 GMC Sierra 2500 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 GMC Sierra 2500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 43,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.