2006 GMC Sierra problems & reliability
53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 GMC Sierra, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. 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.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 GMC Sierra vehicles were involved in 152 fatal crashes with 88 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 20 | 38% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 13% |
| Suspension | 6 | 11% |
| Steering | 4 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 6% |
| Power Train | 2 | 4% |
| Tires | 2 | 4% |
| Visibility | 2 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 20 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 48 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 43,500 miles (middle 50% between 17,514 and 71,866 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Total brake failure while in motion. Corroded brake line ruptured causing immediate loss of all fluid. Had this happened 5 minutes earlier, I would have been on a four lane highway in bumper to bumper christmas traffic. At 70 years old I can only imagine how catastrophic an accident my reflexes would have generated…”
Service Brakes · filed Dec 26, 2015
“Brake pedal went to floor almost causing an accident before the vehicle came to a stop. Before the service light came on. The service light did come eventually at which time we checked the master cylinder which was extremely low so we filled it thinking that was the problem. The next day we noticed brake fluid…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 20, 2015
“Turned off engine, hvac fan still on. Will not turn off. This is the dual climate control system. Had to remove fuse so the battery will not discharge. Service bulletins were issued for this problem but did not include all vehicles, including ours.”
Electrical System · filed May 12, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
220 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 GMC Sierra. The 10 most recent:
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to lube the rear leaf springs on vehicles with the condition of a squeak noise originating from the rear of the vehicle.
06-03-09-004H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please…
PIT3227M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2017
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have an issue when using Bluetooth voice recognition with an iPhone. Technician should work with the customer to…
PIC5953A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 23, 2016
This informational bulletin provides information on Part Restriction and Ordering Process Information for OnStar Vehicle Communication Interface Modules (VCIM) (GMNA Only)
03-08-46-004R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 27, 2016
This informational bulletin provides information on close coupled converters and there affect on newly installed engines or engines during there break in period.
06-06-01-010C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2016
This warranty administration bulletin provides dealership personnel with policy and procedure requirements for essential tools that include consumable parts (U.S. Only).
15-00-89-005 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2015
This informational bulletin provides information to technicians regarding intake manifold inspection/replacement after severe internal engine damage.
00-06-01-026G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 4, 2015
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on courtesy transportation and roadside assistance programs.
07-00-89-037H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 3, 2015
This technical bulletin provides repair information for repairing the IP to body harness connector to correct a customer concern for intermittent Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated with Reduced Engine Power…
07-06-04-019E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2015
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 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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?
- · 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 — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.