The Lemon IndexAll cars · Chevrolet · Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 230 complaints with the government about the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD, most often about brakes (38%).
Which engine is in it
183 of the 230 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 Duramax LBZ diesel | 51% | 94 | brakes 33%, transmission & drivetrain 23%, steering 13% |
| 6.0 V8 gas | 32% | 59 | too few to split |
| 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel | 13% | 24 | brakes 33%, visibility 17%, electrical 12% |
| 8.1 V8 gas | 3% | 6 | too few to split |
Each diesel's page: Duramax LBZ · Duramax LLY.
Nearby model years
What owners complain about
Share of this year's complaints that name each area.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 30,600 and 81,000 miles; the middle report was at 52,000 miles (208 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 4 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
Going down a snowy gravel road and lost control. hit a ditch/snow bank head on at approx. 30mph. air bags did not deploy. as a result driver sustained hand injury, a broken jaw requiring surgery, and other minor bodily injuries. vehicle had 313,000 miles
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11181297
Exhaust manifold bolts are broken off on both sides of the 6.0 engine, causing exhaust fumes in the passenger compartment when I driving the vehicle. I have owned this vehicle since new and have never had any engine work done to this vehicle.
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11165902
Appears gm's faulty blower motor resistor has claimed my 2nd truck. fire started while parked in parking lot. fire occurs on passenger side around glove box and grows. this truck gave no indication of "melting wires" there was no smell or smoke when parked. this part of a special coverage #10240
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11019885
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for this model year under these names.
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Silverado HD reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 230 complaints about it, most often about brakes (38% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2006 Silverado HD have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 6.6 Duramax LBZ diesel (51%), 6.0 V8 gas (32%), 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel (13%), 8.1 V8 gas (3%).
How many recalls does the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD/3500HD have?
0. Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check the truck's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The whole-line score for 2006, mostly half-tons: 2006 Chevrolet Silverado.
No Lemon Index score: automakers report heavy-duty pickup sales together with the half-ton (one F-Series, Ram or Silverado number), so there is no honest per-truck denominator. These are counts and shares of owner complaints, not failure rates. Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under the truck's 2500/3500 (F-250/F-350) names, all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN (position 8 is the engine code) with NHTSA's vPIC decoder. Complaints filed as just “Silverado” or “Sierra” are left out (they mix 1500s and HDs). Older trucks have had more years to collect complaints, and popular years draw more because more were sold.
Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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