The Lemon IndexAll cars · GMC · GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD
2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD problems, engines and recalls.
Owners filed 77 complaints with the government about the 2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD, most often about brakes (42%).
Which engine is in it
63 of the 77 complaints have a VIN we could decode, which tells us the engine.
| Engine | Share | Complaints | What they name most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 Duramax LBZ diesel | 54% | 34 | brakes 29%, transmission & drivetrain 29%, steering 24% |
| 6.0 V8 gas | 33% | 21 | too few to split |
| 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel | 13% | 8 | 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 29,500 and 86,762 miles; the middle report was at 45,000 miles (69 complaints with a mileage).
How serious
| Crashes | Fires | Injury reports | Death reports | Towed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
As reported by owners to NHTSA, not verified.
In owners' words
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
2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 11366913
Total brake failure while trying to stop on a residential street. vehicle towed to dealership & was told brakes had rusted out. cost of repairs was around $2000.00
2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 10904311
Vehicle in motion. brake line failure (burst) while driving on crowded city street - 30mph. pedal sank to floor. total loss of brakes. used emergency brake and gear in park to stop. near collision with bicyclist.
2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD owner · NHTSA complaint 10794770
Recalls 1
08V519000 Oct 2008 Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
Mobilityworks is recalling 133 my 2005-2006 ford e250, my 2000, 2004-2006 e350, my 2000, 2005 e450, my 2005-2006 gmc 2500, gmc 3500, and my 2006 dodge 2500 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, "platform lift systems for motor vehicles." the anti-stow interlock may not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user. The pressure sensing switch that detects the presence of weight on the platform was not adjusted to the necessary sensitivity level. The lift could stow even though someone or something is still on the lift.
Fix. Mobilityworks is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners may contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or mobilityworks at 1-800-769-8267.
NHTSA recalls for this model year under every name these trucks are filed under. A recall that names an engine applies only to trucks with it. Free at any dealer: check the VIN.
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Sierra HD reliable?
We can't score it per truck (heavy-duty sales aren't reported apart from the half-ton). Owners filed 77 complaints about it, most often about brakes (42% of them). Compare the diesel generations on their engine pages.
What engine does the 2006 Sierra HD have?
By the VINs in owner complaints: 6.6 Duramax LBZ diesel (54%), 6.0 V8 gas (33%), 6.6 Duramax LLY diesel (13%).
How many recalls does the 2006 GMC Sierra 2500HD/3500HD have?
1. 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 GMC Sierra.
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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