2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo: problems, recalls and reliability
2 recalls and 113 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (22% of complaints); the 2007 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Jun 2014
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 113 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the failure returned soon after restart. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2024
“ABS and traction control light flashes when trying to accelerate. It loses power and gauges drop as if the car shut down. Will do this going down the highway. *tr”Owner report · Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · Jun 2020
“The rear window defogger no longer worked. The reason being that the rear defroster wiring had burned at the connector block. Connector block is located behind the passengers side kick panel. This could have caused a fire to the interior of the vehicle. There are videos on the internet showing how to resolve this problem so it must happen frequently! You can see where the burn occured in the attached photo. I repaired this on 3/9/2018, however, it happened at least two years ago.”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2018
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet monte carlo. The contact stated that the interior lighting and indicators on the instrument panel were illuminated after the key had been removed from the ignition. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired per an unknown recall regarding the ignition, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to concord chevrolet (1330 concord ave, concord, ca 94520 (925) 682-6400) where it was diagnosed that the electrical system failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 130,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2017
“The tranmission 4t65e hd is always tearing up... The carfax on my car shows it was replace in 2008 and im saying it has less then 100 k on the transmission they put in and its out again”Owner report · Power Train · May 2017
“Looks like gm has had an ongoing problem with clear coating peeling off the wheels they use on their cars, my monte carlo has 10,000 miles on it and the wheels look like they have been sitting at the bottom of the ocean since 2006 this might not be a safety issue, but it is a appearance issue and the manufacturer should have this issue fixed”Owner report · Wheels · Feb 2017
“Vehicle does nothing when you hit the gas from take off then slams into gear jolting forward. Does not want to shift between 3rd and 4th gear. Seems to be a drive issue. Constantly says replace remote key less entry battery. Dealer has not been able to fix key less entry issue.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet monte carlo. The contact stated that the key could not be removed from the ignition. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 187,000.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2016
“Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet monte carlo. While driving 60 mph with the cruise control activated, there was a sudden increase of engine rpms without warning. The contact engaged the brakes in order to disengage the cruise control, which caused the vehicle to spin and crash into a concrete wall. The passenger sustained injuries to the shoulder and head that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and was not inspected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 37,000.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · May 2016
“At a complete stop. When taking off car will hesitate and then jolt forward very hard before taking off. Also dash coming up from the seams”Owner report · Power Train · Mar 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 11 of these complaints and injuries in 15 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 2 campaigns
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. A POTENTIAL MATERIAL OR DESIGN DEFECT COULD RESULT IN THE STEERING KNUCKLE BREAKING IN THE HUB AREA.
Remedy: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DORMAN'S TOLL-FREE HOTLINE AT 1-800-523-2492 AND PRESS 5.
How other years compare
Check your exact Monte Carlo by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo reliable?
NHTSA has 113 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The most complained-about area is electrical system (22% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 59,250 miles or less.
Does the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo have open recalls?
2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:ignition. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.