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2006 Chevrolet Silverado 3500: problems, recalls and reliability

0 recalls and 52 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes (22% of complaints).

Data updated weekly

0
recalls
52
owner complaints
3
fire reports
52,036
typical failure mileage, mi

All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.

No recall campaignsWeak spot: service brakes (22%)3 fire reports

Common problems

Computed from 52 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.

Service Brakes (brakes)22% · 11 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)18% · 9 complaints
Service Brakes, Hydraulic (brakes)12% · 6 complaints
Tires8% · 4 complaints
Engine (engine mechanics)6% · 3 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)6% · 3 complaints
During a trip with 6 month old tires, two out of 6 tires failed. One was a deemed a road hazard by the manufacturer. Given these tires were purchased and installed on a tow vehicle with ratings for the vehicle and failed on a 75 degree day with a light mist. I would suspect that the tires are not capable of meeting the rated specs. The tires were purchased january from treadwright corp.Owner report · Tires · Jul 2020
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet silverado 3500. While the contact was turning into his driveway at 5 mph, the brake line fractured without warning. The contact attempted to depress the brake pedal, but it failed to engage and the vehicle did not come to a complete stop. The emergency brake was not applied. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2019
Takata inflators: my 2006 chevy 3500 driver side airbag deployed overnight while the truck was locked, not running, and had no keys in it in my driveway. This is unacceptable! The truck was not in an accident. Thankfully I wasn't driving down the road when it deployed, or I could have been killed. 2006 should be included in the recall. My truck was manufactured 5/2006 and the recall includes trucks made 12/2006 and newer. What can be done by chevy to pay for my repair? Additionally, the night before the air bag deployed on its own the passenger side rear window fell into the door. Again it was parked in the driveway locked not running, keys not in it!Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2019
Show 7 more owner reports
Plugged in mini vac to cig lighter and cig lighter shorted to ground causing wires to melt and smoke including power outlet wires.Owner report · Electrical System · Aug 2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet silverado 3500. While driving 40 mph, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle did not stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the steel brake line had rusted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,110.Owner report · Service Brakes · Aug 2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet silverado 3500. While driving up a mountain at approximately 30 mph, the steering wheel turned in the opposite direction of the intended turn. As a result, the vehicle wandered off the road uncontrollably. There was also a loss of braking ability; however, the vehicle eventually came to a stop after applying the brake pedal numerous times. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the intermediate shaft bolts fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 308,000.Owner report · Service Brakes · Mar 2016
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet silverado 3500. While driving at various speeds and attempting to stop the vehicle, the brakes failed. The contact rear ended another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the brake lines were corroded. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2015
The drivers heated seat comes on and changes settings at will, and when it will turn itself on it goes to each level of heating levels. I.e, ( low/med/ high) ,and stay on even if I turn it off. Then comes back on with -in a few munities as it is not working properly. Does not matter if it is rainy, snowy or foggy, or sunny, the drivers heated seat will come on, off, and change settings constantly, that I have to pull over because the seat gets so hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.Owner report · Seats · Dec 2014
In the process of exiting from our home, while towing a large boat, a brake line ruptured releasing the brake fluid and causing a complete failure of the brake system. I inspected the ruptured area and found that all the brake lines were severely rusted and ready to fail at any time in the near future. The vehicle was towed to a repair facility to have the brake lines replaced. Estimated cost is $950. Had this failure happened one minute later the results could have been catastrophic! *trOwner report · Service Brakes · Aug 2014
Anti-lock sensors develop rust and fail. At slow speeds when you apply the brakes they pulse and take extra time and distance to stopOwner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2014

When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.

How other years compare

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Frequently asked questions

Is the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 reliable?

NHTSA has 52 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. The most complained-about area is service brakes (22% of complaints).

At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems usually appear?

Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 52,036 miles or less.

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.