Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that upon a vehicle inspection performed by an independent mechanic, it was discovered that the brake line and the fuel line were severely corroded. Upon further inspection, the contact stated that the brake lines had blown out. The contact was informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and that the lines needed to be replaced. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.
I was driving down the highway at 65 mph and went to slow down and I had no brakes. Resulting in me having to go into the ditch to avoid a collision. After I was able to get the truck to slow down and to a stop I inspected my braking system to find all of my brake lines were rusted out and I had ruptured my brake lines. Since the incident I have had to replace all my brake lines and both of my brake cylinders on the rear of my truck. Now I have minimal brakes after bleeding them and they are slowly coming back. The truck has almost 400,000 miles on the chassis but a new motor. During this event I was getting a grinding coming from the rear differential, after inspection, I found that my gov lock was bad and needed new spider gears which I have since replaced the rear differential with a posi differential and have had minimal problems since.
Was traveling approximately 55 MPH down a state highway. After coming around a blind curve, came upon stopped traffic due to road work. Applied pressure to brake pedal when pedal went soft and depressed all the way to the floor. After releasing brakes and pushing again still had no brakes. Had to swerve out of road-way to avoid rear ending multiple vehicles. After running out of road, hit 2 culvert pipes along with road work signage, finally bringing the truck to a stop in a residential yard. Truck brake lines for front brakes had corroded and ruptured causing the incident. Further investigation into this matter shows an apparent issue with this model gms for brake line corrosion that GM has failed to address through the recall process.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the braking system had malfunctioned and did not stop the vehicle when pressing the brake pedal causing the vehicle to crash into a tree. During the crash, the front end experienced severe damage but the front air bag did not deploy. No injuries were reported and no police report was filed. The vehicle was maneuvered to a parking lot and a towing company was called. The cosmetic damages were being repaired and the cause of the failure was not determined as of yet. A local dealer (unknown) was called and informed about the failure. The manufacturer then called the contact and opened a case. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond. As a result, the contact crashed into a tree and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake line was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
"Takata recall" on 11/04/2016 attempting to pass another vehicle, suddenly vehicle on my passenger side begin to sideswiped my vehicle, my passing was delay and hinder; oncoming traffic and sideswiped continually force me of the left side pavement onto the gravel on the left and into a resident dogwood trees, no deploy from airbags vehicle was consider a total lost by my insurance company and repair shop
I have a home in the hills of west virginia and had just returned from town after driving up and down local mountain roads. I parked in the driveway without incident. When I started the truck to move it in driveway and pressed on the brake peddle, the peddle went completely to the floor and I was totally without brakes. Luckily, I was on a flat surface and used my emergency brake to stop vehicle. When I stepped on the brakes again, I noticed a stream of brake fluid squirting out from the area under the driver side door. Upon further investigation I realized that one of the brake lines along the frame had failed due to corrosion. Only one of the 4 brake lines had failed, however, the entire braking system was rendered completely inoperable. Absolutely no redundant braking available, except for the emergency brake. …
Was driving vehicle on us 131 in holland mi. I was traveling at approx 50mph when I had to brake for stopped traffic ahead. Vehicle began to slow when suddenly brake pedal fell and I lost much of my braking. Had to veer off to the shoulder of the road to avoid possible collision with stopped traffic. When I pulled over to inspect my truck, I noticed fluid dripping from the frame rail near the fuel tank. It was brake fluid. The brake line that goes from the ABS unit to the rear brake hose was rusted through and leaking. This is a 10yr old truck with only 122000 miles on it. I don't believe this type of failure is acceptable for a vehicle of this age and mileage. I was able to carefully drive the truck home and parked it. I contacted my local dealer service manager, who could only repair it at my expense. I got general motor customer assistance # from her and contacted them. …
Yet another failure of inadequately specced brake lines. I have now had to replace two brake lines (from the bpmv to the front-right caliper and bpmv to the rear-left drum) due to blow-outs originating from heavy corrosion - both of which occurred in heavy-traffic situations. On every other vehicle I have owned, brake lines were an item that could more-or-less be presumed a lifetime part; they rarely needed to be replaced unless damaged. However, on my truck (and hundreds of others just on the NHTSA's complaints page for the 06 Silverado alone), the hard brake lines are about as far from a long-lasting, high-quality part as you can get. There is an endless amount of documentation scattered across the internet on this matter, yet the NHTSA seems averse to holding GM responsible for the safety of their product. …
Nephew borrowed my truck. He was in motion and tried to make a left hand turn on a city street and realized brakes had failed. He wisely continued straight till it slowed down enough and he made a right hand turn onto a road and pulled into a parking lot behind a housing project. He used a snow bank/boulder to stop the truck. Luckily no one was hurt. Truck was towed back to my house. I do my own repairs. After inspection it was determined that one of the supply lines from the master cylinder into the ABS module had ruptured. There was complete failure of the braking system after a single push on the brakes. The truck is 11 years old. How can the brake lines be rusting out. There is a serious issue and a serious flaw with this design. I'm attaching 2 pictures for your observation. GM should be held accountable for fixing these bad designs. …
Brake complaints in other Silverado 1500 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500?
NHTSA has 171 complaints about the brakes of the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 48% of the model year's 359 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.