Most common 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 complaints by model year
Best Suburban 1500 years: 1995, 1996, 1997. Years to avoid: 2025, 2023, 2011, 2004, 2007. Compare all years →
2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
On certain trucks equipped with an 8.1l v8 (rpo l8-VIN g) engine have a condition in which the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip May fracture resulting in inadequate retention of the damper.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine fuel rail pulse damper retainer clip free of charge. The recall began on August 31, 2006. Owners May contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and GMC trucks at 1-866-996-9463.
What 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 owners say
Electrical system
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. After the vehicle was driven and parked, it caught on fire. The fire department was notified and was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and deemed destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a personal storage lot. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer inspected the cause of the fire twice and requested to inspect it a third time. The investigator checked the fuse box and the HVAC electrical system; however, a determination had not been made. The contact was concerned that the manufacturer would not be forthcoming with the cause of the fire. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
After years of having my Suburban the lift gate lock actuator stopped working last year. I searched online and found a replacement OEM actuator which I purchased. I had it installed but when I tried to use it, it would not work properly. The trunk would unlock when the rest of the vehicle was locked and vice versa. The company then sent me replacement as that was a defective part. The new part worked up until mid March of this year and has now stopped working also. Currently, when I try to unlock the truck all I hear is a small buzz coming from the actuator, but it doesn't move, it's frozen at the lock setting. I am surprised Chevy has not issued a recall on this part because I find the same issue occurring to other people's vehicles all over the web.
Body & structure
GM designed this car with a no key entry for the rear hatch. It does not have an internal manual unlocking mechanism for the hatch. If the car is in an accident, there would be no way to open the rear hatch. On top of this, the rear hatch lock actuator fails for thousands of customers. This either locks the hatch in place, or leaves it unable to be locked. GM needs to do a recall to fix this issue. It is unsafe, and costing thousands of customers upwards of a $400 repair just to correct it at the dealer.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. The rear lift gate failed and could not be opened manually. The contact planned to take the vehicle to the dealership for diagnosis. The failure and the current mileages were 34,500.
Brakes
While towing the family boat on secondary roadways, I attempted to stop in heavy traffic, when I pressed on the brake pedal it went completely to the floor and both the truck and boat continued rolling towards stopped traffic. I was only able to stop the vehicle by manually operating the parking brake. Had I not had the presence of mind to utilize the parking brake I would have collided with the traffic stopped in front of me. Upon inspection I noticed a large mount of brake fluid under the driver's side front wheel. I transported the vehicle to my service station where they placed it on a lift and showed me the extensive corrosion on all of the brake lines and transmission cooling lines. The line which had failed resulted in no braking capabilities whatsoever. There is not one serviceable brake line left on the vehicle. …
Corrosion of hard brake line at driver / left side rear, partly hidden from view. Not seen during inspections. Condition discovered following surface roadway incident. Vehicle was stationary, in drive, pointed downhill at stoplight. Brake pedal slowly started going down. Pumping brake helped a bit, but soon the pedal started falling again and the vehicle started moving forward. Putting vehicle in park prevented vehicle from striking stopped vehicles in front. Got off the roadway shortly thereafter and discovered the corrosion and lead mentioned above. Vehicle is currently in repair shop with $1800 service bill. Body is required to be lifted off frame for replacement lines to be installed and that is *very* labor intensive. Researched online and found NHTSA has investigated these vehicles during their production run of 1999-2006 on c/k/Suburban/tahoe models. …
2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 6.0L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 12 / 16 / 13 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Suburban 1500 rates better than average: 46% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Suburban 1500 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500?
The electrical system — 7 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the body & structure (7) and brakes (6).
How many recalls does the 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 have?
There is 1 recall for the 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, the most recent from August 3, 2006 (engine and engine cooling). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Suburban 1500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1995, 1996 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2023, 2011, 2004 and 2007. See the full Chevrolet Suburban 1500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 40% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.