Most common 2006 Chevrolet Suburban problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Suburban complaints by model year
Best Suburban years: 2014, 2009, 2020. Years to avoid: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022, 2024. Compare all years →
2006 Chevrolet Suburban recalls (1)
Equipment › Other › Labels
Certain trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were shipped with tire and loading information labels listing an inacccurate vehicle capacity weight.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with corrected labels and installation instructions. At the customer's option, a dealer can install the label for them. The recall began on March 31, 2006.
What 2006 Chevrolet Suburban owners say
Body & structure
My specific vehicle is a 2006 Suburban z71 4-wheel drive, 1/2-ton SUV. On many tahoes, suburbans and other general motors SUV-type vehicles, the lift gate assembly can become stuck in the locked position or in the unlocked (unsecured) position any time the battery has no voltage. In the case of it being locked, the lift gate has no manual means of being opened - no key insertion location whatsoever. (this applies also to the lift-gate glass.) this is indeed a very dangerous situation and should have been resolved many years ago. This could occur in a crash as well as any time the battery is old or has otherwise lost its charge. Elderly folks should not be expected to climb over the rear seats to retrieve things stored 'in the back,' but even if they could get back there, there is no inside manual opener mechanism to open the rear lift glass or lift gate. …
I have a 2006 Chevy Suburban z71 with just over 95,500 miles. The rear hatchback/liftgate locking mechanism appears to have failed. The vehicle was not in an accident, and no other event ocurred. The lock simply quit working. Neither the door nor the glass will unlock. There is no manual way to unlock or open the rear door when the power locks are not working. There is not an emergency release to pop the rear door or glass in case of emergency. All other doors on the vehicle are still functional manually and electronically. No fuses have failed. I have not been notified of a recall and have not followed up with the dealership or a mechanic yet. In 2006/2007 we also experienced an odd electrical problem that the dealership could not reproduce. …
Locks & latches
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that the rear liftgate would not lock or unlock without force. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who advised that the failure May have been cause by a defective locking mechanism and referred him to the dealer to verified the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 89,000. Updated 09/21/11 the consumer stated when he went to use the remote key to unlock the rear hatch back door, it would not unlock. The door does not have a key lock, so he was unable to unlock the door with the key. There is no way to get in or out of the rear hatch back door, when the electric lock is not working. Updated 10/11/11
Latch/ lock just stop working, had to crawl over seat and tap on the latch to release to open. Majority of the time I had no success in opening latch tch is open and I don't have a key to unlock or to lock. The latch appears to be defective.
Stability & traction control
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Suburban. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle initially accelerated then halted. The "traction control active" message was displayed across the message board. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer multiple times where it was diagnosed that the shock absorber and hubs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired on multiple occasions; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was unavailable.
My 2006 Suburban loses power immediately after initial acceleration and a "traction active" warning appears on my dashboard. This has caused my vehicle to become trapped in front of oncoming traffic when attempting to make left hand turns. This has happened repeatedly and my wife now fears for her life and refuses to drive the truck. It happened to me last night and an oncoming car had to swerve into traffic to avoid ramming my stalled vehicle. The internet is littered with similar statements. This appears to be a systemic problem with GM vehicles and it poses a threat of fatalities subsequent to such a failure. Why have there been no recalls for what appears to be a design flaw that is impacting and threatening the safety of every GM truck owner?
2006 Chevrolet Suburban 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 a good car?
Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2006 Suburban rates better than average: 90% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Suburban 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?
The body & structure — 5 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body › hatchback/liftgate. Next are the locks & latches (4) and stability & traction control (4).
How many recalls does the 2006 Chevrolet Suburban have?
There is 1 recall for the 2006 Chevrolet Suburban, the most recent from December 7, 2005 (labels). 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2009 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2015, 2021, 2023, 2022 and 2024. See the full Chevrolet Suburban years comparison.
At what mileage do 2006 Chevrolet Suburban problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 90,000 miles; 0% 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.