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 Uplander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Our ABS light is on bought it that way lady said she had the ABS hub replaced but it still won't go off. Sometimes when your driving the traction control trying to kick in but in the middle of the road or highway is not the place for your car to jerk out of no where scaring the crap out of you especially when your surrounded by cars on all sides.these 2 lights stay on they will not go off I don't feel I should have to go through all of thy his again because of a manufacturer mess up. This has happened more than once but I'll list the last time below.
My traction control light has been staying on sometimes the van accelerates on its own and service stability light comes on. Too the brakes have a grinding catch in brake pedal when pushing it when going down my driveway. Also the van has hesitation on starting you have to give it gas to start. These problems happen while youre driving. I just had a new transmission put in, but these problems started before my transmission went out.
Purchased in jan 06. By sept 11, 2006 steering wheel became tight and heard noise under car when driving. Steering shaft was binding and had to be replaced; could not locate noise. Said May be related to steering shaft. Sept 20, 2006, took car back to dealership for noise under van again; was told e-brake cable was hitting rear suspension. February 11, 2007, had to replace front worn tires with only 23, 275 miles on car and have an alignment. March 9, 2007, traction control and ABS lights coming on as well as vehicle shaking. Was told front brakes were 100% worn and back brakes were 80% worn and would not be replaced under warranty because this was normal wear and tear.(only had 23,989 miles on van). April 19, 2007, heard noised while driving, heard something like a spring pop, service engine light was coming on, and it was stalling when trying to start. …
I have a 2006 Chevy Uplander lt and I started to have problems around 3,000 miles of ownership. It started with electrical issues (hard drive entertainment system, gas gauge, dimming lights, radio losing settings, hard starts, service ABS, and service traction control) and gradually moved to mechanical issues (clucking noises ? Front end, vibrations ? Front end, steering binding, and grinding noises from the front end). What has been replaced in hopes of fixing the issues are the hard drive to the entertainment system, main computer module (twice and reprogrammed several times), steering column, steering box, rack and pinion, front stabilizing control arms, front brake, front rotors resurfaced, ABS control module (never fixed the service ABS and service traction control). …
I have a ABS light that comes on for the braking system, it says to have the ABS serviced, but the brakes are new, this is a safety issue and I let Chevrolet know about it, but they seem they don't care, they want me to take it in to have it diagnosed to find the problem; when they should cover all costs. This is a 2006 Chevy Uplander van, I'm afraid one of these times the brakes wont work and there will be deaths cause to this. Also I have a problem with the power locks, they wont lock sometimes; there is only one key lock on this van and I can't lock the hitch so all the other doors I can manually lock both the hitch stays unlocked. This has become a hassle to lock the doors each time and again Chevy wont fix it they want me to take it in to have it diagnosed and it is probably just a toggle switch that is broke, a replacing part that only costs $60.00. …
I own a 2006 Chevy Uplander I noticed that when coming from stop it would pull and would pop to go so I have had it checked numerous times have replaced c.v joints, strut mounds struts shocks and still was having the same problem so then I went and replaced all brakes and rotors I have had to replace them 5 times within a year and half I have given up so now the back ones are doing it again but yesterday the brake light came on this is the first time I have the I also have the van saying emergency brake is on, funny thing now is that when I go and push on it. It don't lock I release my foot off it and it comes right back up to the unlock position but breaks are locked and cant be moved. …
Tl contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander. While driving 50 MPH, the steering column shook violently. The contact had to firmly hold the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the front brakes and rotors failed. The vehicle was repaired at the cost of $122.07. Seven months later, the failure recurred. The contact managed to safely maneuver the vehicle to her destination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the two front tires were failing. In addition, the vehicle failed the road force diagnostic test. The failure still persists and has not been remedied. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that no compensation would be provided because there were no current recalls. The failure mileage was 23,000 and current mileage was 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander. While driving approximately 5 MPH on normal road conditions, the anti-lock braking system began to fully engage for a brief moment unexpectedly. The contact stated that the traction control, ABS and vehicle stability control warning indicators would illuminate intermittently. In addition, the driver and passenger automatic sliding door would not operate properly. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer numerous times for the failures where the sliding doors, steering shaft, yaw sensor, sir module and hub bearings were replaced yet all except the sliding door failure recurred. Most recently, the contact stated that when driving the automatic sliding door chime would activate continuously. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 14,873.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander. The contact stated that when the vehicle had a half tank of gas or less the fuel gauge failed to show an accurate reading and the vehicle shut off. The dealer replaced the fuel sensor, but the failure continued. The dealer replaced the terminals, but the gas gauge continued to display an inaccurate reading. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer, and the instrument panel was reprogrammed. The failure continued to persist. The dealer and manufacturer stated that the failure was caused by a design defect and poor engineering. The current and failure mileages were 17,000. The reverse light was out, the rear hatch would not lock, the wiper blade fell off, the rotors had to be machined. Updated 07/06/07
Tl contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander. The ABS light illuminated and the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. She stated that the dealer did not inspect the vehicle, but only attempted to sell her another one. She took her vehicle to another mechanic and was informed that the front struts and rear shocks needed to be replaced, the rear tires were wearing and cupping badly, 25% remained on the front brake pads, 30% remained on the rear brake pads, and the rotors could not turn. The vehicle was previously taken to the dealer prior to the failures because the rear tires were making noise. The contact believes that the dealer knew something was wrong with her vehicle and waited for the warranty to expire. The current and failure mileages were 50,632.
Brake complaints in other Uplander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2006 Chevrolet Uplander?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the brakes of the 2006 Chevrolet Uplander, 16% of the model year's 158 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Chevrolet Uplander brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2006 Chevrolet Uplander, though it has 3 recalls for other components. 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 Uplander brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 39% before 25,000 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.