Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 GMC Envoy XL owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Filled SUV up at gas station. Gas gauge went to full. Proceeded out of gas station when the gas gauge went to empty, gas gauge will now not stay in one place, continues to act up and mostly stays on empty and the bell rings constantly. I am unable to determine how much fuel I have and concerned that the SUV will think its out of gas and shut off.
Driving on the highway after putting fuel in and fuel gauge suddenly shows empty and my vehicle stalled. The fuel guage would then show full at times then empty. Now it shows empty all the time and has stalled 3 more times while driving in traffic.
Noticed that the fuel gauge for the past week has been acting very strange. I had a half tank of gas and drive very little daily (maybe 10 miles) and in 3 days it went from 1/2 tank to empty. I actually thought my gas was leaking out, but no gas spots or leaks. Now, it was on empty, light came on, and started to bing, and the engine light is on also. I filled the car up and fuel light is still on and so is the engine light. Indicating a problem at the fuel gage. I love this car, I have never loved a car more...but, now reading all the huge number of people having the same problems...and the cost to have it fixed is wayyyyyyyyy more than I can pay or afford. …
I own a 2006 GMC Envoy XL. Approximately 1 month ago, the fuel gauge started showing empty when there was a full tank of gas. It would reset to the actual reading when I would turn the vehicle off and turn it back on. It would stay on the actual reading and then a minute later the dial would go down to empty. I've been driving the vehicle like this for a month. Now the fuel gauge will not function at all. It shows empty all the time even when there is a full tank of gas. I have no idea how much gas is in my tank and it is very frustrating. I have to do quite a bit of traveling due to my nature of employment and find it dangerous to drive with this type of defect. Currently, I have 81,000 miles and the warranty has expired. After some extensive research on the internet, there are thousands of other owners who have or who are having the same problem. …
Fuel system/gas gauge sensor failed while driving the vehicle. The failure is ongoing, as a result I have run out of gas 3 times with my small children...once in the left lane of a very busy road where I was almost rear-ended several times (speed limit on road was 55 MPH). There is no warning when you are getting ready to run out of gas I.e. The low gas light is on constantly and the reminder signal does not go off. I try to gauge when I need to get gas based on miles I have driven but mileage varies depending on the type of driving that you are doing so the number of miles you get per gallon can vary greatly. All 3 times that I have run out of gas I was on my way to get gas. I have not replaced this part because it is a costly repair. In addition, I believe that this is a GMC/Chevrolet faulty system. I had a 1997 Chevrolet blazer and the same thing happened with the gas gauge. …
Gas gauge reads empty, even after filling tank. It sometimes fluctuates, but returns to empty with the warning light on and alarm sounding. This is a 2006 Envoy XL with 50,000 miles. I am greatly concerned about the vehicle running out of gas and being subsequently impacted from the rear, especially at highway speeds. I have read over 400 complaints online, affecting many vehicle years and models. When will action be taken to recall and replace the defective units? After bailing out GM with taxpayer dollars, I would expect that GM would follow the correct ethical course and both redesign and replace the unit in all the vehicle years affected; or is this a cost-benefit issue for the company? With so many years and models affected, would it be cheaper to pay to settle any injury or death related lawsuits versus the cost of redesigning and replacing all of the defective units? …
After exiting interstate and pulling into parking lot of our child care provider, car ran out of gas and came to a stop. Fuel gauge indicated that there was approx 1/4 tank of gas. Walked to gas station with my two children to buy a gas can and fill tank up. Gas gauge has continued to be inaccurate. When gas tank is full, the "low gas light" turns on. After driving approx 50 miles, light goes off and gauge indicated car has approx 3/4 tank, although the gas gauge fluctuates between 3/4 tank full and 1/4 tank full. We now have to set the "trip" button to 0 every time we fill the Envoy with a full tank of gas and we refill when milage is at approx 250 miles. There have been times that we have added 23 gallons of gas (almost a completely empty tank) and gas gauge indicates there is still a 1/4 tank of gas left. We have not had the gas gauge fixed at this time. …
With no apparent cause, the gas gauge on my 2006 GMC Envoy began fluctuating wildly. It first happened in March of 2011 after I filled up with a full tank of gas- the gauge immediately went to empty and the warning light came on. Ever since, the gauge does not give accurate fuel readings- it will read full when empty, empty when full, and the needle will spike all over the place. Just recently (May of 2011) the gauge stopped working all together. It now constantly reads empty. I consider it to be a significant safety concern- running out of gas in the middle of heavy traffic can cause serious accidents. I notified GM of the problem and just today, 6/3/11 was told "not enough information exists to indicate a problem or warrant a recall." they offered no assistance to help fix the issue, which was diagnosed as a faulty fuel sensor in the gas tank and would cost $600 to replace.
Gas guage reads empty, even after filling tank. It sometimes fluctuates, but returns to empty with the warning light on and alarm sounding. This is a 2006 Envoy XL with 50,000 miles. I am greatly concerned about the vehicle running out of gas and being subsequently impacted from the rear, especially at highway speeds. I have read over 400 complaints online, affecting many vehicle years and models. When will action be taken to recall and replace the defective units? After bailing out GM with taxpayer dollars, I would expect that GM would follow the correct ethical course and both redesign and replace the unit in all the vehicle years affected; I believe an existing complaint already exists, complaint(dp10001)
Two months ago after filling up my 2006 Envoy XL with gas, a previously normally functioning fuel gauge suddenly read empty and the audible warning kept sounding though I knew it had a full tank. The gauge would start to go up, but then when I would turn the vehicle off, it would read empty again. As I was driving, the gauge would fluctuate between empty and full no matter how much fuel was in the tank. A trip to the dealer showed that I had a faulty fuel sensor. They said that if I drove it around like that the vehicle could suddenly stall. I had to have the fuel sensor replaced at my own expense as it is out of warranty.
NHTSA investigations
Fuel Level Gauge System Failure
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, and Saab 9-7x vehicles.Of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.Of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than…
Fuel System complaints in other Envoy XL years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2006 GMC Envoy XL?
NHTSA has 71 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2006 GMC Envoy XL, 65% of the model year's 109 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 GMC Envoy XL fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2006 GMC Envoy XL, though it has 5 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 GMC Envoy XL fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 2% 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.