Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
14 mpgcombined; city 13, highway 17; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$23,200U.S. average; Ohio $20,730 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2006 Avalanche, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Avalanche. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
16
0
0
0
Service brakes
10
0
0
0
Air bags
8
0
0
0
Structure
6
3
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
5
0
0
0
Electrical system
4
0
1
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
0
0
0
Engine
4
2
1
1
Suspension
3
0
0
0
Unknown or other
3
0
0
0
Seats
2
0
0
1
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
10 more parts
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Trailer hitches
1
1
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
1
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2006 Avalanche over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Risk: IF THE DAMPER COMES LOOSE, A FUEL LEAK MAY RESULT. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
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.
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.
Risk: A MISPRINTED LABEL COULD LEAD TO IMPROPER VEHICLE LOADING SPECIFICATIONS OR TIRE INFLATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN A TIRE FAILURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
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. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR ISUZU AT 1-800-255-6727.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 816 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2006 Avalanche, the latest on Jul 18, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (341), electrical system (166), engine and engine cooling (86), power train (58), equipment adaptive/mobility (50).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2006 Avalanche.
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Avalanche 1500 Rear-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
13 / 17 / 14
Avalanche 1500 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
5.3 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
13 / 17 / 14
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data