2006 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WD

Showing the 2006 Suburban 1500 4WD: as EPA lists it. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
13–15 mpgcombined; city 12–13, highway 16–18; the 1500 4WD
Five years of fuel
$21,660–$24,990U.S. average; Ohio $19,350–$22,330 at local prices; the 1500 4WD; 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 overall safety rating
Not ratedlowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
54filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Versions

NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2006 Suburban, 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.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Suburban. 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
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Structure12000
Electrical system10030
Service brakes9000
Latches/locks/linkages8000
Air bags4000
Steering4000
Electronic stability control (ESC)3000
Power train3000
Suspension3000
Engine and engine cooling2000
Seat belts2001
Traction control system2000
6 more parts
Exterior lighting1010
Seats1000
Unknown or other1000
Vehicle speed control1000
Visibility1000
Wheels1000

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.

  1. 200654
  2. 2007482
  3. 2008314
  4. 2009161
  5. 2010170
  6. 2011235
  7. 2012101
  8. 2013118
  9. 201459
  10. 2015430
  11. 2016220
  12. 2017141
  13. 201884
  14. 201978
  15. 202044
  16. 2021201
  17. 2022124
  18. 2023147
  19. 202444
  20. 202531
  21. 202617

Every Suburban year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2006 Suburban 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.

Engine and engine cooling

NHTSA campaign 06V289000 · reported Aug 3, 2006 · 38,439 vehicles potentially affected

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Equipment: other

NHTSA campaign 05V552000 · reported Dec 7, 2005 · 32,068 vehicles potentially affected

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 835 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2006 Suburban, the latest on Jul 18, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (359), electrical system (176), engine and engine cooling (86), power train (59), equipment adaptive/mobility (54).

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 Suburban.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2006 Chevrolet Suburbans for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Suburban 1500
4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive		5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline13 / 18 / 15
Suburban 1500
Rear-Wheel Drive		5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline or E8513 / 17 / 14
Suburban 1500
4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive		5.3 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline or E8513 / 17 / 14
Suburban 1500
4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive		6.0 L, 8 cylAutomatic 4-spdRegular Gasoline12 / 16 / 13

Sources and dates

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