10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
72,356 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 GMC Sierra 1500 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2006 GMC Sierra 1500 Owner Comments

problem #18

Feb 112015

Sierra 1500 8-cyl

  • 90,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the heater blower relay switch was replaced however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while vehicle was in a stand still, and attempting to turn on the air conditioner, the air conditioner was inoperable. The contact stated that a dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the heater blower replay switch and harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000. The consumer stated in 2015 the switch was replaced, but in 2020 it was replaced again along with the melter wire harness.

- Hampton, TN, USA

problem #17

Sep 232016

Sierra 1500

  • 51,190 miles
The contact owns a 2006 GMC Sierra 800 (na). The contact engaged the horn and it failed to function intermittently. The relay in the fuse box was replaced, which did not correct the failure. During an oil change, the dealer stated that the air bag contact coil, which was tied to the horn, needed to be replaced. The dealer stated they could not guarantee that the repair would correct the failure. The dealer requested a diagnostic test of $78 and advised the contact the estimate for the repair would range from $393.12 to $1,000. A complaint was filed with the manufacturer who stated that since the vehicle was ten years old, they would not offer any assistance. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 51,190.

- Paulding, OH, USA

problem #16

Sep 072016

Sierra 1500

  • 138,000 miles
Reduced engine power and engine light. Have had just about everything replaced I have my repair bills. Truck will run fine after being in shop then starts all over again. Throttle body has been replaced twice. It will drop me down to 20mph on the highway and I am afraid it is going to cause a bad wreck. It happened to me today and I am out of town I have drove 600 miles with a horse trailer to pick up a rescue horse and am afraid to start home with no clue what is wrong with this truck when I reset the battery it will work fine but I am telling you that it is going to cause a bad wreck. I don't mind paying for it just tell what the hell is wrong so I can get it fixed probably before someone gets hurt or killed.

- St Augustone, FL, USA

problem #15

Nov 012015

Sierra 1500

  • 152,815 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My truck exhibited the same issues as #10240: Special coverage adjustment-heating, ventilation, and air conditioning blower not fully functional or inoperative - (May 9, 2011). However my auto climate fan was not covered. I believe this is a recall issue. My truck became smoky from the overheating wires and the HVAC system would run after cutting off the ignition.

- Rocky Mount, NC, USA

problem #14

Jan 202013

Sierra 1500

  • 119,000 miles
The truck was purchased with 113,000 miles on it and no apparent problems when bought. After about 3 months of ownership, the "service airbag" message appeared intermittently for the next few weeks. After that time, the message was constant on. Took the truck to my local dealer who charged to "repair" it. Message came back after about a week of driving. Message now reappears at random intervals. Don't know if the problem is with the airbag sensors, the control unit, or any peripheral switches. Dealer is incompetent and do not trust to fix the problem. Already paid good money to have this problem repaired and am not going to continue to pay for incompetence. Message appears when vehicle is in motion and when vehicle is started at random. Message will sometimes disappear for weeks at a time, then, reappear at random.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #13

Mar 122015

Sierra 1500

  • 82,000 miles
2006 GMC Sierra quit running on a trip we were taking. It started missing and eventually wouldn't restart. The truck has 82K on it and is very well maintained. The engine would turn over but not start... no spark? it has been to various service mechanics as well as my attempt to figure out what is wrong with it. Many new parts have been used: Icm, crank sensor, cam sensor, coil... no difference. This vehicle quitting on a very busy highway could have caused significant injury to myself and/or my passenger. When the truck was new it had an intermittent miss and while still under warranty I returned to the dealer. There they were unable to find anything that would cause the problem. This same miss was periodically present up until the time it quit running altogether.

- New Hope, KY, USA

problem #12

May 142015

Sierra 1500

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle decelerated to less than 10 mph. The contact also stated that the air bag warning light continuously illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 150,000.

- Covington, GA, USA

problem #11

Aug 312013

Sierra 1500

  • 110,000 miles
My fan high speed burst out and I had a strong else trial burning smell. I had my truck looked at to find that my wiring harness and resistor had burnt. I had them replaced this last September. Since then I have had to replace two more resistors and one more wiring harness. I talked to two dealerships and no one told me about the, "special warranty adjustment". I had to research the internet to find this out. When I took my truck back to the original dealer, they blamed me for not knowing the language. I am glad I did not burn my truck up like several other had (found on the internet). Now the dealer tells me that main controller has failed and I have to pay over $400 in repairs. How do I know that the main controller did not burn out the resistor or wiring harness? I am concerned that large corporations are playing with our lives.

- Southfield, MI, USA

problem #10

Nov 182014

Sierra 1500

  • miles
I have had to replace the tail light lenses several times because the tab that secures the lenses to the vehicle breaks and the result is lights just hanging on the truck by the electrical cords. I have the same problem involving my other vehicles in the past made by GMC namely a second family GMC Sierra that was made in the year 2004, and a Chevrolet Silverado. The electrical lighting on the dashboard has been malfunctioning for a long time. I noticed the malfunction during the first year I bought the truck. I have had to replace electrical switch in the air conditioning/heating the mechanic told me that the wiring is heating up and causing the short to the switch. The new switch has shorted out just like he said it would. I have a notification that my airbag needs servicing. There has been no accident involved to cause this issue. I bought this vehicle new and have been the primary driver since 2006 when I bought the vehicle.

- Livingston, TX, USA

problem #9

Feb 012012

Sierra 1500 8-cyl

  • miles
2006 GMC Sierra 1500. Consumer writes in regards to a letter received from GMC regarding an heating issue with the vehicle the consumer stated the problem seems serious enough to warrant a recall, rather than waiting for the problem to occur.

- Lavonia, GA, USA

problem #8

Nov 092011

Sierra 1500 8-cyl

  • 72,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2006 Sierra -75000miles clunking in drivetrain when trans. Shifts rearend clunks and jumps in and out when diff lock is needed chatter in steering column engine light comes on when down to 1/2 -3/4 tank (everytime) refuel it goes out dash lights for the radio buttons slowly going out dash lights on the slider for heater controls going out very poor mpg 12-13 on a good day! sure would like to have all the recalls and bulletins taken care of! note to myself!! never purchase a GMC again!

- Bird Island, MN, USA

problem #7

Aug 012011

Sierra 1500

  • miles
2006 GMC Sierra C1500. Consumer writes in regards to resistor and connector wiring replacement.

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #6

Oct 162010

Sierra 1500 8-cyl

  • 51,000 miles
Blower motor wiring harness wires melted and started smoking on my 2006 GMC Sierra.

- Essexville, MI, USA

problem #5

Sep 012010

Sierra 1500

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500. While attempting to use the air conditioner the contact noticed that no air would blow out of the vents. The contact examined the vehicle and stated that the resistor failed. The failure was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 130000.

- Lafayette, GA, USA

problem #4

Aug 052010

Sierra 1500

  • 60,000 miles
The blower motor resistor overheated and melted the wiring harness, almost caused a fire, burnt my fingers trying to stop it from starting to burn, my 7 year old was with me.

- Bremen, AL, USA

problem #3

Jul 232010

Sierra 1500

  • 54,400 miles
Loss of fan - blower motor (HVAC) high speed operation failure. With loss of high speed fan, other fan speeds (lower) operation became intermittent, works after jiggling blower motor wire bundle at connection point on blower motor resistor. Visual inspection shows melted wire harness connector at blower motor resistor, unable to separate (remove) the connector. Searched NHTSA ODI database and found three very related defect complaints - inop fan, smoke and melted wires, fan loss. Fan failure could lead to fire from melted electrical connections, loss of visibility due to windshield icing in winter, fogging over when driving in changing weather. Windshield defroster requires operative fan and defroster is a required safety item. Dealer replaced blower motor electrical connector, wire harness, and fuse, charging parts to warranty and me for the labor. This appears to be a very common defect in this product line. There is a technical service bulletin for the repair including replacement of the connection wiring to insure any melted insulation is removed. This should be a safety recall. Dealer has old parts.

- China, ME, USA

problem #2

Sep 012008

Sierra 1500

  • 40,000 miles
This complaint is about an electrical short in the wiring and plug going to the fan motor on the inside cab of my 2006 GMC truck. This truck has 43000 miles on it and carried it in to be fixed and was told nothing could be done because it was out of warranty. I'm very disappointed because I feel that this is a hazard. This plug has been going bad for some time now because I could smell the odor in the truck but could not pinpoint where it was coming from. After the fan motor stopped working I traced the problem down to the plug and found where it had been melting away. This is when I drove it back to the dealership and was told nothing could be done because it was out of warranty. I feel this should be a defect and not something that should be a warranty issue. This plug got very hot for a long period of time and melted it could have started a fire.

- Ocean Isle Beach , NC, USA

problem #1

Mar 222006

Sierra 1500 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 2,000 miles
: the contact stated the speedometer displayed an incorrect reading up to 10 mph more than the driven speed. The vehicle was seen by a dealer, who determined this was due to the oversized tires on the vehicle which affected the overall telemetry. The vehicle was sent to an independent repair shop and an after market hyper-tech computer chip was installed to override the computerized telemetry of the vehicle. Updated 05/30/06.

- Lexington, SC, USA

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