IllustrationDEFECTIVE CASTECH HEADS. LEAKING ANTIFREEZE INTO ENGINE. THINS OUT THE ENGINE OIL AND COULD ENGINE TO OVER HEAT OR SIEZE UP WHILE DRIVING. GM KNOWS OF THE DEFECTIVE HEADS BUT WILL NOT WARRENTY THEM. PLEASE CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP US POOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOT STUCK WITH THIS BAD DEFECTIVE DESIGN.
2006 GMC Sierra 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2006 GMC Sierra 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 181.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
320–25K
2725–50K
2650–75K
1375–100K
16100–150K
15150K+
129 reports with mileage · 16 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
8 crash reports5 fire reports4 injury reports
Engine complaints
5 reportsI HAVE A 2006 GMC SIERRA WITH THE 5.3L VORTEC ENGINE AND I FOUND OUT THAT THE CASTECH HEADS ARE FAULTY AND LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE ALSO FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND GM KNOWS ABOUT IT ,TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IS 06-06-01-019B WHICH STATES GM IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT BY MY BOSS BRAND NEW AND …
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I HAVE A 2006 GMC SIERRA WITH THE 5.3L VORTEC ENGINE AND I FOUND OUT THAT THE CASTECH HEADS ARE FAULTY AND LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE ALSO FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND GM KNOWS ABOUT IT ,TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IS 06-06-01-019B WHICH STATES GM IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT THIS TRUCK WAS BOUGHT BY MY BOSS BRAND NEW AND I PURCHASED IT FROM HIM I BELIEVE GM SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. JUST NOTICED THIS THIS MONTH AND THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY.
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 PA…
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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.
TL* 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 FA…
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TL* 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.
WE WERE IN A STORAGE FACILITY PARKING OUR CAMPER WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY GMC TRUCK...I LEFT IT RUNNING IN PARK BECAUSE IT WAS SO HOT OUTSIDE...WHILE I DIRECTED MY BROTHER TO PUT THE CAMPER IN PLACE WITH HIS VEHICLE. THIS TOOK APPROX. 20-30 MINUTES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRUCK IS GOING IN REVERSE ALL ON ITS OWN RUNNING INTO SOME BO…
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WE WERE IN A STORAGE FACILITY PARKING OUR CAMPER WHEN I GOT OUT OF MY GMC TRUCK...I LEFT IT RUNNING IN PARK BECAUSE IT WAS SO HOT OUTSIDE...WHILE I DIRECTED MY BROTHER TO PUT THE CAMPER IN PLACE WITH HIS VEHICLE. THIS TOOK APPROX. 20-30 MINUTES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY TRUCK IS GOING IN REVERSE ALL ON ITS OWN RUNNING INTO SOME BOATS THAT WERE STORED THERE. WTH!! MY TRUCK GOT REAR END DAMAGE,BUMPER DAMAGE,LIGHT BROKEN AND MY TOPPER WAS MESSED UP AS WELL....ALONG WITH THE BOAT TRAILERS THAT IT HIT! WAS THERE ANY RECALL WITH THIS PROBLEM? I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO WITH ONLY 29,000 MILES ON IT AND IT STILL ONLY HAS 38,000. *TR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.