2006 Chevrolet Colorado Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 8, 2025 · 236 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Colorado years
Far more complaints than other years 5th of 23 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Chevrolet Colorado. That ranks 5th out of 23 Colorado model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (69 complaints, 29%), typically at around 56,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 2 fires, 4 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Chevrolet Colorado
2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 photographed in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Finished in Nitro Yellow Metallic.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2006 Chevrolet Colorado problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Electrical System69 · ~56,000 mi
Engine and Engine Cooling31 · ~48,500 mi
Exterior Lighting30 · ~60,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic24 · ~44,500 mi
Engine19 · ~67,000 mi
Air Bags17 · ~65,000 mi
Power Train15 · ~49,271 mi
Structure15 · ~74,086 mi
Fuel System, Gasoline11 · ~26,749 mi
Service Brakes10 · ~84,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Electrical System problems6929%56,000“ignition switch” (13%)—
Engine and Engine Cooling3113%48,500——
Exterior Lighting3013%60,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2410%44,500——
Engine198%67,000——
Air Bags177%65,000——
Power Train156%49,271——
Structure156%74,086——
Fuel System, Gasoline115%26,749——
Service Brakes104%84,000——
Steering104%64,000——
Suspension83%44,000——
Fuel/propulsion System73%114,797——
Service Brakes, Electric73%30,000——
Visibility73%58,205——
Tires63%16,390——
Vehicle Speed Control52%15,000——
Equipment42%58,000——
Latches/locks/linkages42%350——
Seat Belts42%63,273——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)31%88,000——
Parking Brake21%29,073——
Seats21%28,015——
Traction Control System21%56,052——
Unknown or Other21%166,000——
Wheels21%122,000——
Child Seat10%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2010, with 37 complaints
2006: 162006162007: 21212008: 9200892009: 19192010: 372010372011: 27272012: 152012152013: 12122014: 292014292015: 14142016: 7201672017: 662018: 3201832019: 10102020: 5202052021: 222022: 1202212023: 112024: 1202412025: 11

n = 236 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2006 Chevrolet Colorado recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Child seatNov 18, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V575000 · 192,676 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling certain model year 2004-2011, chevrolet colorado, gmc canyon, model year 2006, isuzu i-280/i-350, and model year 2007-2008, i-290/i-370, regular cab vehicles and extended cab vehicles without a rear seat and equipped with a front 60/40 split bench seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the top tether anchor for the front center seat is not accessible and the owner manual does not include instructions regarding how to use the top tether.

Risk: Both nhtsa and gm discourage placement of a child in a front seat. Nevertheless, there are individual circumstances that may require placement of a child in a restraint in the front center seating position of this vehicle that does not offer a rear seat. Lack of access to the top tether anchor and a lack of instructions as to how to use it, may result in improper installation of a child restraint. Improper installation of a child restraint can result in a reduction in the restraint's performance in the event of a crash and an increased risk of injury or death to the child seated in the restraint.

Fix: Dealers will cut a hole into the back panel trim cover to allow access to the top tether anchor for the front center seat position and will provide supplemental information as to use in the owner's manual. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, isuzu at 1-800-255-6727 or visit gm's website at www.gmownercenter.com.

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switchJul 29, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V310000 · 185,903 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling 185,903 model year 2004-2009 colorado, gmc model year 2009-2004 canyon, model year 2006 i-280, i-350, model year 2007-2008 i-290, and i-370, passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of alabama, arizona, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, puerto rico, south carolina, texas, u.s. Virgin islands and utah. Some of these vehicles have a brake lamp switch that may not work as designed due to contamination in the switch.

Risk: This condition could cause the simultaneous loss of all brake lamps or cause all of the brake lamps to stay on continuously. Both of these conditions could fail to warn others of the driver's intentions and could lead to a vehicle crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the necessary components as specified in the recall bulletin free of charge. Gm anticipates that parts will be available by june 2010. A special coverage for vehicles registered in all other states will be implemented in the same time frame. In the interim, owners who experience the failure can obtain a free repair, however they will be required to return when the new design part becomes available. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, isuzu at 1-800-255-6727 or at www.gmownercenter.com.

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switchApr 27, 2006 · NHTSA campaign 06V139000 · 404,733 vehicles

Problem: Certain pickup trucks may experience the permanent loss of brake lamp function or brake lamps that are illuminated at all times. The center high-mounted stop lamp (chmsl) is affected in both instances. Also, if equipped, the cruise control will become inoperative. Any trailer brake lamps which are connected to the vehicle's brake lamp wiring will mimic the vehicle's brake lamps when either condition occurs.

Risk: A following driver may not know when the brakes have been applied, and a rear-end crash could occur without prior warning.

Fix: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch assembly. The recall began on december 5, 2006. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463 or isuzu at 1-800-255-6727.

Equipment:other:labelsDec 7, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V552000 · 32,068 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Fix: 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.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Brake lamp switch malfunction (RQ09001) — opened Feb 25, 2009, closed Jul 30, 2009, led to recall 09V310000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The high mounted stop lights and the cruise control do not work. A recall for this was issued (NHTSA 06V13900 and NHTSA 09V310000) but when I enter my VIN it says I'm not included in the recall. Also, a dealer said my vehicle was not in the recall. If I have the problem stated in the recall why am…

Vehicle Speed Control · received Jul 8, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11671995

rear brake lights flash or sometimes don't come on while pressing the brake pedal. while driving at night dash cluster goes black cant see speedometer, or anything on instrument cluster.

Electrical System · received Aug 15, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11608634

Rear leaf spring mounts and frame rusting through causing a safety hazard. Chevrolet doesn't offer a repair part nor does the aftermarket. The internet is ripe with other owners experiencing this or similar issues. The consumer stated there is frame corrosion specifically rear frame shackle mounts…

Suspension · received Mar 24, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11513576

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle started to shake. The contact was able to drive back to the residence. The contact stated that several independent mechanics diagnosed the vehicle and…

Engine · received Jun 24, 2022 · NHTSA complaint 11470832

The contact called on behalf of a customer looking to purchase a 2006 Chevrolet Colorado. The contact stated that he is a certified mechanic. While performing a vehicle safety check, the contact noticed that the subframe was completely rusted and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the…

Structure · received Sep 29, 2021 · NHTSA complaint 11434879

Other Chevrolet Colorado years

← 2005 Colorado · 2007 Colorado →

See all Chevrolet Colorado problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.

Similar Chevrolet models

Embed this 2006 Chevrolet Colorado badge on your site

Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chevrolet Colorado?

Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 69 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Chevrolet Colorado?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2006 Chevrolet Colorado a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Colorado model years, the 2006 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.