2006 Buick Terraza Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report sliding door problems, including doors that open, close, or latch unexpectedly. Stalls, no-start episodes, and brake lock-ups or pedal failures also recur, along with suspension clunks and steering complaints. Where mileage is stated, most sliding door reports fall below about 40,000 miles, while stall and suspension reports range widely in mileage.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Sliding doors open, close, or latch unexpectedly

   • 17 complaints (31%)
   • median 14,000 mi at 1.8 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Owners describe sliding doors that open, close, or reopen without warning, including while the vehicle is moving, and doors that will not fully latch. Some describe a remote button unlocking the doors and opening a sliding door, and a few report injuries or bruising when a door closed or stayed open unexpectedly. According to complaints, dealers sometimes replaced sensors, remotes, or door parts, or aligned the doors, and some owners say the problem came back afterward. Where mileage is stated, most of these complaints are below about 40,000 miles, with a few at about 136,000 to 140,000 miles, and some describe a door opening while the vehicle is moving.

   What to check: Open and close both sliding doors from inside, outside, and with the remote, and check that each latches fully and stays shut. Ask the seller for dealer records of any door sensor, latch, or alignment work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “It is probably a shorter list to list what we haven't had trouble with , but here goes. 1. The back power sliding doors will open and shut at will. Driving down the road, parted in the grocery store parking lot, etc. The neighborhood kids regularly come over to tell me my doors are open. My husband almost missed a flight because he spent to much time trying to fight with the door to stay shut. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10238845, filed 2008-08, 2,500 miles

   “In 2013 had my passenger slider door fixed for not opening half the time or it would just open. I took it in and got it fix cost me 800.00 and the same day got it fixed the driver door did the same thing and the dealer finally got it to shut but still having problems with it opening all my it self and then we have a hard time getting it to close. I seen alot of complaints about these doors just wondering if any problems are with a recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10584749, filed 2014-04, 140,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Stalls, engine shutoffs, and no-start episodes

   • 7 complaints (13%)
   • median 66,075 mi at 5.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2022

   Owners describe the engine stopping without warning, sometimes while driving, and sometimes not restarting for a period of time. Some report needing a dealer code to start the vehicle, or being stranded after it would not restart. According to complaints, dealers often could not reproduce or identify the source, and some owners say the shutdowns continued after repairs. Stated mileage varies widely, from 12 miles to about 249,000 miles, and some describe waiting before the engine restarted.

   What to check: Ask for dealer repair records for any no-start or engine shutoff problem, and have a mechanic scan the vehicle for stored fault codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The engine stops without warning have had to go to GM dealer and get code to start it next three times I just wait in traffic till it started now I am scared to drive it think this car needs to be recalled and fixed before it kills me or someone else, I paid the GM dealer to look at it and they couldn't tell me what is wrong with it but agreed it did the same thing to them.”

   NHTSA complaint #10639154, filed 2014-09, 60,000 miles

   “Vehicle would not restart and left me and my family stranded 1.5 hours from home and was towed by dealer. Once I got it back there were several other problems that I had faced before that were now occurring again. The sliding doors malfunctioned about every other day. The vehicle has given us trouble starting on two other occasions ,as well. These were not reported as we assumed that being a brand new vehicle that we must have left a light or something on. We knew that the problemwas with the vehicle and not our negligence.”

   NHTSA complaint #10191524, filed 2007-05, 13,900 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brakes locking, pedal failing, or braking without warning

   • 10 complaints (19%)
   • median 57,947 mi at 4.4 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2007–2016

   Owners describe brakes that lock suddenly, sometimes for a few seconds, and in some complaints the vehicle veers as a result. Other complaints describe a brake pedal that resists and then goes to the floor, brakes that apply without warning, and a parking brake that does not release. According to complaints, dealers were sometimes unable to duplicate the failure, and an owner was told a pedal delay was linked to software. Where mileage is stated, these complaints fall between about 25,000 and 113,000 miles, and some occurred at low speed, around 10 mph.

   What to check: On a test drive, check the brake pedal feel and that the ABS, stability, and parking brake warning lights go off, and ask for records of brake or stability repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought this vehicle in feb. 2015. About a week after purchase I was going to work one night and the vehicle suddenly veered to the left and brakes locked. The stability light then came on. I pulled over and shut the van off and restarted it . No light was on then. About one month later it did it again. This time I was going about 50 miles ph. A car behind me almost hit me from behind due to the sudden stop.another month went by before it started doing it again. This time it veered into the path of a semi tractor trailer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10722713, filed 2015-06, 113,000 miles

   “Abs system failure brakes lock up while auto is in motion happened 3 times 1 time at moderate speed 35 MPH in major intersection with loss of control of vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10217539, filed 2008-02, 25,000 miles
4. 4
   Suspension

   Suspension clunks, noises, and worn joints or bushings

   • 7 complaints (13%)
   • median 91,330 mi at 6.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2021

   Owners describe clunking, cracking, and loud noises from underneath the vehicle, including front wheel bearing noise. Complaints tie some of these to worn trailing arm bushings and a knuckle, a ball joint that pulled loose, or a control arm that needed replacement. Some owners say the vehicle was not covered by recall 10V110000, and a complaint describes early rear brake wear linked to the trailing arm failure. Where mileage is stated, these complaints fall between about 42,000 and 161,000 miles, and some do not state mileage.

   Recall 10V110000

   What to check: Ask whether the VIN is covered by recall 10V110000, and have a mechanic check the rear trailing arm bushings and joints for play or wear on a lift.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The veh has a niose in the rearafter start up, sometimes it go away after driving for a while but it come back over and over again, I took it to the dealership they suggested I replace the controlled arm right and left and replace the steering sensor along with the thermostat and this will fix the problem the cost will be 1,500.00. Is this a recall problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10823641, filed 2016-02, 161,300 miles

   “Before 46,000 miles both front wheel bearings on my van went bad they went bad within 5 months and 3,000 miles of each other. I noticed it by very loud noises coming from the front of my car. I do normal driving with a mix of freeway and around town. There was no accident, or injuries. Dealer replaced wheel bearings under factory warranty. The old parts are not available.”

   NHTSA complaint #10276044, filed 2009-07, 42,498 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Steering failures, hard steering, and clunking

   • 6 complaints (11%)
   • median 42,500 mi at 5.4 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2022

   Complaints describe steering that suddenly becomes hard to turn or control, with some drivers losing control and crashing. Others describe power steering failure that makes low-speed steering difficult, and a steering wheel that clunks and vibrates and that a dealer could not diagnose. An independent mechanic reportedly found the rack and pinion needed replacement. Where mileage is stated, these complaints range from about 3,000 to 82,000 miles, and some describe difficulty at low speeds.

   What to check: On a test drive, check for hard or vibrating steering at low speed, and ask for any rack and pinion or steering repair records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On may 2, 2013, about 10am, I was on my way home. The steering wheel suddenly out of control and my car hit on a car park on the street side with none inside. My car had severe damage and cost about $10,000.00 to fix. The other car I hit on had medium damage. The air bag pop out with a lot of dust and it was flat. A lot dust blow on my face. The air bag had no air at all. It was all flat. The steering wheel had been kind of tight and difficult to turn for three years. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10533050, filed 2013-08, 45,000 miles

   “The power steering rack failed, making it difficult to control/steer the vehicle at low speeds. I have since heard this referred to as GM power steering syndrome. It is a common problem of GM cars where the valve in the power steering rack has problems. The power steering fluid cannot get through, particularly at low speeds, making it very difficult to steer. (at higher speeds - when the accelerator is depressed - there is extra pressure forcing the fluid through, so it is a bit easier to steer at higher speeds. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10406391, filed 2011-06, 82,016 miles

Buying note. Ask for records of door, no-start, and brake repairs, and check the VIN against recall 10V110000 for the rear suspension. Test the sliding doors, brake pedal feel, and steering on a test drive, since these themes recur in the complaints above.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 50 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.