2006 Chevrolet Uplander Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Chevrolet Uplander most often describe electrical gremlins — flickering or dimming lights, a fuel gauge that reads wrong, and occasional shutdowns — plus power sliding doors that open or fail to latch on their own. Steering noises and vibration up front, and ABS/traction-control warning lights, also come up repeatedly. Many of these complaints were filed at low mileage, though stalling and door problems also appear later in the vehicle's life.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Power sliding doors open or fail to latch

   • 51 complaints (32%)
   • median 34,410 mi at 3.1 yrs old (46 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2023

   Owners describe the power sliding doors opening by themselves while driving or parked, refusing to close, or reopening when an attempt is made to shut them. In some cases the door-open chime sounds even though the door looks shut. Complaints mention repeated dealer visits with door modules, motors and latches replaced, sometimes without a lasting fix, and a few describe the door closing on a child. Reported from very low mileage up to about 95,000 miles, often on vehicles with dual power doors.

   What to check: Cycle both sliding doors repeatedly, including while the engine is running and over bumps, and confirm they latch and that the open-door warning stays off. Ask whether the door module or motor has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have had an ongoing problem with my van sliding doors not opening, opening when you don't want them to (driving, parked). It has become more common and I was driving up a steep incline and the door went flying open. Most of the time the doors open when I am driving uphill.”

   NHTSA complaint #10218045, filed 2008-02, 35,755 miles

   “The car has an automatic sliding door that does not always close. When we try to manually close it the automatic mechanism kicks in and opens the door back up. If we are able to get the door closed the bell dings inside the car indicating that the door is open, even though it is not. This has been an ongoing problem for the past two years. Several parts were replaced on the door at the dealership and it worked temporarily but now the door is not working again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10334022, filed 2010-06, 6,000 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Lights flicker or dim, electrical cutouts

   • 30 complaints (19%)
   • median 29,000 mi at 2.1 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • filed 2006–2021

   Complaints describe headlights and dash lights flickering or dimming with engine load, blower fan speed dropping, and voltage swinging up and down. Some owners report the whole vehicle shutting off briefly and then restarting, and a fuel gauge that reads empty when the tank is full. Dealers reportedly replaced generators, voltage regulators and batteries, and in some cases told owners the fluctuation was normal. Appears from very low mileage onward, with several reports under about 60,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: At night, watch the headlights and dash lights while revving and while the A/C is on; look for steady voltage. Ask about battery, alternator and ground-strap history, and check whether the fuel gauge reads correctly after a fill-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2006 chevy Uplander lt and I started to have problems around 3,000 miles of ownership. It started with electrical issues (hard drive entertainment system, gas gauge, dimming lights, radio losing settings, hard starts, service ABS, and service traction control) and gradually moved to mechanical issues (clucking noises ? Front end, vibrations ? Front end, steering binding, and grinding noises from the front end). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10226814, filed 2008-05, 13 miles

   “Exterior and interior lights as well as the blower fan lose power which makes the lights dim and the blower slow down. Dealer installed a capacitor and positive battery cable shielding as per their bulletin, but this did not correct the problem. I don't believe this should be considered a normal characteristic as I have been told by the service manager on several occasions. I am afraid that one day it will totally lose power.”

   NHTSA complaint #10209578, filed 2007-11, 1,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering clunk, binding and front-end noise

   • 16 complaints (10%)
   • median 21,540 mi at 1.7 yrs old (12 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2014

   Owners report clunking or knocking from the front end over bumps, steering that feels stiff or binds, and a rubbing noise in the column. Complaints describe dealers replacing the intermediate shaft, rack and pinion, sway bar links and struts, with the noise sometimes returning. Some also note vibration and uneven tire wear. Mostly reported between roughly 3,000 and 60,000 miles, often noticed over bumps or at low speed.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive slowly over rough pavement and listen for clunks; check for play in the tie rods and sway bar links and look at front tire wear. Ask what steering components have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Me and my wife bought a 2006 chevy Uplander from karmart when we test drove it we noticed a noise in the front end. We asked the salesman what it could be he said our cars are inspected 100 percent and it is not anything to worry about. The car had very low miles on it about 3,600 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10242028, filed 2008-09, 30,000 miles

   “I bought my Uplander at dealership milage was at 24,000. The door would open and not close we finally got this fixed I hope. Just yesterday at milage 45,000 we had to replace tie rod on passenger side. Found out that it did not have grease pin on it called manufactor and they say someone had to have replaced it. I do not believe it had ever been replaced and this is what is causing tire wear and vibrations in the uplanders which also could cause accidents even deaths. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10462181, filed 2012-06, 4,200 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Stalling, hard starting and fuel gauge issues

   • 15 complaints (9%)
   • median 41,074 mi at 3.0 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2017

   Owners describe the engine stalling at speed or on inclines, hard starting that requires holding the gas pedal, and a fuel gauge that bounces or reads empty when full. Complaints mention fuel pump, EVAP canister and gas cap replacements without fully resolving the stalling, and one owner found corroded wiring near the fuel tank. Reported from a few thousand up to about 200,000 miles; several stalling reports involved low fuel levels or downhill/incline conditions.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump or fuel-level sensor has been replaced and whether the check-engine or check-gas-cap light has come on. Test starting from cold and after short stops, and watch the fuel gauge through a fill-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was exiting the interstate and began to lose power; I had 1/4 tank of gas and my car stalled on the exit ramp, but I managed to coast the side of the road.I was told after having my car towed that I may be out of gas so I put gas in the automobile and after several tries it restarted finally....now I'm having a problem with gasoline fumes entering the automobile cabin. (this was the fourth time that my car has stalled).”

   NHTSA complaint #10374912, filed 2011-01, 99,841 miles

   “My car will only start on the first start of the day other than that you have to keep trying to start it. I usually have to lightly tap on the gas pedal to get it to start. At least 2-3 times a day it will keep turning over and die. I'm afraid that it will cause a fire or something because of that . I've taken it to a dealer at the 14-69 auto mall in fort wayne indiana and he told me that an excessive start in GM vehicles is very normal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10620983, filed 2014-08, 60,000 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   ABS, traction-control and stability lights on

   • 20 complaints (13%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 3.9 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2018

   Complaints describe the ABS, traction-control or stability warning lights coming on intermittently, sometimes only with passengers aboard, and occasionally the ABS engaging unexpectedly at low speed. Owners report wheel speed sensors, hubs and wiring harnesses replaced, sometimes repeatedly, and the lamp returning. A few describe brakes locking up or a grinding feel in the pedal. Reported from about 4,000 to 80,000 miles, sometimes triggered by braking or driving in reverse.

   What to check: Check that no ABS, traction or stability lamps stay on after start-up, and ask whether wheel speed sensors or hubs have been replaced. Have a mechanic scan for stored chassis codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Service ABS light stays on.we have had the van in for service now over seven times for this problem,the last one being today...08/21/2009. It still is not fixed. It occurs when we have three people in the van with the third sitting behind the driver. Numerous sensors, hubs, and wiring harness' have been replaced but the problem is not fixed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10281362, filed 2009-08, 40,000 miles

   “I bought my 2006 chevy Uplander used with 74,000 in fall of 2011. While at an busy intersection stop sign, the traction control and stability service lights came on, then all dashboards lights came on and the van stalled. All lights (both interior and exterior) shut off and I couldn't restart vehicle. Road conditions were dry and clear. After rolling onto the side of the road and letting it sit for around 5 minutes, it started and did not have any more problems. The following week, it happened again while driving on the highway. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10450074, filed 2012-03, 84,000 miles

Buying note. A 2006 Uplander is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection: test both sliding doors, watch for flickering lights and warning lamps on the test drive, and check the front end for clunks. Service records showing replaced door modules, steering parts or ABS sensors are useful to see, and the recalls listed for this model year concern specific converted or label issues rather than these complaints.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.