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KLUNK
KLUNK

2006 Chevrolet Avalanche

The Verdict

87 Smooth Ride

The 2006 Chevrolet Avalanche has 53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are transmission (13 complaints) and engine (12 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 87/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Chevrolet Avalanche, consider the 2012 model year which has 1% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2012 has 1% fewer complaints

View the 2012 Chevrolet Avalanche dashboard →

87

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20021803015710231
2003841371572915
200462821272918
20053818933423
200681191213
200713562894317
2008983164273
20093515153
20104606263
201163567136
20123511033
20134912750

By Category

Transmission
13
Engine
12
Brakes
11
Electrical
9
Body
8

By Severity

1
28
2
16
3
1
4
8

Worst Problems

Complaints

Transmission 2

After purchasing my vehicle through a bank loan, the frame started to deteriorate resulting in suspension components to come loose and fall off. Lastly, rear driveshaft broke off, leaving me inoperable.

23d ago
Transmission 2

The vehicle was sold with significant rust damage to the underbody of the truck. The truck parts are rusted to a point the suspension, and axel are about to fall out. The truck is leaking gasoline due to the amount of rust. The power steering that they fixed after one day driving it had issues when sold is still having issues leaking fluid. It has been deemed unsafe to drive on road. The dealership sold the vehicle in unsafe conditions, and will not rectify the situation. I have documentation, and photos of the damage to the vehicle.

18mo ago
Brakes 1

Brake lines rusted out. Apparently this is an issue for this year and many other model year vehicles. Considering the brakes stop the vehicle, this is a big safety issue, and very expensive to be fixed.

46mo ago
Engine 4

I WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE I PASSED OUT WHILE OPERATING MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING WAS THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT. FAULTY EXHAUST MANIFOLD FASTENERS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS ACCIDENT. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE INCURRED NUMEROUS PERSONAL EXPENSES DUE TO THE ACCIDENT, BUT FEEL LUCKY THAT THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. I AM WRITING THIS TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE IN HOPES THAT YOU WILL DO SOMETHING TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ON THIS PRODUCT. THE VEHICLE IS TOTALED, BUT COULD STILL BE EXAMINED TO FIND THE CAUSE.

87mo ago
Engine 4

VEHICLE HIT A TREE AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

89mo ago
Body 3

HEATED SEAT COMES ON BY ITSELF ALL THE TIME. IT HAS BURNED MY FATHER'S REAR END. I CHECKED IT OUT AND IT CAME ON 12 TIMES IN 5 MINUTES. MY FATHER IS OLDER AND DID NOT REALIZE HE WAS BURNING UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. I WAS TOLD BY THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS THAT THERE ARE NO SAFETY RECALLS FOR THIS. UPON READING HELP FORUMS, I DISCOVERED THEY DO HAVE A RECALL. I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE BEFORE I TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTIONS. THANK YOU

97mo ago
Transmission 1

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE TRUCK ENGINE WILL BE RUNNING WITH NO ABNORMAL SOUNDS, SMELLS, LEAKS BUT WILL ACT AS IF NOT IN GEAR. RPM'S WILL REV BUT TRUCK WILL NOT MOVE. ONLY AFTER PUTTING TRUCK IN PARK (LOTS OF GRINDING NOISES) THEN PRESSING THE 4WHEEL BUTTON THEN BACK TO 2WHEEL (SOMETIMES THROUGH TWO CYCLES) THE TRUCK WILL BACK INTO GEAR AND OPERATE PROPERLY. TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP PUT IT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND NO ERROR CODES WERE GIVEN TO GIVE REASON WHY THE TRANSFER CASE DISENGAGES RANDOMLY. REPLACED THE TRANSFER SWITCH PER SHOP RECOMMENDATION "JUST IN CASE"IT WAS OKAY FOR ABOUT A MONTH THEN ONCE AGAIN ISSUES STARTED AGAIN JUST THE SAME AS BEFORE.

100mo ago
Engine 1

THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT IS ON AND OFF. TOOK IT TO SERIVE CENTERS THE LIGHT CAME OFF FOR A WEEK THEN CAME BACK AGAIN. MECHANIC TOLD ME THE SPRING COUL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED GOT IT REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THE SAME. WHEN ITHE WEATHER IS COLD THE LIGHTS COMES OFF WHEN ITS WARM THE LIGHTS ARE ONE TOLD THE MECHANICS THEY SAID ITS THE CONNECTION THEY TRIED TO FIX LIGHT WILL COME OF FOR A FEW DAYS THEN BACK AGAIN. THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THE ENGINE LIGHT - THEY TOLD ME ITS THE FUEL EJECTION PUMP GOT IT REPLACED BUT NOT RESOLVED. I KEEP TAKING TTHE TRUCK BACK TO THE SERVICE CENTERS BUT AFTER A WEEK THE LIGHT INDICATORS ARE ON. I ALSO FAILED MY INSPECTIONS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THE ONLY REASON I PASS IS THAT IT HAS TO BE FIXED BUT AFTER INSPECTION THE LIGHTS ARE ON AGAIN. I HAVE READ ALL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEMS BUT GMC MOTORS DOESN'T HAVE AN ACTIVE RECALL FOR IT ITS JUST A COMMUNICATION STATING THE PROBLEM. THE TRUCK IS STILL RUNNING BUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BY THE COMPANY. AND I THINK THATS PART OF THE REASON TGEY DONT MAKE THE AVALANCE ANYMORE.

102mo ago
Brakes 4

BRAKE FAILURE. EXITING PARKING LOT ONTO CITY STREET BRAKES FAILED CAUSING COLLISION. AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR: BRAKE LINE CORRODED. LINES TO WEAK TO REPAIR. REPLACE BRAKE LINES PER GM KIT. REMOVE AND REPLACE ALL METAL BRAKE LINES FRONT AND REAR, PER BRAKE LINE KIT.

104mo ago
Brakes 2

POOR QUALITY BRAKE LINES HAVE CORRODED MAKING THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAIL HARD BRAKING, HAD LINE RUPTURE DUE TO CORROSION, NEAR COLLISION DUE TO BRAKE FAILURE

105mo ago
Engine 1

REAR BRAKE LINES BURST WHILE I WAS IN MOTION. I WAS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO USE THE GEARS TO SLOW DOWN. THEY WERE CORRODED THROUGH. SAME THING HAPPENED IN 2016 WITH MY FUEL PUMP LINE CORRODED THROUGH. WAS LEAKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. DID NOT NOTICE FOR A FEW DAYS UNTIL THERE WAS PUDDLES OF GAS WHERE I PARK. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS MY CLADDING HAS BEEN FALLING OFF FROM RUST THROUGH ON THE BOTTOM SECURE POINTS.

107mo ago
Brakes 1

BRAKE LINES RUSTING OUT ON THESE AUTOS

108mo ago
Engine 1

I PURCHASED THE 2006 VEHICLE USED IN DEC 2013. IN 2014 THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD. IN 2015 I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND BRAKE PADS & ROADERS.2016 REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP BECAUSE IT ALSO WENT BAD, REPLACED TIRES (NORMAL WEAR), BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY BECAUSE IT DIED. 2017 IT NEEDED TWO HUB BEARING AND BOTH FRONT WHEEL HUB REPLACED. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE! I JUST FOUND OUT MY AIR BAG SENSOR WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED AND REPLACED. ALL MY MONEY HAS BEEN FLUSHED DOWN TO THIS VEHICLE. I DON'T RECOMMEND ANYONE BUYING A CHEVY TRUCK.

115mo ago
Transmission 2

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. WHEN TRAVELING AT SHIFT POINT 1-2, 2-3 THE ENGINE RPMS SUDDENLY INCREASE THEN RETURN TO NOMINAL SPEED. THE MILEAGE IS WAY TO LOW FOR THIS BEHAVOIR. I BELIEVE GM SHOULD ISSUE (OR PAY FOR) THE PARTS (THE TOUGHENED OR IMPROVED PARTS) TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM OR RE-REIMBURSE THE CURRENT OWNER FOR THE RETAIL COST OF THE GM (IMPROVED) PARTS IF THE OWNER CHOOSES TO HAVE THE WORK DONE ELSE WHERE. THE SHIFTING ACTION IS NOT FIRM, IT'S SLOPPY. AT TIMES YOU CAN'T FEEL THE SHIFT IN THE CONVENTIONAL WAY BUT YOU CAN HEAR IT.

117mo ago
Brakes 1

BRAKES FAILED COMING TO TRAFFIC LIGHT. PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. WENT HALF WAY THRU BEFORE TRUCK STOPPED. INSPECTED AND FOUND REAR BRAKE STEEL LINE HAD RUSTED THRU AND HAD A HOLE. BRAKES SHOULD NOT RUST THRU IN ONLY TEN YEARS,

119mo ago
Brakes 1

SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE BRAKES FAILED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP FOR TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND IT APPEARED THAT ALL BRAKING HAD BEEN LOST. THE CAR WAS NAVIGATED TO THE SHOULDER AND THE PARKING BRAKE WAS USED TO COME TO A FULL STOP. IF THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THE PARKING BRAKE RELEASED, THE CAR WOULD BEGIN TO MOVE AGAIN. THIS APPEARED TO INDICATE ANY REDUNDANCY IN THE SYSTEM WAS ABSENT.

119mo ago
Engine 2

AIR BAGS WARING LIGHT ON.

120mo ago
Transmission 2

I BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY STOPPED MY TRUCK LIKE ALWAYS PUT IT IN D TO DRIVE HEARD A LOUD CLUNK NOISE AND NOW I HAVE 1 AND 2 GEAR ONLY TO USE THE TRUCK WAS STATIONARY WAS ON A MAIN ROAD I CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SCREENS FILTERS EVERYTHING FLUSHED IT OUT AND STILL THE SAME THING A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT'S THE SPRAG UNIT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS I HAVE ONLY HAULED A FEW THINGS WITH IT WHEN WE WERE MOVING WE ONLY MOVED EIGHT MILES DOWN THE ROAD USED A TRAILER AND THE TOW GEAR THAT IS ON THE TRUCK. ALSO ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THIS HAPPENED THE STABILITY SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID DISABLED BUT HAS NOT DONE IT SINCE ALSO MY TRUCK IS VERY CLEAN ALWAYS SERVICED ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL AND IS IN VERY VERY GOOD CONDITION

120mo ago
Brakes 1

RUSTED BRAKE LINES

122mo ago
Transmission 1

TAKATA RECALL TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STOPPED. ONLY DRIVES IN FIRST GEAR, HAS 70,000 MILES, HAS BEEN MAINTAINED. WHILE DRIVING ON 128 SOUTH IN DANVERS, MA AT 4:30 THE TRUCK BECAME SLUGGISH, GREW WORSE WITH IN SECONDS CAUSING MY TOP ACCELERATION TO DECREASE TO 20 MPH AT BEST, WAS ABLE TO GET OFF AFTER A MILE AND SPEED DECREASED TO 10 MPH. I LOST ALL GEARS ASIDE FROM FIRST. I HAVE INQUIRED WITH A FEW MECHANICS GETTING MIXED ANSWERS RANGING FROM TOTAL REBUILD TO SOLENOIDS. TRUCK IS DEAD WITH 70,000 MILES.

124mo ago

53 total

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