BuickTerraza EXT2006Overview/buick/terraza-ext/2006/base/

2006 Buick Terraza EXT

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2006 Terraza EXT.

Body VANTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2006 Buick Terraza EXT is a van paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, carrying EPA fuel-economy ratings of 15/21/17 mpg and calling for 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil in routine service. This model year generated 54 owner complaints and 3 recalls, with structure standing out as the top reported concern. That profile makes structural integrity the defining issue of this model year's reliability record, meaning researchers should weigh structural condition and recall completion heavily when evaluating any remaining examples.

Model year200720062005

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy15/21/17 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 34 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory cabin air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 34 · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP225-60R17OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175 alt 12731179
Engine air filter10354942
Spark plug12681662 alt 12681664
Battery88866304
Front wiper blades15192144 alt 15192143
Serpentine belt12578274 alt 12571918
Thermostat24507563 alt 12591881
Cabin air filter10322538 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length205.1 in
Overall width72 in
Overall height72 in
Wheelbase121.3 in
Curb weight4427 lb
Track (front / rear)63 / 63 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)56/44

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined15 / 21 / 17 mpg
Drivetrain4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, VERSATRAK PART NUMBER: 1238514 OR EQUIVALENT in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 19.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.4
Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.8
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilVERSATRAK PART NUMBER: 1238514 OR EQUIVALENT
Differential Gear Oil Capacity4.0 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts118 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine BoltsUpper: 18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug19.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.34 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug24.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug21.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAc Delco
Spark Plug Gap.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug TypeAC 41-101

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Standard BCI Group Number34
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number34
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)55-60
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 @ 70 degreesF ohms

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket40 ft-lbs / 25 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle137 ft-lbs / 96 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.27 in / 0.492 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.27 in / 0.492 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.224 in / 0.425 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
192 ft. lbs., step 2: 13092 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat new bolts with fresh engine oil

144.0 ft. lbs.44 ft. lbs
2140 degrees140 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 miExhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2006 Buick Terraza EXT top in one area — the structure, 7 of 54 reports (13%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 3 recall campaigns target the structure, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 4 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the structure pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
698
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
54
Owner complaints
4 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 54 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Structure7
Suspension4
Steering4
Electronic Stability Control (Esc),Service Brakes3
Electrical System3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)2
Equipment2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09E005000SteeringReported 17/02/2009

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE… Remedy: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009…

10V110000Suspension:RearReported 19/03/2010

THE BRAUN CORPORATION HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA ABOUT A DEFECT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 GENERAL MOTORS MOBILITY CONVERSION, HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE LOW FLOOR MINIVANS. DURING CONVERSION, THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND WILL HAVE A SUPPLY OF RETROFIT PARTS AVAILABLE TO REMEDY THE VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 4, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BRAUN AT…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 698 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3532C2026-01-30Unknown Or OtherThis PI directs technician to training regarding sliding door operation.
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R2025-05-30Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Terraza EXT. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2006 Terraza EXT take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2006 Terraza EXT have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Terraza EXT get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 21 highway / 17 combined mpg.