RoadVitals

2018 Chevrolet Express

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Jan 8, 2025
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
6
Latest Feb 25, 2021
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Chevrolet Express, most frequently naming the electrical, powertrain (other) and brakes categories. 6 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 995 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical323.1%
  • Powertrain (other)323.1%
  • Brakes215.4%
  • Transmission17.7%
  • Body & structure17.7%
  • Visibility17.7%
  • Steering17.7%
  • Suspension17.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

6 campaigns cover this model year

View all 6

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
21V115000

TIRES

Feb 25, 2021
33,838 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
The risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N212329050View on NHTSA.gov
19V428000

EQUIPMENT

Jun 11, 2019
325 units potentially affected
The defect: Unicell Body Company Inc. (Unicell) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savanna, 2018-2019 Hino 155, Ford Econoline and Transit and Isuzu NPR, and 2018 Ram ProMaster-based vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager monitors used to display the back-up camera image. The affected monitors may revert back to the factory default settings which may cause the camera image to be reversed.
The risk: The driver may inadvertently turn the wrong direction to avoid an object behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Unicell will work with ASA Electronics to notify owners and offer a remedy, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact ASA Electronics customer service 1-800-384-4400 or Unicell at 1-716-853-8628.
Unicell Body Company Inc.View on NHTSA.gov
19V387000

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

May 23, 2019
1,159 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles. One or both of the rear-quarter windows may be tempered glass instead of laminated glass. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
The risk: Tempered glass increases the risk of injury in the event of a side impact or rollover crash.
The remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tempered glass windows with laminated glass windows, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N192218960.
General Motors LLCManufacturer number N192218960View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 11
Electrical
Filed Jan 8, 2025

While travelling down the road the "service Stabilitrak" and "service traction control" messages come on in the Driver Information Center and the lights for each component are lit in the dashboard. On occasion, the emergency brake light comes when I know the emergency brake is off. My safety is at risk because I'm not sure if the lights are indicating a problem or if the lights are malfunctioning as they come on every time I take a trip in this vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by three different Chevrolet dealers, one of them three times and no fix has solved the problem. The dealers confirm the problem, but cannot find the solution. Chevrolet headquarters is well aware of the issue and have paid toward some of the dealer charges. The issue has been going since I purchased the vehicle in 2019.

NHTSA ID
11634944
Incident
Nov 20, 2019
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 24, 2024

The transmission started to fail at around 65k miles. There were no warning signs, it just began shifting hard and then began slipping. It was taken to a transmission shop and the fluids were replaced, but this did not change anything. It was at this time we were told the transmission would need to be replaced, but they had no means to obtain a replacement. It has been over two years since the problems started and the transmission is still in the vehicle and we drive it daily. It continues to slip going up through the gears and progressively gets worse during the day. By the end of the day you cannot pull out in front of anyone for fear of it slipping and not grabbing the next gear. This is an obvious danger to us and other drivers around us. The problem has been evaluated by the Chevrolet dealer and two other independent shops. The fluids have been changed but this did not help. Only the dealer has been able to provide a solution which is to replace the transmission. This was quoted to cost $11,000. Due to this high price and no alternative options, we've continued to drive the vehicle as safely as possible.

NHTSA ID
11604194
Incident
Jun 1, 2024
Powertrain (other)Steering
Filed Jun 18, 2024

when the vehicle approaches 45-50 mph on the highway, the car begins to shake violently, where it feels like the body/frame of the vehicle is going to separate from the car. the only way to resolve/reset this is to bring the vehicle to an almost complete stop and then re-accelerate. when this happens on the highway everyone violently shakes in the vehicle, and it is difficult to quickly bring the car to a halt as other cars are traveling at highway speeds behind the vehicle. this has been taken to the dealership multiple times over the years with no resolution.

NHTSA ID
11595186
Incident
Apr 9, 2024
Body & structurePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 9, 2023

Since purchasing this vehicle in 2018 we have had an ongoing issue of the car randomly going into a violent shaking when exceeding speeds of about 60mph, it happens without warning, and other than coming to an almost standstill, it is impossible to recover the vehicle. This is extremely dangerous on the freeway. Have taken the vehicle to Chevrolet dealership multiple times without any resolution. They would charge us for an alignment and this never fixed the problem. This continues to be an ongoing issue, and now having researched it on the internet, I am reading this is not a unique experience by Chevrolet/GM truck owners.

NHTSA ID
11516209
Incident
Apr 9, 2023
ElectricalVisibility
Filed Jan 14, 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the defroster would intermittently fail to operate as needed. The contact mentioned that the defroster might start working when driving over a pothole or an obstruction in the road. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). The contact also discovered that the rear window was made out of tempered glass which failed to comply with FMVSS standards; she was also able to link that failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V387000 (Visibility). The manufacturer was notified of both failures and informed her that the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System) was already performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer also informed her that the VIN was no longer included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). The contact was also referred to the dealer, but they offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID
11447540
Incident
Sep 1, 2021
Mileage
60,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Oct 7, 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the gear shifter would shake when shifting gears. Over time, the shifter cable fractured without warning. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where he was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contact disputed the diagnosis and notified the manufacturer of the failure. The manufacturer initially agreed to repair the gear shifter under warranty; however, they later informed him that they would only cover 10% of the cost for the repair. The contact was provided with a case number. The contact then had the vehicle towed to Ourisman Chevrolet Buick GMC of Alexandria (1800 Old Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22303) where he was charged for the repair to the shifter cable. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID
11435920
Incident
May 1, 2021
Mileage
70,000 mi
Electrical
Filed May 26, 2021
Fire reported

Unknown, electrical fire from inside passenger door, no external heat source, and heat source seems to be from inside the door. Vehicle was parked while fire occurred.

NHTSA ID
11418581
Incident
May 24, 2021
Brakes
Filed Nov 22, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN 2500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKING SYSTEM ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP ABRUPTLY. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PURAFOY CHEVROLET (601 DENVER AVE, FORT LUPTON, CO) WHO REPROGRAMMED THE BRAKE MODULE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,200.

NHTSA ID
11281820
Incident
Jan 1, 2019
Mileage
7,200 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIT5099J

PI to help diagnose A/C concern

PIT6247B

This Preliminary information communicates direction to find information at www.gmupfitter.com for Police and Special Service Vehicles.

PIT3271Q

This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

PIP4902V

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIP6104

This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.

PIT6400A

This PI Communications information on an alternative product dealers can use to perform 19-NA-255: Wax Coating on Frame Peeling, Metal Shows Corrosion/Rusting due to issue with getting product from current supplier listed in the bulletin.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Express by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026030—
2025040—
2024100—
2023210—
2022410—
2021132055.4
2020161052.5
2019840—
2018Viewing116048.4
2017206047.6
2016156052.0
2015831—
2014147048.6
2013228046.1
2012136064.6
2011125054.4
2010155053.7
2009107049.4
20081410040.9
2007174057.5
20061216067.9
2005239063.5
2004217156.6
20035811264.3
2002550137.1
2001452152.7
2000841144.5
1999682044.7
1998232046.4
1997292049.8
1996153055.0
1995100—
1994000—
1993000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.