2005 GMC Savana 1500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2005 GMC Savana 1500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes350.0%
- Airbags116.7%
- Body & structure116.7%
- Tires & wheels116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
FOOT BRAKE IS NOT FUNCTIONING IF PARKED ON A GRADE GREATER THAN 8 DEGREES. AS ALWAYS, FOOT BRAKE ONLY APPLIED AFTER THE GEAR IS SHIFTED ON PARK. I DIDN'T DISCOVER THE FOOT BRAKE IS NOT PROPERLY FUNCTION UNTIL SEVERAL YEARS AFTER PURCHASE. IT SEEMS THE FOOT BRAKE WAS NOT ADJUSTED AT ALL BEFORE THE VEHICLE LEFT THE FACTORY. IF I HAVE THE GEAR SET ON NEUTRAL ON DRIVEWAY, ONLY APPLY THE FOOT BRAKE, VEHICLE ROLLS BY ITSELF. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SAVANA 1500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT CHECKED THE SPARE TIRE. WHILE USING THE JACK, THE SPARE TIRE ONLY CAME DOWN SIX INCHES. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE SPARE TIRE BACK UP AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CABLE WAS CUT TO GET THE SPARE TIRE OFF; IT WAS THEN PLACED IN THE REAR OF THE VAN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED POORLY; THE PEDAL WAS VERY LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT LEFT SENSOR ON THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE HUB ASSEMBLY AND REPLACED THE ROTOR ON THE REAR WHEELS. THE REAR PLATES ON THE REAR WHEELS WERE ALSO RUSTED WHICH CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SAVANA 1500. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE FRONTAL AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SAVANA 1500. WHEN THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, HE FOUND THAT THE SPARE TIRE CABLE WAS CORRODED. THE CABLE WAS CUT TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE. THE REAR BRAKE METAL COVER WAS ALSO CORRODED CAUSING ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS TO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE REAR ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 64,000. UPDATED 1/21/11 *CN UPDATED 04/20/11
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC SAVANA 1500. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT CHECKED THE SPARE TIRE. WHILE USING THE JACK, THE SPARE TIRE ONLY CAME DOWN SIX INCHES. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE SPARE TIRE BACK UP AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CABLE WAS CUT TO GET THE SPARE TIRE OFF; IT WAS THEN PLACED IN THE REAR OF THE VAN. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED POORLY; THE PEDAL WAS VERY LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE BRAKES WORKED FINE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT LEFT SENSOR ON THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE HUB ASSEMBLY AND REPLACED THE ROTOR ON THE REAR WHEELS. THE REAR PLATES ON THE REAR WHEELS WERE ALSO RUSTED WHICH CAUSED BRAKE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .