2002 GMC Savana 3500 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 2002 GMC Savana 3500, 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
- Engine150.0%
- Tires & wheels150.0%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE NHTSA ISSUED A RECALL ON 2001 CHEVY SILVERADOS WITH 8.1L ENGINES DUE A INTERMITTENT CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FAILURE CAUSING THE TRUCK TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. (SEE RECALL ID# 53021). I OWN A 2002 GMC SAVANNA 3500 VAN WITH A 8.1L ENGINE (THE VAN WAS FACTORY ORDERED BY US IN AUG 2001) THAT HAS EXHIBITED THE SAME STALLING FAILURES FOR MORE THAN 6 MONTHS. THE VAN HAS STALLED MULTIPLE TIMES AT SPEEDS IN EXCEEDS OF 40 MPH. AFTER BRINGING THE VAN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 3/26/08 (AND THEY FINDING NOTHING WRONG WITH IT), I HAVE LOGGED THE FAILURE EVENTS SINCE THEN. THE VAN IS NOT HEAVILY USED (IT HAS JUST OVER 42000 MILES -- WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT 500 MILES/MO.): 5/22/08 STALLED WHILE DECELERATING TO STOPLIGHT 5/23/08 DIFFICULTY STARTING 5/25/08 STALLED WHILE COASTING @ 30 MPH 6/4/08 STALLED WHILE DRIVING (MY WIFE DID NOT RECORD THE MPH) 6/22/08 STALLED AT 35 MPH 6/29/08 STALLED AT STOPLIGHT 7/9/08 STALLED TURNING INTO PARKING LOT 7/13/08 STALLED AT 5 MPH (JUST PRIOR TO A TURN) 7/20/08 STALLED AT 45 MPH 8/8/08 STALLED AT 40 MPH 8/23/08 TROUBLE STARTING I BROUGHT THE VAN INTO THE DEALER ON 8/26/08 AND HAD THEM PERFORM THE SAME WORK AS INDICATED BY THE SILVERADO RECALL. I HAVE PURPOSELY DRIVEN OVER 200 MILES AFTER THIS AND NO FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED. MY QUESTION (AND COMPLAINT) IS WHY WAS THE RECALL FOR THE 8.1L ENGINES NOT EXTENDED TO GMC SAVANNAS EQUIPPED WITH 8.1L ENGINES? HAVING A VAN LOSE ALL POWER AT SPEED IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND I BELIEVE IT IS IMPERATIVE TO EXPAND THE RECALL TO ALL 8.1L ENGINES BUILT IN THE 2001 TIMEFRAME (EVEN IN 2002 MODELS). THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION *TR
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
B F GOODRICH TIRES HAVE DEEP CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALLS AND THE TIRE DEALER SAYS THEY ARE UNSAFE AND COULD FAIL. BFG OFFERED TO PAY 30% FOR NEW ONES. *TR
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 .