2009 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 2009 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
- Brakes125.0%
- Fuel system125.0%
- Other / unspecified125.0%
- Suspension125.0%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN TOWING A TRAILER WITH MY 1 TON GM VAN DOWN HILL AND BRAKING THE FRONT END SHAKES ALMOST UNCONTROLLABLY. THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS ABOUT IT AS THEY HAVE IT IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. THEY CLAIM THE BRAKES GET HOT AND TO DOWN SHIFT THE VAN. THEY ALSO SAY FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES AND A CRASH. GM TECH SAYS ON MY REPAIR ORDER THAT WHEN BRAKES GET HOT THEY WILL PULSATE THEN WHEN THEY COOL THEY GO BACK TO NORMAL. PER TAC NO REPAIRS AT THIS TIME CASE [XXX]...[XXX]. ALL 1/2 TON, 3/4 TON, AND 1 TON VANS ARE IN THIS CATEGORY AS NO SPECIFIC MODEL OF SAVANA/EXPRESS WAS MENTIONED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FLAW THEY KNEW ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING AND CHOSE NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
FUEL TANK CORRODES AND LEAKS FUEL ON ROADWAY
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
FLEET VEHICLE I FOR SERVICE THOUGHT TIRE WAS BAD, UNDER CLOSER INSPECTION, WELD FAILED CAUSING RIM TO SPLIT FROM INNER MOUNTING HUB CAUSING 3/-1/2 INCH CRACK AT TIRE BEAD. I HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 22 YEARS I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FAILURE LIKE THIS, I WILL KEEP THE RIM IN CASE YOU WANT IT FOR STUDY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
FLEET VEHICLE I FOR SERVICE THOUGHT TIRE WAS BAD, UNDER CLOSER INSPECTION, WELD FAILED CAUSING RIM TO SPLIT FROM INNER MOUNTING HUB CAUSING 3/-1/2 INCH CRACK AT TIRE BEAD. I HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 22 YEARS I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FAILURE LIKE THIS, I WILL KEEP THE RIM IN CASE YOU WANT IT FOR STUDY.
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 .