2011 Chevrolet Express 1500

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the exterior lighting. It has been recalled 2 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes1
000
Exterior Lighting1
000
Air Bags1
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings11V275000
Filed May 6, 20117,593 vehiclesGeneral Motors Llc

Defect. GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS AND GMC SAVANA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, "PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS." SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A CLEARANCE CONDITION IN WHICH THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE HOSE MAY CONTACT THE TIRE OR WHEEL RIM. IF THE BRAKE HOSE REPEATEDLY CONTACTS THE TIRE OR WHEEL RIM, A HOLE COULD BE WORN IN THE BRAKE HOSE.

Risk. A DAMAGED BRAKE HOSE MAY REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE REAR BRAKES AND INCREASE THE DISTANCE REQUIRED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AN INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCE MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL SECURE THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE HOSE TO ENSURE SUFFICIENT CLEARANCE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 13, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 OR WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

Suspension › Rear › Axle › Spindle11V007000
Filed Jan 6, 201130,566 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, COLORADO, EXPRESS, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; AND GMC CANYON, SIERRA, SAVANA, YUKON AND YUKON XL VEHICLES. THE REAR AXLE CROSS PINS WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND COULD FRACTURE AND BECOME DISPLACED WITHIN THE REAR AXLE. SHOULD THE PIN SHIFT OUT OF POSITION, IT COULD CREATE AN INTERFERENCE CONDITION AND CAUSE THE REAR AXLE TO LOCK.

Risk. THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW REAR AXLE CROSS PIN FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 11, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags
Filed Mar 20, 202080,000 milesOH

MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I INVESTIGATED I FOUND IT WAS PROBABLY RELATED TO THE FRONT AIR BAG SENSORS. WHEN I EXAMINED THE SENSORS I FOUND THAT THE ALUMINUM ALLOY BODY AND THE PLASTIC SHIELD SURROUNDING IT HAD SPLIT WIDE APART WHERE THE STEEL MOUNTING SCREW PASSED THROUGH THE SENSOR HOUSING. BOTH SENSORS HAVE FAILED IN EXACTLY THE SAME MANOR. THE VEHICLE HAS 83,000 MILES ON IT AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY OTHER OF ADVANCED CORROSION ANYWHERE ELSE. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY SEEMED TO HAVE NO INTEREST AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER AND HAVE IT REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE.

Service Brakes
Filed Jan 31, 202087,000 milesOH

WE DEVELOPED A SIGNIFICANT LEAK IN A REAR BRAKE LINE OF OUR VAN. THE LEAK DID NOT LEAD TO A LOSS OF CONTROL, BUT THE BRAKE RESERVOIR WAS NEARLY EMPTY WHEN I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE. THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED BASED ON A LARGE SPOT LEFT ON OUR DRIVEWAY UNDER THE VAN. THE VEHICLE WAS PROBABLY DRIVEN ABOUT 50-100 MILES (ONE TO TWO DAYS) AFTER THE LEAK DEVELOPED BUT BEFORE THE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED AND ADDRESSED. WHILE FIXING THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT THE LEAK WAS DUE TO AN ASSEMBLY ERROR. THE VAN'S FUEL FILLER DOWN-PIPE HAS A WORM-GEAR CLAMP THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY CLOCKED. THIS CAUSED THE CLAMP TO RUB ONE OF THE REAR BRAKE LINES AND WEAR A HOLE IN IT. I SENT TWO PICTURES SHOWING THE CLAMP AND BRAKE LINE AS I DISCOVERED THEM. I ALSO SENT A PICTURE OF THE DAMAGED LINE AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VAN HAD ABOUT 87,000 MILES WHEN THE LEAK DEVELOPED.

Exterior Lighting
Filed May 9, 201912,000 milesTN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 CARGO VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS HAD FAILED ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE HEAD LAMPS EACH TIME. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. *BF CONSUMER STATED SEALED BEAM LAMPS ON BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED MULITPLE TIMES. VIN IS INVALID. *JB

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2003
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
201410010Routine
20122000Routine
2011 — this page3200Routine
20104000Routine
20095000Routine
20089000Routine
20075111Fatalities reported
20065000Routine
200510100Routine
200412110Routine
200318120Routine
200210100Routine
20015100Routine
20006100Routine
19994100Routine
19964000Routine

Compare every Express 1500 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: May 6, 2011. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.