2001 GMC Savana

Routine

Owners filed 19 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic › foundation components › disc › rotor. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor2
000
Air Bags2
000
Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered Axle Assembly1
000
Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate › Hinge and Attachments1
000
Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Cooling Unit and Lines1
004
Power Train › Automatic Transmission1
000
Other › School Bus Stop Arm Assembly1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Jul 24, 2025MN

I don't know sometimes wrong with the electrical issue before I got to dive into it I had got some damages from death or vandalism

Air Bags
Filed Jun 20, 2012144,000 milesMI

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 GMC SAVANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED AND ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

Other › School Bus Stop Arm Assembly
Filed Nov 7, 20068,708 milesFL

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE DOOR ON THE SCHOOL BUS WAS OPENED, THE STOP SIGN ARM DID NOT DEPLOY AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

Exterior Lighting › Brake Lights
Filed May 1, 200654,000 milesNC

SINCE YOU JUST ISSUED THE RECALL ON GM PICKUP TRUCKS, I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY GMC SAVANA 15-SEATER 2001 VAN. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2001. IT NOW HAS AROUND 56,000 MILES ON IT. PROBLEM: SOMETIMES THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON, IN WHICH CASE THE CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK. SOMETIMES THE FRONT PASSENGER ELECTRIC WINDOW DOESN'T WORK DURING THESE TIMES. I LEARNED ABOUT THE RECALL FROM MSNBC, READING THE NEWS ONLINE. SINCE YOU DIDN'T HAVE "INTERNET" ON YOUR REFERRAL SOURCE CHOICES, I SAID "NEWSPAPER" AS BEING THE CLOSEST THING. *JB

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Mar 23, 200680,000 milesFL

THE REAR LEFT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, THE LATCH IS BROKEN. I OWN THREE GMC VANS ALL OF WHICH THE LEFT REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN. *NM

Air Bags
Filed Apr 21, 200547,796 milesMI

PURCHASED 2001 GMC SAVANNA 2500 VAN ON 3-31-05 ( NO WARRANTY); NOTICED "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT AND AIR BAG LIGHT WERE ON. HAD VAN SERVICED ON 4-6-05. MECHANIC CLEARED UP ALL PROBLEMS EXCEPT THE SCAN TOOL COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE AIR BAG MODULE. WHEN THE MECHANIC STARTED THE ENGINE BACK UP, THE ENGINE WAS ON FOR APPROX. 5 - 10 SECONDS, AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WENT OFF! LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SITTING THERE AT THE TIME. *NM

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 13, 200520,000 milesCA

ENGINES STALLS FREQUENTLY. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.*AK

Fuel System, Diesel
Filed Nov 12, 200465,779 milesVA

NO WARNING FAILURE OF STANADYNE PN [XXX] (GM NUMBER) OR MFG #[XXX]. VEHICLE IS 2001 GMC VAN [XXX]. THE FUEL SOLENOID DRIVER (FSD) IS LOCATED ON THE INJECTOR PUMP AND IS USED TO DRIVE THE FUEL SYSTEM. ITS FAILURE IS CAUSE BY HEAT OR LACK OF COOLING OF THE TWO 500 WATT TRANSISTORS. FAILURE IS ABRUPT WITH OUT WARNING AND CAUSES LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL DUE TO STALLING. AFTER COOL DOWN VEHICLE CAN BE RESTARTED. FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED 5/22/2003 AT 39630 MILES AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER CLAIM NUMBER 1-105619528. THE SECOND FAILURE (OF THE REPLACED PART) OCCURRED AT 65779 MILES AND WAS NOTED IN REPAIR TICKET 1-273605803. THE UNIT WAS NOT REPAIRED BY GM BUT WAS REPLACED BY THE OWNER (ME). THE PART DID NOT FAIL AT DEALER WHO ONLY DROVE THE VEHICLE 8 MILES. STALLING OF VEHICLE CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL SINCE THE DIESEL MOTOR DRIVES THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. PART FAILURE DOES NOT SET ANY COMPUTER CODES READABLE AT DTC11 CONNECTOR. BASED ON INTERNET INVESTIGATION USING FSD FAILURE AND GM IN THE GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE, MANY REPAIR SOLUTIONS ARE RECOMMENDED. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM SINCE GM ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION, G00064D IN MAY 2003. ORIGINAL PART IS AVAILABLE. REPLACEMENT PART (THE SECOND FAILURE) IS AVAILABLE. *JB UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Nov 9, 200450,000 milesOH

BOTH CABLES TO THE LIFTGATE BROKE DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE TRUCK WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL.*AK *TC

Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and Attachments
Filed Sep 14, 2004MI

WHILE OPENING THE MIDDLE DOOR TO THE MINI VAN THE DOOR SHEARED OFF . THE DOOR IS HANG OFF BY THE HINGES. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ON RECALL AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Aug 16, 2004RI

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE PEELED AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWAY AND THE SWAY BAR TO BREAK. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE PASSENGER TIRES RUBBER PEELED AWAY FROM THE STEEL BELT. AS THE RUBBER WAS PEELING FROM THE TIRE, IT WAS HITTING THE SIDES OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING NUMEROUS SCRATCHES AND RUBBER MARKS AS WELL AS BREAKING PIECES OFF OF THE REAR PANEL. *AK *SC *JB

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jan 2, 2004NY

TROUBLE STARTING: TURN KEY, VEHICLE TURNS OVER FINE,THAN SHUTS OFF. BEEN TO DEALER SIX TIMES THEY CAN NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. AT FIRST THEY (DEALER) THOUGHT IT WAS THE KEY. ISSUED NEW KEY OEM. STILL PROBLEM EXSISTED.WHAT WE DO NOW WE FLIP THE KEY AND TRY TO START VEHICLE AND SOMETIMES IT WILL START.THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN BUT WHEN IT DOES IT'S FRUSTRATING. THE MOST RECENT PROBLEM HAPPENED BEFORE THE NEW YEAR 2004. BUT THIS TIME IT WAS BEING DRIVEN.THE LOSS OF ALL POWER IS SCARY BUT ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. GMC WHY CAN'T YOU FIGURE THIS PROBLEM OUT.*AK

Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear
Filed Oct 24, 2003IN

THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 GMC SAVANNA. THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS VIBRATE SO BADLY THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM DURING THE DAY SEEING THE CORRECT IMAGES. AT NIGHT THE PROBLEM IS WORSE. I AM CONSTANTLY READJUSTED THE MIRRORS TO TRY TO AVOID "HEADLIGHT FLASH". I HAVE HAD GMC REPLACE THE MIRRORS. WHEN I ASKED FOR A SECOND REPLACEMENT, THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS COMMON AND THAT I "WOULD JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT." I DRIVE THIS VAN APPROXIMATELY 350 HIGHWAY MILES A WEEK. BECAUSE MY FIELD OF VIEW IS SO POOR DUE TO THIS DEFECT, I FEEL THAT MY SAFETY HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. *LA

Suspension › Rear › Axle › Non-powered Axle Assembly
Filed Jun 3, 2003NJ

DEALER HAS REPLACED THE REAR AXLE SET SEAL FOUR TIMES AT 1,000 , 20,000, 55,000 AND 60,000 MILES. DEALER HAS INSPECTED SEVERAL OTHERS, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 16, 2002NJ

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WILL NOT CHANGE GEAR OR WILL HESITATE AND JERK INTO GEAR. CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM.*AK

Electrical System › WiringFire
Filed Jul 30, 2002VA

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 12 HOURS. CONSUMER WAS AWAKENED BY HORN SOUNDING. VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES, FIRE MARSHALL AND INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR STATED FIRE WAS CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL WIRING. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Cooling Unit and Lines4 injured
Filed Jul 12, 2002NV

FUME INHALATION FROM GEAR OIL BURNING. FAMILY BECAME ILL AT TIME OF INCIDENT. GMCWANTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND GIVE ME A 5 YEAR WARRANTY ... NO LIFE INSURANCE MENTIONED. BBB IS BEGINNING ARBITRATION, SINCE WE FEEL THE FUMES ARE UNSAFE AND WANT OUR MONEY BACK. CAN YOU HELP???*AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Feb 7, 2002NJ

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS PULSATION AND VIBRATION UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Mar 13, 2001CA

STEERING WHEEL WAS VIBRATING WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, DEALER FOUND WARPED ROTORS. DEALER ONLY WILLING TO PAY FOR PART, WANTS CONSUMER TO PAY FOR LABOR.*AK

19 of 19 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20260300Routine
20250400Routine
20230200Routine
20222200Routine
20212300Routine
20200200Routine
20195500Routine
20183700Routine
20177600Routine
20166700Routine
20152410Routine
20141700Routine
20132900Routine
20123700Routine
20111500Routine
20103400Routine
20092800Routine
20083700Routine
20076300Routine
20067700Routine
200512500Routine
200412710Routine
2003221110Routine
200212000Routine
2001 — this page19010Routine
200049220Routine
199949200Routine
199833210Routine
199746230Routine
199635300Routine
19952000Routine
19941000Routine

Compare every Savana 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.