Problems · by component

2002 GMC Envoy electrical system problems

86 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2002 GMC Envoy cite electrical system, 15% of all 570 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
86
15% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“SEVERE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN VEHICLE,EVERYTHING STOPPED WORKING ON IT!!!! VEHICLE SHUT DOWN IN A MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION, I REPLACED TRANSMISSION 2 TIMES AS WELL!!!!HAD NO LIGHTS,TURNING SIGNALS,NO HEAT HEAT THEN THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED COMPLETELY NOTHING JUST DEAD!!! HAD BATTERY CHECKED WASNT THAT!!!! THEY TOLD ME ELECTRICAL ISSUES NOT SURE WHAT ONLY HAD VEHICLE 3 MONTHS!!! I HAD HAD 2004 TRAILER BLAZER BEFORE THIS SAME ISSUES!!!! ONLY HAD IT 2 MONTHS AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT PD THAT THEN ONCE AGAIN ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS!!!!!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 10, 2020Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc), EngineODI 11298334
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC ENVOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 313,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 10, 2020Electrical systemODI 11298480
“MY RIGHT WINDOW PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP SO I TOOK IT TO A SHOP. HE TOOK THE PIECE WHERE I CONTROL THE WINDOW OFF AND IT HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. IT WAS ALL MELTED & CORRODED I HAVE PICTURES”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2020Electrical systemODI 11297093
“I BEGAN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH MY HEADLIGHTS, LOW AND HIGH BEAMS, FLICKERING OFF AND ON AT RANDOM FOR ABOUT 4 MONTHS UNTIL MY BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED TO DO THE EXACT SAME 7 MONTHS AGO AND NOW THEY HAVE QUIT WORKING ALL TOGETHER! I HAVE TAKEN THIS SUV TO 4 DIFFERENT SHOPS NOW, AND NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. THE LAST MECHANIC WHO ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE ISSUE, SAYS HE FOUND AN OLDER RECALL ON THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURED TAG LIGHTS BEING MALFUNCTIONED TO THE POINT IT CAUSES ISSUES WITH THE FRONT AND BACK LIGHTS. THE MAN SHOWN ME THE INFORMATION ON THIS RECALL, SEEING THE PART # IS LISTED ON THERE, I COMPARED IT TO MINE AND A NEIGHBOR'S 2002 ENVOY; WHICH BOTH OF OUR ENVOYS HAVE THESE MALFUNCTIONED PARTS. GM HAS NOT CONTACTED US BACK, AND WE'RE AT A LOSS BECAUSE IT'S A PART NEEDED FROM THEM DIRECTLY. WE HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY ENVOY OWNERS ON A WEB FORUM, AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS MAYBE THOUSANDS OF ENVOYS OUT THERE WITH THESE SAME ISSUES, CAUSING ACCIDENTS ON THE ROAD WAY TOO OFTEN! IT'S DANGEROUS, AND NOBODY WILL HELP WITH THIS IRRITATING ISSUE!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 29, 2019Electrical system, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11228332
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 GMC ENVOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DRAINING THE BATTERY. THE CONTACT HAD REPLACED THE BATTERY SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN GMC DEALER WAS CONTACTED BUT FAILED TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC FEES. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL POSSIBLY NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED AND WAS DONE BY THE PREVIOUS OWNERS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 29, 2018Electrical systemODI 11143787
“1: PASSENGER SEAT BELT LIKES TO SUFFOCATE MY PASSENGERS UNTIL THEY RELEASE RHE SEAT BELT AND REBUCKLE. 2: BOTH DIM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT, CHECKED RELAYS, FUSES, AND BULBS NOTHING HAS WORKED. THEN FOUND OUT MY 2 BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT ALONG WITH THE DIMS AND NOT SURE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 29, 2018Electrical system, Seat beltsODI 11081958

Showing 6 of 86 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Electrical system: interior

Free remedy

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS NO. 101, "CONTROL LOCATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND ILLUMINATION" AND NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN INTERMITTENT CONDITION DURING VEHICLE START-UP IN WHICH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER MAY NOT PROPERLY POWER UP, RESULTING IN MOST OF THE DISPLAYS, TELLTALE LIGHTS, AND FUNCTIONS (EXCEPT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER BACKLIGHTING) BEING INOPERATIVE.

Electrical systemReported Mar 19, 2003NHTSA 03V096000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.