Problems · NHTSA complaints

2003 GMC Envoy problems

Owners filed 642 complaints about the 2003 GMC Envoy with NHTSA between Sep 2002 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (136).

Complaints
642
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
54
Reported by owners
Fires
11
Reported by owners
Injuries
65
People reported injured
Deaths
5
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system136
  2. Fuel system, gasoline116
  3. Visibility59
  4. Structure56
  5. Power train56
  6. Air bags51
  7. Fuel/propulsion system44
  8. Exterior lighting44
  9. Engine and engine cooling37
  10. Suspension26
  11. Latches/locks/linkages26
  12. Steering21
  13. Vehicle speed control18
  14. Engine17

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20023
200345
200455
200549
200647
200758
200842
200939
201047
201140
201227
201330
201444
201536
201623
201712
201816
20199
20208
20213
20220
20231
20242
20252
20264

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

136 reports3 crashes6 fires
“The contact owns a 2003 GMC Envoy. The contact stated that while in drive(D), the vehicle shut off and then restarted. The message “Service Engine Soon” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who installed the original instrument cluster, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 12, 2026Electrical system, EngineODI 11723763

Fuel system, gasoline

116 reports1 crash1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC ENVOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A STRONG FUEL ODOR EMITTED INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE CONTINUOUSLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THE MANUFACTURER CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM RELATED TO THE FUEL TANK INLET VALVE REPLACEMENT. THE REMEDY PART NEEDED TO PERFORM THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. ON NOVEMBER 23, 2015. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,292. UPDATED 07/05/16 *BF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 10, 2016Fuel system, gasoline, EngineODI 10864094

Visibility

59 reports1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC ENVOY. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BECAME INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDOW SWITCHES ALSO BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 30, 2015Electrical system, VisibilityODI 10745126

Structure

56 reports2 crashes
“I bought a 2003 GMC Envoy 3/23/24. The main frame and sub-frame have extensive rot, and is unsafe to drive. It is available to inspect. They disguised frame damage and sold me an unsafe vehicle. I brought the car in to have the ac repaired in August 2024 and when they put it up on the lift that's when they saw the damage. This was Rogers Automotive in Westport MA. They told me at that time that it is unsafe to drive. It has not been inspected by any other parties at this time. We had no idea it was damaged, Rogers said it was sprayed to try to hide the damage.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 19, 2024StructureODI 11615468

Power train

56 reports2 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“SHIFT CABLE BROKE BETWEEN THE SHIFTER AND THE TRANSMISSION WHILE SHIFTING FROM DRIVE TO REVERSE TO PARK ON A STREET. IF THIS HAD HAPPEN WHILE SHIFTING DOWN GEAR TO LOWER SPEED WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL, A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE HAPPEN THAT WOULD HAVE LED TO A CRASH WITH EXTREME PROPERTY DAMAGE AND MOST LIKELY DRIVER AND PASSENGER INJURY AND POSSIBLE DEATH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO OURISMAN CHEVROLET IN MARLOW HEIGHTS MARYLAND FOR REPAIR AFTER THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER MANUALLY SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION INTO DRIVE FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR THE TOW DRIVER TO DO IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN FACING DOWN HILL OR IN A HEAVY TRAFFIC SITUATION. FOR SOME REASON, HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE STILL HASN'T BEEN REPAIRED NOR HAVE I'VE BEEN GIVEN A REASON AS TO WHY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2020Power trainODI 11340869

Air bags

51 reports36 crashes2 fires2 related recalls
“MY WIFE WAS SITTING IN THE BACKSEAT AND THE BACK DOOR FLEW OPEN ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THE OTHER BACK DOOR IS NOT CLICKING SHUT AND THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 11, 2020Air bags, StructureODI 11324152
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

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