IllustrationFUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING CORRECT RAN OUT OF GAS. *TR
2005 GMC Envoy
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Envoy years
Owner complaints for the 2005 GMC Envoy are substantially higher than the model-year median of 22.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Envoy years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
280–25K
5925–50K
8750–75K
10775–100K
88100–150K
16150K+
385 reports with mileage · 103 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 183 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 164 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
27 crash reports14 fire reports22 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
164 reportsDEFECTIVE FUEL GAUGE THAT SWINGS BETWEEN FULL AND EMPTY - THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST REQUIRED A REPLACEMENT OF THE IN TANK SENDING UNIT. *TR
WHEN I FILL IT COMPLETELY FULL WITH GAS ON MY 2005 ENVOY IT SAYS THAT ITS EMPTY. I HAVE TO DRIVE ALMOST 50 MILES OR MORE FOR IT TO REGISTER RIGHT. ALSO ONE TIME WHEN I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING STALL IT JUST QUIT NOT VERY SAFE I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. *TR
IN REFERENCE TO DP10-001. I HAVE A 2005 GMC ENVOY THAT HAS AN ERRATIC GAS GAUGE AS WELL. AFTER RE-FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE GAUGE WILL GO TO EMPTY AND ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY TANK WARNING LIGHT. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 20 MILES, THE GAUGE WILL RETURN TO THE FULL POSITION, BUT WILL FLUCTUATE OCCASIONALLY. I HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED…
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IN REFERENCE TO DP10-001. I HAVE A 2005 GMC ENVOY THAT HAS AN ERRATIC GAS GAUGE AS WELL. AFTER RE-FUELING THE VEHICLE, THE GAUGE WILL GO TO EMPTY AND ILLUMINATE THE EMPTY TANK WARNING LIGHT. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 20 MILES, THE GAUGE WILL RETURN TO THE FULL POSITION, BUT WILL FLUCTUATE OCCASIONALLY. I HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AS POSSIBLE FAULTY SENDING UNIT, FAULTY GAUGE AND FAULTY SENSORS ON THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. *TR
THE GAS GAUGE STOPPED WORKING AND SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS ON EMPTY. THE "LOW FUEL' INDICATOR ON THE DASH WILL BLINK RANDOMLY AND "DING" TO DRAW MY ATTENTION TO IT. THE GAS CAP WAS REPLACED A WEEK LATER BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. IT CONTINUES TO READ "EMPTY." SINCE THEN THE SPEEDOMETER HAS ALSO STOPPED WORKING…
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THE GAS GAUGE STOPPED WORKING AND SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE IS ON EMPTY. THE "LOW FUEL' INDICATOR ON THE DASH WILL BLINK RANDOMLY AND "DING" TO DRAW MY ATTENTION TO IT. THE GAS CAP WAS REPLACED A WEEK LATER BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. IT CONTINUES TO READ "EMPTY." SINCE THEN THE SPEEDOMETER HAS ALSO STOPPED WORKING. THE SPEEDOMETER HAND HAS COMPLETELY DROPPED BELOW THE 120 MPH MARK, ALTHOUGH FOR A FEW WEEKS IT WOULD REGISTER THAT I WAS DRIVING MUCH FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC AROUND ME. MOREOVER, IT WOULD REGISTER 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED. YET, IT HAS SINCE STOPPED WORKING ALTOGETHER. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO RECENTLY STALLED IN REVERSE AND SEVERAL TIMES HAS SURGED/ACCELERATED QUICKLY WHEN I AM DRIVING SLOWLY AND PUSH THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE LOCAL GMC DEALERSHIP AND HAVE CALLED THE NATIONAL GMC DEALER TO DOCUMENT MY COMPLAINT(S). *TR
MY 2005 GMC ENVOY GAS GAUGE BEGAN TO BECOME ERRATIC IN NOVEMBER OF 09. AT THAT TIME IT WOULD WORK SOME TIMES AND NOT OTHERS. AFTER A FEW WEEKS IT STOPPED WORKING IN ANY MANNER AND CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN, CAUSING THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR TO GO ON AND OFF. THIS OCCURS EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS JUST BEEN FILLED WITH GAS …
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MY 2005 GMC ENVOY GAS GAUGE BEGAN TO BECOME ERRATIC IN NOVEMBER OF 09. AT THAT TIME IT WOULD WORK SOME TIMES AND NOT OTHERS. AFTER A FEW WEEKS IT STOPPED WORKING IN ANY MANNER AND CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN, CAUSING THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR TO GO ON AND OFF. THIS OCCURS EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS JUST BEEN FILLED WITH GAS AND THE GAS CAP TIGHTENED. THE ONLY WAY TO MONITOR GAS AT THIS TIME IS THROUGH TRACKING MILEAGE. VEHICLE WILL RANDOMLY STALL WHEN IDLE. THE STALLING IS NOTED TO BE OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY THE LONGER THIS GOES UNREPAIRED. STALLING AT LIGHTS, IN PARKING LOTS AND WHILE BACKING UP PUTS US AT RISK OF BEING HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. ALSO THE INABILITY TO ACCURATELY MONITOR THE AMOUNT OF GAS IN THE VEHICLE PUTS MYSELF AND MY FAMILY AT RISK OF BEING STRANDED WHILE TRAVELING. THE ONLY OTHER PERSON I KNOW WITH THIS SAME MAKE AND MODEL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. CORRECTION IS REPLACEMENT OF THE PART WHICH IS BETWEEN $600 AND $800. *TW
FUEL GAUGE ISSUES *CN
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR, WHEN FILLING TANK, GAUGE GOES TO EMPTY, FUEL GAUGE IS UNRELIABLE, I'M AFRAID OF RUNNING OUT OF GAS ON THE FREEWAY IN TRAFFIC. *TR
NEVER HAD FUEL GAUGE PROBLEMS BEFORE, FILLED MY TANK, DROVE AWAY FROM GAS STATION AND WITHIN ONE MILE, THE FUEL BELL WENT OFF AND THE WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON. WENT BACK TO GAS STATION THINKING I HAD BEEN RIPPED OFF, BUT OWNER SHOWED ME ON GAS PUMP THAT IT HAD PUMPED $60 WORTH OF GAS. NOW THE FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T WORK AT ALL, THE…
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NEVER HAD FUEL GAUGE PROBLEMS BEFORE, FILLED MY TANK, DROVE AWAY FROM GAS STATION AND WITHIN ONE MILE, THE FUEL BELL WENT OFF AND THE WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON. WENT BACK TO GAS STATION THINKING I HAD BEEN RIPPED OFF, BUT OWNER SHOWED ME ON GAS PUMP THAT IT HAD PUMPED $60 WORTH OF GAS. NOW THE FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T WORK AT ALL, THE WARNING LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. I'VE BEEN GIVEN QUOTES TO FIX IT RANGING FROM $400 TO $600. WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS, GM SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND FIX FOR EVERYONE FREE. *TR
2005 GMC ENVOY GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK. CAR HAD 42000 MILES WHEN IT QUIT. CAR NOW HAS 50200 MILES ON IT. GAS GAUGE READS EMPTY AND SOMETIMES WILL FLOAT JUST ABOVE EMPTY EVEN WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS. CAR HAS LEFT FAMILY ALONG SIDE ROAD WHILE WAITING FOR HELP. SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THERE IS THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. *…
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2005 GMC ENVOY GAS GAUGE DOES NOT WORK. CAR HAD 42000 MILES WHEN IT QUIT. CAR NOW HAS 50200 MILES ON IT. GAS GAUGE READS EMPTY AND SOMETIMES WILL FLOAT JUST ABOVE EMPTY EVEN WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS. CAR HAS LEFT FAMILY ALONG SIDE ROAD WHILE WAITING FOR HELP. SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THERE IS THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. *TR UPDATED 02/01/10 *BF UPDATED 02/02/10.*JB
Official recalls
206V417000 · Air Bags:frontal
Oct 31, 2006
CERTAIN VEHICLES ORIGINALLY BUILT WITH CLOTH SEATS THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC AIR BAG PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM AND LATER REUPHOLSTERED WITH AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT COVER KITS ARE INVOLVED. TESTING HAS INDICATED THAT THE AFTERMARKET LEATHER SEAT COVERS CAN CAUSE THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS, THE FRONT AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE MAY BE DISABLED WHEN IT SHOULD BE ENABLED, OR ENABLED WHEN IT SHOULD BE DISABLED. IN EITHER CASE, IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH THAT REQUIRES AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, A FRONT PASSENGER'S LEVEL OF INJURY MAY BE INCREASED.
Remedy: BECAUSE A REPLACEMENT LEATHER SEAT COVER THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE PASSENGER SENSING SYSTEM IS NOT AVAILABLE, GENERAL MOTORS (GM) WILL REPURCHASE THESE VEHICLES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS STATED IN GM'S LETTER TO OWNERS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 6, 2006. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT GM AT 1-877-477-1022 TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REPURCHASING THEIR VEHICLE.
05V035000 · Visibility:windshield
Feb 3, 2005
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 212, 'WINDSHIELD MOUNTING.' THE WINDSHIELD URETHANE BEAD MAY NOT HAVE ADHERED TO THE BODY IN CERTAIN AREAS DURING THE CURE PROCESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A CRASH OCCURS, THE WINDSHIELD MAY NOT BE RETAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 10, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2RQ17002 · Loss Of Headlights
Opened Apr 24, 2017 · Closed Mar 29, 2021
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:headlights
The subject vehicles are model year (MY) 2002-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2003-2008 Isuzu Ascender, 2005-2009 Saab 9-7X, 2002-2004 Oldsmobile Bravada, 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR, 2005-2009 Buick Lacrosse, and 2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. This scope includes the Trailblazer/Envoy variants: 2002-2006 Envoy XL/Trailblazer EXT and 2004-2005 Envoy XUV. The original scope of this investigation was expanded to include all vehicles equipped with the subject Headlight Driver Module (HDM). The focus of the investigation was to determine whether actions performed by General Motors adequately addressed any unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in the subject vehicles concerning the headlights and the HDM that controls them.Under normal electrical load and environmental conditions, the HDM can overheat inside the Underhood Electrical Center (UEC). This can cause the module to fail and result in a simultaneous loss of both low beam headlights and both daytime running lights (DRLs), often with no warning or prior detectability to the driver. This failure can be intermittent or permanent. No other exterior lights are affected. High beams, turn signals, brake lights, and reverse lights are still operational.General Motors addressed this issue with 2 recalls (14V755 & 15V519) and a special coverage program (N172091910). In view of the recalls and special coverage program implemented by GM and the vehicle high beams continuing to operate, ODI has tentatively concluded that the actions taken by GM mitigate any unreasonable risk to safety posed by HDM failure in the subject vehicles.Accordingly, the investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI reports cited above are available for review online at NHTSA.gov under the identification numbers in the attached document.
DP10001 · Fuel Level Gauge System Failure
Opened Jan 7, 2010 · Closed May 23, 2011
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Other; Fuel System, Other:storage:fuel Gauge System
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, and Saab 9-7x vehicles.Of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.Of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. One complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.Summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Fuel System, Other
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, and Saab 9-7x vehicles.Of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.Of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. One complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.Summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.
Fuel System, Other:storage:fuel Gauge System
The Office of Defects Investigation has received 668 complaints alleging inaccurate fuel gauge reading while driving in model year 2005-07 Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Buick Rainier, and Saab 9-7x vehicles.Of the 668 complaints, 58 incidents were alleged to result in a vehicle stall.Of the 58 stalling incidents, 43 complaints reported stalling because the fuel level reading indicated more fuel availability than what is actually in the fuel tank. One complaint alleged a vehicle crash after the vehicle stalled while exiting the interstate, became disabled, and was struck from behind.Summarily, the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with most complaints received within the past year.A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect.