IllustrationI was involved in a company car wreck on July 23 2026 I got hurt the airbags didn't deploy at all
2017 GMC Savana
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Savana 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
Limited mileage data: 3 of 7 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seat Belts. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
7 reportsThe contact owns a 2017 GMC Savana. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replace…
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The contact owns a 2017 GMC Savana. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The ABS Control Unit is faulty for the second time on this vehicle, with only 28,174 miles on it. The first time was 11/09/20 at 24,156 miles.
My airbag light will come on randomly . I had it scanned and its coming up as a DTC .
Have taken it to the GMC dealership over seven times with same issue. They refuse to fix problem due to not being able to replicate it. Losing steering and braking issue is getting worse. This is a LARGE HEAVY TRUCK and GM refuses to help fix. This is very disturbing. Has to be something in the drive train.
I HAVE PURCHASED A CONVERSION VAN THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY AN AFTERMARKET UPFITTER BUT SOLD AS NEW ON A FRANCHISED GMC DEALERSHIP LOT. THE VAN CARRIES TWO PLACARDS WITH CONFLICTING GVWR INFORMATION. THESE VANS ARE BEING MODIFIED IN MASS QUANTITIES. THE REAR SPRINGS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO SOFTEN THE RIDE BUT ARE INADEQUATE TO SUPP…
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I HAVE PURCHASED A CONVERSION VAN THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY AN AFTERMARKET UPFITTER BUT SOLD AS NEW ON A FRANCHISED GMC DEALERSHIP LOT. THE VAN CARRIES TWO PLACARDS WITH CONFLICTING GVWR INFORMATION. THESE VANS ARE BEING MODIFIED IN MASS QUANTITIES. THE REAR SPRINGS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO SOFTEN THE RIDE BUT ARE INADEQUATE TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF A 3/4 TON VAN. THE TIRES THAT ARE BEING INSTALLED ON THESE VANS FOR VANITY REASONS ARE NOT OF THE CORRECT WEIGHT RATING FOR A 3/4 TON VAN. WE HAVE HAD MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE TIRES FAILING AND THE REAR SPRINGS BENDING. THE CONVERSION COMPANY, THE GMC DEALER, NOR GM CUSTOMER SERVICE WISH TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. YET THESE VANS CONTINUE TO BE SOLD IN MASS QUANTITIES ON GMC AND CHEVROLET DEALER LOTS AS BRAND NEW VEHICLES. I AM SEEING MANY ONLINE COMPLAINTS IN FORUMS AND FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME TYPE OF ISSUES. I AM GENUINELY CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE INJURED EVENTUALLY DUE TO TIRE OR SPRING FAILURE. ALSO I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE SEAT BELTS BECOMING COMPLETELY UNBOLTED FROM THE SEATS. THE FASTENERS USED BY THE CONVERSION COMPANY FOR THE SEAT BELTS ARE ALSO INADEQUATE FOR TODAY'S STANDARDS. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT MY COMPLAINT IS NOT IN REGARD TO THE OEM SPEC GM VAN. THIS COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO A GM AUTHORIZED UPFITTER THAT IS TAKING BRAND NEW VANS PROVIDED BY GM, INSTALLING THEIR PARTS, THEN SELLING THEM AS NEW VEHICLES AT GM DEALERSHIPS. THIS CONVERSION COMPANY (THE EXPLORER VAN COMPANY) ALSO INSTALLS THEIR PRODUCTS ON FORD, MERCEDES, AND POSSIBLY THE RAM VANS AS WELL. WE HAVE HAD THREE TIRE FAILURES ALREADY BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. BELLE TIRE WOULD NOT SELL US A REPLACEMENT TIRE BECAUSE THE SIZE INSTALLED ON THE VAN IS NOT RATED PROPERLY AND THERE IS NO TIRE MANUFACTURER IN THE US THAT PRODUCES A TIRE IN THE PROPER SIZE WITH THE CORRECT WEIGHT RATINGS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC SAVANA. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VEER TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HOLIDAY AUTOMOTIVE (321 N ROLLING MEADOWS DR., FOND DU LAC, WI 54937, (866) 875-3224) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC SAVANA. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VEER TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HOLIDAY AUTOMOTIVE (321 N ROLLING MEADOWS DR., FOND DU LAC, WI 54937, (866) 875-3224) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.
Official recalls
623V247000 · Electrical System:wiring
Apr 6, 2023
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2003-2023 Chevrolet Express Cutaway and GMC Savana Cutaway incomplete vehicles equipped with wiring for an optional rear heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. When the HVAC blower motor circuit is left unused with exposed connectors and wiring, the circuit can corrode and overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An overheated electrical circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will properly seal the rear HVAC blower motor circuits at the left side B-pillar, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GMC's number for this recall is N222386050.
19V428000 · Equipment
Jun 11, 2019
Unicell Body Company Inc. (Unicell) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savanna, 2018-2019 Hino 155, Ford Econoline and Transit and Isuzu NPR, and 2018 Ram ProMaster-based vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager monitors used to display the back-up camera image. The affected monitors may revert back to the factory default settings which may cause the camera image to be reversed.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The driver may inadvertently turn the wrong direction to avoid an object behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Unicell will work with ASA Electronics to notify owners and offer a remedy, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact ASA Electronics customer service 1-800-384-4400 or Unicell at 1-716-853-8628.
19V387000 · Visibility:glass, Side/rear
May 23, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles. One or both of the rear-quarter windows may be tempered glass instead of laminated glass. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Tempered glass increases the risk of injury in the event of a side impact or rollover crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tempered glass windows with laminated glass windows, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N192218960.
18V655000 · Electrical System
Sep 21, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Express and GMC Sierra vehicles equipped with a single, manual, rear climate control module (CCM). If the temperature is set to maximum heat or the mode knob is set to maximum floor vent and an electrical short occurs, components within the CCM may overheat.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the CCM overheats, there is an increased risk of a fire in the vehicle's headliner.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the electrical insulation from a wiring connector within the CCM to remove the fire risk, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18299.
18V295000 · Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls
May 3, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles equipped with power windows. Liquid may leak into the driver's power window switch and cause corrosion, resulting in high electrical resistance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: High electrical resistance can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side window switch, free of charge. The recall began August 10, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18155.
18V267000 · Equipment
Apr 26, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.
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
1PE23016 · 6L90 Transmission Failure
Opened Sep 27, 2023 · Closed Jan 10, 2025
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train; Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:fluid/lubricant:valves/valve Body
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) after receiving one Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaint related to four school buses built on General Motors (GM) van chassis. The VOQ alleged transmission failure resulting in a loss of all forward gear. In ODI's pre-investigative discussions with GM, ODI learned that valve body separator plates had been machined out of tolerance during production periods between October 2016 to April 2017 and February 2021 to April 2021. This out of tolerance machining may create excessive wear to the valve body check balls, possibly resulting in an inability to engage drive or reverse. The potential loss of drivability only begins when shifting from a park or neutral transmission selection and does not occur during a functional drive cycle. The average failure mileage of vehicles which experienced this condition is within warranty and related claims or complaints did not include any accidents, injuries, or fatalities. After discussions with GM, Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-NA-142 (NHTSA ID number 10243753) was released in September 2023. This technical service bulletin provides a procedure for technicians to replace the forward check ball and separator plate if found to be the cause of a customer's concern. During the course of the investigation, GM also released a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) N232428780 (NHTSA ID 10253316) in February 2024, to notify school bus and ambulance fleets of the concern and to proactively mitigate the risk in these essential-operation vehicles. Recently, ODI contacted multiple school bus fleets, verifying that there have not been any stranded buses mid-route from this condition. Additionally, ODI has not received any additional VOQ complaints since the opening of this investigation. Based on the available information, including GM's TSB and CSP, this PE 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI report cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Numbers document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:fluid/lubricant:valves/valve Body
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) after receiving one Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaint related to four school buses built on General Motors (GM) van chassis. The VOQ alleged transmission failure resulting in a loss of all forward gear. In ODI's pre-investigative discussions with GM, ODI learned that valve body separator plates had been machined out of tolerance during production periods between October 2016 to April 2017 and February 2021 to April 2021. This out of tolerance machining may create excessive wear to the valve body check balls, possibly resulting in an inability to engage drive or reverse. The potential loss of drivability only begins when shifting from a park or neutral transmission selection and does not occur during a functional drive cycle. The average failure mileage of vehicles which experienced this condition is within warranty and related claims or complaints did not include any accidents, injuries, or fatalities. After discussions with GM, Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-NA-142 (NHTSA ID number 10243753) was released in September 2023. This technical service bulletin provides a procedure for technicians to replace the forward check ball and separator plate if found to be the cause of a customer's concern. During the course of the investigation, GM also released a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) N232428780 (NHTSA ID 10253316) in February 2024, to notify school bus and ambulance fleets of the concern and to proactively mitigate the risk in these essential-operation vehicles. Recently, ODI contacted multiple school bus fleets, verifying that there have not been any stranded buses mid-route from this condition. Additionally, ODI has not received any additional VOQ complaints since the opening of this investigation. Based on the available information, including GM's TSB and CSP, this PE 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI report cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Numbers document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) after receiving one Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaint related to four school buses built on General Motors (GM) van chassis. The VOQ alleged transmission failure resulting in a loss of all forward gear. In ODI's pre-investigative discussions with GM, ODI learned that valve body separator plates had been machined out of tolerance during production periods between October 2016 to April 2017 and February 2021 to April 2021. This out of tolerance machining may create excessive wear to the valve body check balls, possibly resulting in an inability to engage drive or reverse. The potential loss of drivability only begins when shifting from a park or neutral transmission selection and does not occur during a functional drive cycle. The average failure mileage of vehicles which experienced this condition is within warranty and related claims or complaints did not include any accidents, injuries, or fatalities. After discussions with GM, Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-NA-142 (NHTSA ID number 10243753) was released in September 2023. This technical service bulletin provides a procedure for technicians to replace the forward check ball and separator plate if found to be the cause of a customer's concern. During the course of the investigation, GM also released a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) N232428780 (NHTSA ID 10253316) in February 2024, to notify school bus and ambulance fleets of the concern and to proactively mitigate the risk in these essential-operation vehicles. Recently, ODI contacted multiple school bus fleets, verifying that there have not been any stranded buses mid-route from this condition. Additionally, ODI has not received any additional VOQ complaints since the opening of this investigation. Based on the available information, including GM's TSB and CSP, this PE 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI report cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Numbers document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Power Train
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) after receiving one Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaint related to four school buses built on General Motors (GM) van chassis. The VOQ alleged transmission failure resulting in a loss of all forward gear. In ODI's pre-investigative discussions with GM, ODI learned that valve body separator plates had been machined out of tolerance during production periods between October 2016 to April 2017 and February 2021 to April 2021. This out of tolerance machining may create excessive wear to the valve body check balls, possibly resulting in an inability to engage drive or reverse. The potential loss of drivability only begins when shifting from a park or neutral transmission selection and does not occur during a functional drive cycle. The average failure mileage of vehicles which experienced this condition is within warranty and related claims or complaints did not include any accidents, injuries, or fatalities. After discussions with GM, Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-NA-142 (NHTSA ID number 10243753) was released in September 2023. This technical service bulletin provides a procedure for technicians to replace the forward check ball and separator plate if found to be the cause of a customer's concern. During the course of the investigation, GM also released a Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) N232428780 (NHTSA ID 10253316) in February 2024, to notify school bus and ambulance fleets of the concern and to proactively mitigate the risk in these essential-operation vehicles. Recently, ODI contacted multiple school bus fleets, verifying that there have not been any stranded buses mid-route from this condition. Additionally, ODI has not received any additional VOQ complaints since the opening of this investigation. Based on the available information, including GM's TSB and CSP, this PE 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 future circumstances. To review the ODI report cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Numbers document, go to NHTSA.gov.