What breaks most · 1994 to 2022 model years
GMC Savana problems by year
Owners have filed 346 safety complaints with NHTSA about the GMC Savana across model years 1994 to 2022. Three years stand out: 1999 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints, 2000 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints and 1997 for brakes (hydraulic) complaints. The quietest years are 1994, 2011 and 2014.
- Years to check closely: 1999, 2000, 1997
- Fewest complaints: 1994, 2011, 2014
- Complaints on file
- 3461994 to 2022, all trims
- Worst year
- 199949 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1910 fires · 18 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 55kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 125Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 35 | 0 | 3 | Fuel system (7) | |
| 46 | 1 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (9) | |
| 33 | 0 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (9) | |
| 49 | 4 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (13) | |
| 49 | 5 | 2 | Brakes (hydraulic) (21) | |
| 19 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | Body and structure (3) | |
| 22 | 2 | 11 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 12 | 2 | 7 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 5 | Body and structure (2) | |
| 7 | 0 | 7 | Engine (2) | |
| 6 | 2 | 3 | Brakes (3) | |
| 3 | 0 | 7 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 8 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 4 | Wheels (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 5 | Fuel system (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 7 | Air bags (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 9 | Tires (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 7 | Equipment and infotainment (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 4 | Visibility (1) | |
| 6 | 1 | 7 | Steering (3) | |
| 6 | 0 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 3 | 1 | 7 | Wheels (1) | |
| 5 | 0 | 5 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | Steering (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (1) |
What fails on the 1999 GMC Savana
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 27% |
13 | 2 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 14% |
7 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Tires | 12% |
6 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 10% |
5 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 10% |
5 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Seats | 6% |
3 | 1 | — |
| Seat belts | 6% |
3 | 0 | Check recalls for seat belts on NHTSA.gov |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
When brakes were applied under normal stopping conditions pedal went to the floor, causing extended stopping distance, and resulting in a collision. Prior to incident dealer inspected vehicle.*ak
-
When approaching stop light with traffic the brake pedal went to the floor. I had to swerve and use the parking brake to stop. *tr *js
-
1. Rear adjustment spring was not installed in vehicle from factory, causing brakes to become spongy. 2. Transmission has become faulty wihtin 42,000.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which GMC Savana years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1999, 2000, 1997 carry the most filings on the GMC Savana. The 1999 alone has 49 complaints, led by brakes (hydraulic).
What is the most common GMC Savana problem?
On the 1999 model year, the most-reported component is brakes (hydraulic) with 13 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do GMC Savana problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all GMC Savana complaints that include mileage is about 55,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.