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KLUNK
KLUNK

2001 Gmc Savana

The Verdict

96 Smooth Ride

The 2001 Gmc Savana has 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (7 complaints) and electrical (5 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 96/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Gmc Savana, consider the 2006 model year which has 47% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2006 has 47% fewer complaints

View the 2006 Gmc Savana dashboard →

96

Klunk Score: Smooth Ride

This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20001720453
200172532
200293460
2003975123
200484132
2005116420
200651220
200754400

By Category

Body
7
Electrical
5
Engine
3
Brakes
2
Transmission
2

By Severity

1
7
2
10
3
1
4
1

Worst Problems

Complaints

Engine 2

I don't know sometimes wrong with the electrical issue before I got to dive into it I had got some damages from death or vandalism

11mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 GMC SAVANA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE AIR BAGS SUDDENLY DEPLOYED AND ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

171mo ago
Body 2

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE DOOR ON THE SCHOOL BUS WAS OPENED, THE STOP SIGN ARM DID NOT DEPLOY AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

239mo ago
Electrical 1

SINCE YOU JUST ISSUED THE RECALL ON GM PICKUP TRUCKS, I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY GMC SAVANA 15-SEATER 2001 VAN. I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW IN 2001. IT NOW HAS AROUND 56,000 MILES ON IT. PROBLEM: SOMETIMES THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON, IN WHICH CASE THE CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T WORK. SOMETIMES THE FRONT PASSENGER ELECTRIC WINDOW DOESN'T WORK DURING THESE TIMES. I LEARNED ABOUT THE RECALL FROM MSNBC, READING THE NEWS ONLINE. SINCE YOU DIDN'T HAVE "INTERNET" ON YOUR REFERRAL SOURCE CHOICES, I SAID "NEWSPAPER" AS BEING THE CLOSEST THING. *JB

246mo ago
Body 1

THE REAR LEFT DOOR WILL NOT OPEN, THE LATCH IS BROKEN. I OWN THREE GMC VANS ALL OF WHICH THE LEFT REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN. *NM

247mo ago
Electrical 2

PURCHASED 2001 GMC SAVANNA 2500 VAN ON 3-31-05 ( NO WARRANTY); NOTICED "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT AND AIR BAG LIGHT WERE ON. HAD VAN SERVICED ON 4-6-05. MECHANIC CLEARED UP ALL PROBLEMS EXCEPT THE SCAN TOOL COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE AIR BAG MODULE. WHEN THE MECHANIC STARTED THE ENGINE BACK UP, THE ENGINE WAS ON FOR APPROX. 5 - 10 SECONDS, AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WENT OFF! LUCKILY NO ONE WAS SITTING THERE AT THE TIME. *NM

258mo ago
Engine 2

ENGINES STALLS FREQUENTLY. DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.*AK

259mo ago
Engine 2

NO WARNING FAILURE OF STANADYNE PN [XXX] (GM NUMBER) OR MFG #[XXX]. VEHICLE IS 2001 GMC VAN [XXX]. THE FUEL SOLENOID DRIVER (FSD) IS LOCATED ON THE INJECTOR PUMP AND IS USED TO DRIVE THE FUEL SYSTEM. ITS FAILURE IS CAUSE BY HEAT OR LACK OF COOLING OF THE TWO 500 WATT TRANSISTORS. FAILURE IS ABRUPT WITH OUT WARNING AND CAUSES LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL DUE TO STALLING. AFTER COOL DOWN VEHICLE CAN BE RESTARTED. FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED 5/22/2003 AT 39630 MILES AND WAS REPAIRED UNDER CLAIM NUMBER 1-105619528. THE SECOND FAILURE (OF THE REPLACED PART) OCCURRED AT 65779 MILES AND WAS NOTED IN REPAIR TICKET 1-273605803. THE UNIT WAS NOT REPAIRED BY GM BUT WAS REPLACED BY THE OWNER (ME). THE PART DID NOT FAIL AT DEALER WHO ONLY DROVE THE VEHICLE 8 MILES. STALLING OF VEHICLE CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL SINCE THE DIESEL MOTOR DRIVES THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. PART FAILURE DOES NOT SET ANY COMPUTER CODES READABLE AT DTC11 CONNECTOR. BASED ON INTERNET INVESTIGATION USING FSD FAILURE AND GM IN THE GOOGLE SEARCH ENGINE, MANY REPAIR SOLUTIONS ARE RECOMMENDED. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM SINCE GM ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION, G00064D IN MAY 2003. ORIGINAL PART IS AVAILABLE. REPLACEMENT PART (THE SECOND FAILURE) IS AVAILABLE. *JB UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

263mo ago
Body 2

BOTH CABLES TO THE LIFTGATE BROKE DUE TO RUST AND CORROSION. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE TRUCK WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL.*AK *TC

264mo ago
Body 2

WHILE OPENING THE MIDDLE DOOR TO THE MINI VAN THE DOOR SHEARED OFF . THE DOOR IS HANG OFF BY THE HINGES. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ON RECALL AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

265mo ago
Body 1

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE PEELED AND THE TIRE BLEW OUT AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWAY AND THE SWAY BAR TO BREAK. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE PASSENGER TIRES RUBBER PEELED AWAY FROM THE STEEL BELT. AS THE RUBBER WAS PEELING FROM THE TIRE, IT WAS HITTING THE SIDES OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING NUMEROUS SCRATCHES AND RUBBER MARKS AS WELL AS BREAKING PIECES OFF OF THE REAR PANEL. *AK *SC *JB

266mo ago
Electrical 2

TROUBLE STARTING: TURN KEY, VEHICLE TURNS OVER FINE,THAN SHUTS OFF. BEEN TO DEALER SIX TIMES THEY CAN NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS. AT FIRST THEY (DEALER) THOUGHT IT WAS THE KEY. ISSUED NEW KEY OEM. STILL PROBLEM EXSISTED.WHAT WE DO NOW WE FLIP THE KEY AND TRY TO START VEHICLE AND SOMETIMES IT WILL START.THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN BUT WHEN IT DOES IT'S FRUSTRATING. THE MOST RECENT PROBLEM HAPPENED BEFORE THE NEW YEAR 2004. BUT THIS TIME IT WAS BEING DRIVEN.THE LOSS OF ALL POWER IS SCARY BUT ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. GMC WHY CAN'T YOU FIGURE THIS PROBLEM OUT.*AK

274mo ago
Body 1

THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 GMC SAVANNA. THE OUTSIDE MIRRORS VIBRATE SO BADLY THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM DURING THE DAY SEEING THE CORRECT IMAGES. AT NIGHT THE PROBLEM IS WORSE. I AM CONSTANTLY READJUSTED THE MIRRORS TO TRY TO AVOID "HEADLIGHT FLASH". I HAVE HAD GMC REPLACE THE MIRRORS. WHEN I ASKED FOR A SECOND REPLACEMENT, THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS COMMON AND THAT I "WOULD JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT." I DRIVE THIS VAN APPROXIMATELY 350 HIGHWAY MILES A WEEK. BECAUSE MY FIELD OF VIEW IS SO POOR DUE TO THIS DEFECT, I FEEL THAT MY SAFETY HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. *LA

276mo ago
Body 2

DEALER HAS REPLACED THE REAR AXLE SET SEAL FOUR TIMES AT 1,000 , 20,000, 55,000 AND 60,000 MILES. DEALER HAS INSPECTED SEVERAL OTHERS, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

281mo ago
Transmission 1

WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION WILL NOT CHANGE GEAR OR WILL HESITATE AND JERK INTO GEAR. CONTACTED DEALER. DEALER CANNOT FIX PROBLEM.*AK

291mo ago
Electrical 4

VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR 12 HOURS. CONSUMER WAS AWAKENED BY HORN SOUNDING. VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES, FIRE MARSHALL AND INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR STATED FIRE WAS CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL WIRING. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED.*AK

291mo ago
Transmission 3

FUME INHALATION FROM GEAR OIL BURNING. FAMILY BECAME ILL AT TIME OF INCIDENT. GMCWANTS TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AGAIN AND GIVE ME A 5 YEAR WARRANTY ... NO LIFE INSURANCE MENTIONED. BBB IS BEGINNING ARBITRATION, SINCE WE FEEL THE FUMES ARE UNSAFE AND WANT OUR MONEY BACK. CAN YOU HELP???*AK

292mo ago
Brakes 2

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS PULSATION AND VIBRATION UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

297mo ago
Brakes 1

STEERING WHEEL WAS VIBRATING WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, DEALER FOUND WARPED ROTORS. DEALER ONLY WILLING TO PAY FOR PART, WANTS CONSUMER TO PAY FOR LABOR.*AK

308mo ago
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