2005 GMC Envoy Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2005 GMC Envoy ranks worst of 5 model years tracked, with a complaint index of 100 and 488 complaints, the highest of any Envoy year. Fuel System problems account for 46% of complaints and Electrical System issues account for 43%, giving it an Avoid verdict.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 100/100
- #1 of 5 Envoy years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 488
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 2
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 27
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 14
- Injuries
- 34
- Top issue
- Fuel System
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 15.5
- 14 city / 18.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 34 / 2
Top 2005 GMC Envoy problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Fuel System226 (46%)
- Electrical System211 (43%)
- Engine60 (12%)
- Airbags28 (6%)
- Structure & Body25 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain18 (4%)
- Brakes17 (3%)
- Visibility & Wipers16 (3%)
- Other15 (3%)
- Steering11 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy in frontal and side-impact crashes, sometimes at speeds around 35 to 40 mph, resulting in injuries.
- Tire blowouts led to loss of control and fishtailing, in one case causing a rollover after only 1,557 miles.
- Engine reportedly failed while merging onto a highway, leaving the driver unable to brake and coasting into another vehicle.
- A structural failure was reported where the roof pulled away from the door frame during a rollover, ejecting an occupant.
- Brake pedal reportedly slipped or brakes locked up unexpectedly, causing the vehicle to strike another car or a guardrail.
2005 GMC Envoy recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 06V417000Oct 31, 2006Airbags794 vehicles
Air bags:frontal
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.
Risk: 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.
- NHTSA 05V035000Feb 3, 2005Visibility & Wipers17,815 vehicles
Visibility:windshield
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.
Risk: 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.
2005 GMC Envoy fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 14 MPG
- Highway
- 18.5 MPG
- Combined
- 15.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $4,175
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2005 compared with other Envoy years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2005 GMC Envoy reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2005 Envoy has the highest complaint index (100) among the 5 model years on record, with 488 complaints, mostly tied to the Fuel System and Electrical System.
- What are the most common problems with the 2005 GMC Envoy?
- Fuel System complaints make up 46% of all reports and Electrical System issues make up 43%, followed by Engine complaints at 12% and Airbag complaints at 6%.
- Does the 2005 GMC Envoy have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2005 Envoy: one for airbag passenger-sensing compatibility with reupholstered leather seats, and one for windshield urethane bonding that failed to meet federal mounting standards.
- How does the 2005 Envoy compare to other model years?
- The 2005 Envoy ranks worst of the 5 years tracked with a complaint index of 100, worse than 2006 (75), 2007 (50), and both 2008 and 2009, which earned Good verdicts with complaint indexes of 25 and 0.
- What mileage do 2005 Envoy problems typically occur at?
- The median mileage at failure across all complaints is 78,626 miles, though Fuel System complaints centered around 75,000 miles and Engine complaints around 65,222 miles.