2005 GMC Envoy Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Envoy years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 15 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 488 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 GMC Envoy. That is the most of any Envoy model year in the database (15 years). The most reported problem area is electrical system (183 complaints, 38%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 27 crashes, 14 fires, 34 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 488owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 27complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 GMC Envoy problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 183 | 38% | 80,000 | “fuel gauge” (15%) | $850 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 164 | 34% | 71,203 | “fuel gauge” (46%) | $910 |
| Exterior Lighting | 45 | 9% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 41 | 8% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 30 | 6% | 104,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 28 | 6% | 70,140 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 27 | 6% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 22 | 5% | 58,950 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 4% | 50,828 | — | — |
| Structure | 16 | 3% | 81,825 | — | — |
| Engine | 14 | 3% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 2% | 72,200 | — | — |
| Steering | 11 | 2% | 106,756 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 10 | 2% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 2% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 1% | 16,456 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 1% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 1% | 59,950 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 1% | 94,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 1% | 50,106 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 1% | 122,467 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | 91,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 1% | 59,279 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 205,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | 16,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 117,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 GMC Envoy recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:windshield
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of Headlights (RQ17002) — opened Apr 24, 2017, closed Mar 29, 2021.
- Fuel Level Gauge System Failure (DP10001) — opened Jan 7, 2010, closed May 23, 2011.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
1) I just purchased the vehicle in Oct 2026 & 3 days after purchase, it broke down in Walmart parking lot due to, all the antifreeze pouring out. 2) December 2026 had to replace the front tires as they were stripped to the threads from rubbing against the fender wells. 3) January 2026 Wouldnât…
The contact owned a 2005 GMC Envoy. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, another vehicle driven by a drunk driver swerved into the front of the vehicle, causing a front collision. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact hit his face again on the steering wheel, but did not…
On steering wheel where the GMC logo is . Melted/Melting from underneath. Some type of clear color gooey. Have been told it is seal for airbag. Also none of the chimes are not working at all example * seat belts, door,blinkers,dashboard chimes *dummy lights*,along with Bose stereo. Last issues are…
The driver side window control caught fire, while the vehicle was sitting overnight. It was sitting by itself without reason to catch fire, but it did burn inside the driver side door.
Unknown All the cluster panels quite working. RPM, Speed, Oil, Water, Gas shows always empty. Danger because have to guess my speed and never know if I have enough gas, oil, or water in my car. Also sometimes when I shut off my car I cannot get the key out of the steering column. Cannot leave my…
Other GMC Envoy years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 Envoy | 17 | 0 |
| 2008 Envoy | 77 | 0 |
| 2007 Envoy | 219 | 5 |
| 2006 Envoy | 352 | 8 |
| 2005 | 488 | 2 |
| 2004 Envoy | 367 | 1 |
| 2003 Envoy | 394 | 7 |
| 2002 Envoy | 487 | 13 |
| 2001 Envoy | 5 | 1 |
| 2000 Envoy | 22 | 1 |
| 1999 Envoy | 9 | 1 |
| 1998 Envoy | 19 | 2 |
| 1997 Envoy | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Envoy | 2 | 0 |
| 1995 Envoy | 1 | 0 |
See all GMC Envoy problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 GMC Envoy?
Owners most often report electrical system, fuel system, gasoline, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 183 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 GMC Envoy?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 GMC Envoy a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Envoy model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.