Most common 2005 Chevrolet Express problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Express complaints by model year
Best Express years: 2025, 2012, 2015. Years to avoid: 2013, 2020, 2000, 1999, 2002. Compare all years →
2005 Chevrolet Express recalls (8)
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Customizers is recalling 3 vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 403, "platform lift system accessible for motor vehicles," the anti-stow interlock May not detect the presence of a wheelchair or mobility aid user.
Remedy: Customizers is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Main mobility is recalling 185 model year 2005 through 2009 Chevrolet express and GMC savana vans manufactured between April 1, 2005 and June 25, 2009, equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Main mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or main mobility at 1-716-759-6811.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Main mobility is recalling 185 model year 2005 through 2009 Chevrolet express and GMC savana vans manufactured between April 1, 2005 and June 25, 2009, equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Main mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or main mobility at 1-716-759-6811.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Mobility is recalling 43 my 2005-2006 Ford e-series and Chevrolet express vans equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These lifts fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e097). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or mobility at 714-674-0480.
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Mobility is recalling 86 my 2005-2006 Ford e-series and Chevrolet express van equipped with ricon platform style wheelchair lifts. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Mobility is working with ricon to correct the wheelchair lifts free of charge (please see 07e095). Owners May contact ricon at 1-818-267-3000 or mobility at 714-674-0480.
Seat belts
On certain full-size passenger, cargo, or cutaway vans, the front and rear seat belt buckles will not latch or will not unlatch.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the buckles and, if found to be inoperative, the entire buckle assembly would be replaced. For buckles found to be operative, dealer will replace only the upper buckle cover.
Show 2 more recalls
Exterior lighting
Certain conversion vans built on GMC/Chevrolet chassis fail to comply with requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment." the housing lens of the center high mounted stop lamp does not allow enough light to emit from the lamp.
Remedy: Santa fe is working with audiovox to replace the center high-mounted brake lamp assembly. Owners May contact santa fe at 1-800-274-1886 or asa at 1-574-266-3172.
Service brakes, hydraulic
Certain trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans equipped with Bosch hydro-boost brake assemblies, the hydraulic brake booster pressure accumulator May crack and separate from the hydro-boost assembly during normal operating conditions.
Remedy: Dealers will test the hydro-boost assembly for functional operation of the two-function valve. If the hydro-boost assembly fails the test, dealers will replace the assembly free of charge.
What 2005 Chevrolet Express owners say
Brakes
I was driving and out of no where my brakes " all four wheels " locked up as if I was hauling a heavy load . I put on my hazard lights to warn the semi behind me. So I maintained control of my line until the cargo van slowed down to a safe speed for me to pull over . I thought the semi was going to run into the back of me, luckily the southbound line was clear so the semi took off pass me. So as I was coming to a safe stopping speed my brake pedal was stiff as well and when the cargo van slowed down to a safe speed, I pulled over to check my brakes with a warm liquid " all four brakes were hot " .
Hole warn in front passenger side brake line from battery cable going to engine starter motor. The shielding on electrical cable rubbed and wore a hole in the brake line causing fluid to flow out and caused brakes to fail. No one was injured and no accident. I was backing out of the driveway the brakes failed, next I saw a large puddle of fluid on driveway, I just put it in park. The battery cable crosses over the break line and both are fastened to the frame near each other. I can provide break line and photo. The van has 60,000 miles on it, I purchased it new in 2005.
Body & structure
Paint is peeling from ALL parts of the exterior vehicle, even around the window frames and door frames! It appears that NO PAINT PRIMER was used, at all! My white van has missing paint from about 75% of the vehicle, with bubbling going on, in the remainder of paint that has yet to fall off! Looking at ANY Chevy van that is on the roadways, one can easily see that the paint has also been falling off those vehicles, as well! This is a well-known defect in the painting practices of most ALL Chevrolet Vans, and should be dealt with on a class-action basis, since all Chevrolet Van owners are forced to live with an inferior paint scheme on these vehicles! But new owners are not aware of these shortcomings, until they see the paint fall off their vans, for no apparent reason! And it is clearly seen that NO PAINT PRIMER was used, when you look at the paint chip that fell off! …
2005 Chevrolet Express shock tower failure. Consumer stated that the shock tower cracked in half. Was repaired. She states that the vehicle developed a shimmy after the repair. When the consumer took the vehicle to the shop for the shimmy, she was informed the tie rods had worn out and the technician stated that excessive weight and the wrong wheel/tire size caused additional stress and wear and tear on the vehicle. The ABS light flickered.
Suspension
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that while driving, the front passenger's side tire started to wobble. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the tie rod needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving, the headlights failed to operate without engaging the lever. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the bulbs were replaced; however, the high-beam headlights failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
The brakes on my vehicle were inspected at homewood Chevrolet in illinois and they did not need pads or anything, however, the brakes brakes release on their own when you are driving. There was a hydraulic recall and I never received any information..the headlights on my car also keep burning out within weeks of having them changed. The vehicle has some suspension issue as well. There was also a recall for that which I received no notice for.I have not moved since purchasing this vehicle.
2005 Chevrolet Express engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
| 5.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: Van.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Chevrolet Express a good car?
Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Express rates average: 18% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Express at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Chevrolet Express?
The brakes — 6 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the body & structure (5) and suspension (4).
How many recalls does the 2005 Chevrolet Express have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2005 Chevrolet Express, the most recent from July 29, 2009 (equipment adaptive/mobility). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Express?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025, 2012 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2020, 2000, 1999 and 2002. See the full Chevrolet Express years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Express problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 89,000 miles; 31% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.