2018 Chevrolet Express Problems & Complaints

Average16% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Express at the same age

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2018 Chevrolet Express with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is about average for the Express at the same age. The most reported problem area is the electrical system (4 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles). 6 recalls cover this model year.

11complaints
6recalls
0crashes
1fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most common 2018 Chevrolet Express problems

  • Electrical system~60,000 miles
    436%
  • Transmission & drivetrain~70,000 miles
    436%
  • Other / not specified~13,000 miles
    327%
  • Brakes~7,000 miles
    218%
  • Suspension~0 miles
    19%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof~60,000 miles
    19%
  • Body & structure
    19%
  • Steering
    19%

Share of the 11 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Chevrolet Express complaints by model year

’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’25’2615292368844556592123121814101512132214815211181713
Owner complaints per model year, Chevrolet Express. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Express years: 2025, 2012, 2015. Years to avoid: 2013, 2020, 2000, 1999, 2002. Compare all years →

2018 Chevrolet Express recalls (6)

Tires

NHTSA recall 21V-115 · Feb 25, 2021 · 33,838 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021.

Equipment

NHTSA recall 19V-428 · Jun 11, 2019 · 325 vehicles

Unicell Body Company Inc. (Unicell) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savanna, 2018-2019 Hino 155, Ford Econoline and Transit and Isuzu NPR, and 2018 Ram ProMaster-based vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager monitors used to display the back-up camera image.

Remedy: Unicell will work with ASA Electronics to notify owners and offer a remedy, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact ASA Electronics customer service 1-800-384-4400 or Unicell at 1-716-853-8628.

Visibility › Glass, side/rear

NHTSA recall 19V-387 · May 23, 2019 · 1,159 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles. One or both of the rear-quarter windows may be tempered glass instead of laminated glass.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tempered glass windows with laminated glass windows, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019.

Electrical system

NHTSA recall 18V-655 · Sep 21, 2018 · 30,448 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Express and GMC Sierra vehicles equipped with a single, manual, rear climate control module (CCM). If the temperature is set to maximum heat or the mode knob is set to maximum floor vent and an electrical short occurs, components within the CCM may overheat.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the electrical insulation from a wiring connector within the CCM to remove the fire risk, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018.

Tires › Pressure monitoring and regulating systems

NHTSA recall 18V-509 · Aug 2, 2018 · 94 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles with certain combinations of front-tire and gross-vehicle-weight option codes. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be incorrectly calibrated, causing the TPMS warning lamp to illuminate when tire pressure reaches 37 PSI, not…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will check the PSI information on the remote control door lock receiver (RCDLR) and tire placard match, and if the information is different the RCDLR will be reprogrammed.

Equipment

NHTSA recall 18V-267 · Apr 26, 2018 · 6,154 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018.

What 2018 Chevrolet Express owners say

Electrical system

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the defroster would intermittently fail to operate as needed. The contact mentioned that the defroster might start working when driving over a pothole or an obstruction in the road. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). The contact also discovered that the rear window was made out of tempered glass which failed to comply with FMVSS standards; she was also able to link that failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V387000 (Visibility). The manufacturer was notified of both failures and informed her that the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System) was already performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer also informed her that the VIN was no longer included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). …

60,000 miles · Sep 2021

While travelling down the road the "service Stabilitrak" and "service traction control" messages come on in the Driver Information Center and the lights for each component are lit in the dashboard. On occasion, the emergency brake light comes when I know the emergency brake is off. My safety is at risk because I'm not sure if the lights are indicating a problem or if the lights are malfunctioning as they come on every time I take a trip in this vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by three different Chevrolet dealers, one of them three times and no fix has solved the problem. The dealers confirm the problem, but cannot find the solution. Chevrolet headquarters is well aware of the issue and have paid toward some of the dealer charges. The issue has been going since I purchased the vehicle in 2019.

Nov 2019

Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the gear shifter would shake when shifting gears. Over time, the shifter cable fractured without warning. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where he was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contact disputed the diagnosis and notified the manufacturer of the failure. The manufacturer initially agreed to repair the gear shifter under warranty; however, they later informed him that they would only cover 10% of the cost for the repair. The contact was provided with a case number. The contact then had the vehicle towed to Ourisman Chevrolet Buick GMC of Alexandria (1800 Old Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22303) where he was charged for the repair to the shifter cable. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift · 70,000 miles · May 2021

The transmission started to fail at around 65k miles. There were no warning signs, it just began shifting hard and then began slipping. It was taken to a transmission shop and the fluids were replaced, but this did not change anything. It was at this time we were told the transmission would need to be replaced, but they had no means to obtain a replacement. It has been over two years since the problems started and the transmission is still in the vehicle and we drive it daily. It continues to slip going up through the gears and progressively gets worse during the day. By the end of the day you cannot pull out in front of anyone for fear of it slipping and not grabbing the next gear. This is an obvious danger to us and other drivers around us. The problem has been evaluated by the Chevrolet dealer and two other independent shops. The fluids have been changed but this did not help. …

Jun 2024

2018 Chevrolet Express engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
2.0L 4-cylCVTFWD24 / 26 / 25

EPA ratings. Class: Van.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Chevrolet Express a good car?

Based on 11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2018 Express rates average: 16% 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 2018 Chevrolet Express?

The electrical system — 4 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about integrated trailer brake control. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (4) and brakes (2).

How many recalls does the 2018 Chevrolet Express have?

There are 6 recalls for the 2018 Chevrolet Express, the most recent from February 25, 2021 (tires). 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 2018 Chevrolet Express problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 13,000 miles; 67% 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.