Most common 2001 Chevrolet Lumina problems
Share of the 21 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Lumina complaints by model year
Best Lumina years: 2001, 2000, 1999. Years to avoid: 1995, 1997, 1996. Compare all years →
2001 Chevrolet Lumina recalls (3)
Air bags › Frontal
On certain passenger, sport utility vehicles and Mini vans, some of these vehicles have a passenger air bag that was manufactured without a check valve pin. An air bag without the check valve pin could produce increased pressure at the onset of the air bag deployment and reduced pressure afterward.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger air bag. Owner notification began December 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…
Air bags › Frontal
Vehicle description: passenger, sport utility vehicles and minivans. The passenger air bag inflator modules were built without the correct amount of generant, which produces the gas that fills the air bag. Some were built with a double load of generant and some were built without generant.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module. Telephone calls were made to owners on January 29, 2001. Follow up owner mailing began on April 17, 2001.
Seat belts
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and Mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly.
What 2001 Chevrolet Lumina owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
Dt*: the contact stated after coming to a full stop at a crossover, the automatic transmission seized completely. A rattling noise, then a bump was heard inside the vehicle prior to the incident. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer who determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact expressed concern because the vehicle only had 40668 miles. The contact planned to notify the manufacturer after filing a complaint with the NHTSA.
The transmission completely seized up. The car was able to shift into any gear, but the car would not move forward or backwards. The planetary gears (2) were stripped. The transmission had to be rebuilt.
Engine & cooling
July 2009 I was driving on the interstate at around 75 MPH when the engine died and wouldn't start, pulled off the road, engine would crank but not start, after a few minutes it started and I drove home. I called a mechanic and he said it probably was the ignition control module, go to the junk yard and get one. From then through December 2012 I replaced the ignition module three times. In December 2012 I replaced both the module and the crank positioning sensor, thinking that it could be causing the module failure. Three months later the engine died again I had the module tested, it was OK, had the car towed to the dealer, they checked it for three days and said the heat from the engine had made the crank positioning sensor to separate internally and it was replaced again. …
The vehicle engine check light illuminates while driving, the vehicle is experiencing loss of coolant and the blower motor is blowing out cool air instead of heat. The vehicle was taken to the repair shop. The mechanic informed the consumer that the problem is with a crack in the intake manifold gasket. The dealer or the manufacturer was not notified at this time.
Seat belts
Rear driver's side seat belt will not latch properly. Also, intermittently the passenger's side rear will not latch properly. The dealer replaced the belts, but the consumer believed that the problem would recur.
While traveling at normal speed and making a turn rear middle seat belt became unlocked. This caused child safty seat to flip out and seat to face down. Please provide further information .
2001 Chevrolet Lumina engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2001 Chevrolet Lumina a good car?
Based on 21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2001 Lumina rates better than average: 90% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Lumina at the same age. It is one of the best Lumina years by this measure. 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 2001 Chevrolet Lumina?
The transmission & drivetrain — 4 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (4) and seat belts (3).
How many recalls does the 2001 Chevrolet Lumina have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2001 Chevrolet Lumina, the most recent from December 9, 2002 (frontal). 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 Lumina?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2001, 2000 and 1999. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1995, 1997 and 1996. See the full Chevrolet Lumina years comparison.
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Lumina problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 58,000 miles; 33% 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.