Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 GMC Envoy owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vehicle listed caught on fire while driving on interstate with unknown cause. No previous warnings. Was a risk to safety of driver/and or passengers.
While driving the Envoy at about 45 MPH, a warning light saying "reduced engine power" came on suddenly, the car dropped down to about 20 MPH, and that continues to occur. I can turn off and restart the car, but the problem returns within a minute after driving it again. I started investigating what that means online, and, as with anything else on the internet, I see many opinions, guesses, and possibilities. Could be a bad sensor, bad throttle control, bad wire connections, etc. But this much appears clear: (1) it is a GM problem, and a very, very common one. (2) it is a dangerous problem. This seems pretty obvious - the car suddenly loses speed and evidently sometimes stalls out altogether. But hearing about so many other people's scary experiences just confirms this. (3) it can be difficult and expensive to diagnose and fix. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 GMC Envoy. While driving approximately 45 MPH, smoke and flames emitted from under the hood. The contact was able to exit the vehicle and with assistance, the flames were extinguished. There was no personal injury. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who advised that the failure was contributed to the wiring harness being positioned too close to the exhaust manifold. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
Severe electrical problems in vehicle,everything stopped working on it!!!! Vehicle shut down in a middle of a busy intersection, I replaced transmission 2 times as well!!!!had no lights,turning signals,no heat heat then the vehicle just stopped completely nothing just dead!!! Had battery checked wasnt that!!!! They told me electrical issues not sure what only had vehicle 3 months!!! I had had 2004 trailer blazer before this same issues!!!! Only had it 2 months and transmission went out pd that then once again electrical problems!!!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 GMC Envoy. While driving at any speed, the engine shut off without warning. The vehicle restarted intermittently. The failure recurred multiple times. The dealer stated that the VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign number: 04V289000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
Tl contact owns a 2002 GMC Envoy. The contact stated that when attempting to power off the vehicle, the engine continued to be on. The contact had to remove the fuse in order to shut the vehicle off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl contact owns a 2002 GMC Envoy. The contact stated that he noticed a burnt odor in the engine area. When he inspected, he found an oil leak at the head gasket because it was made of aluminum. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 55,000 and the current mileage was 56,680.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 GMC Envoy. While driving at approximately 75 MPH, there was a reduction in the engine power with a rapid increase of the engine rpms. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,280.
I own a 2002 GMC Envoy. For the past year or so, I've been having trouble whenever I stop at a red light, the car starts to shake and sometimes turns off. I usually turn the car off and start it up again. On Monday, July 27th, I was driving when my car suddenly shut down. Luckily I was able to get the car to a safe spot and no further damage was done to my car or other property. I tried starting the car again and it would not start. I had to get the car towed to a nearby mechanic. Once there, the mechanic looked over the car and determined that it was the computer engine and that it was under recall. He had me call GMC so that I could report the incident. When I called, I was told that there was no recalls on my exact car but that she would contact the mechanic and get some more information. …
02/11/02 4,667 miles everything shut off. Engine stopped while driving. Restarted at 2000 RPM with lots of noise. 05/29/02 7,463 miles vehicle died and would not restart until after 15-20 minutes 06/05/02 7,664 miles vehicle died while driving and would not restart until after 15-20 minutes 11/13/02 11,528 miles backing out of driveway engine died. Would not restart. Towed in. 06/10/03 17,865 miles died while driving. Dealer did not even look into this. 06/14 to 06/18/03 18,000 to 18,214 miles car off road for 5 days due to engine died while driving. I referenced ecas and PCM problem NHTSA defect summary ea03007. Dealer tells us no-one else has had this problem. Suggests driving round dealership until problem occurs, and then calling them. Don't try to start until they come out (never mind we're in the middle of a busy road and in the evening time when they are closed). …
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
Some sport utility vehicles equipped with an electronically controlled air suspension (ecas) have a condition in which the ecas May produce a brief electrical spike while the vehicle is operating. This electrical spike can disrupt the powertrain control module (PCM) causing the vehicle to stall.
Remedy: Dealers will install a wiring harness. The recall will begin on August 19, 2004. Owners should contact Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537 or GMC at 1-866-996-9463.
NHTSA investigations
ENGINE STALL
Of the 697 total complaints, 240 were received for theenvoy and 457 for the bravada.GM has identified about 5,000 warranty claims related to stalling in the subject vehicles.GM reports that a transient voltage spike generated in the ecas degrades the performance of the PCM resulting in engine stall.GM modified the ecas wiring bundle and the PCM for vehicles built after December 6, 2001 to address the stalling…
ENGINE STALL
Model year (my) 2002 bravada and certain my 2002 envoy vehicles with optional electronically controlled air suspension (ecas) May be subject to engine stall caused by an errant voltage spike transmitted to the powertrain control module (PCM).in addition to engine stall, if the spike damages the PCM, the vehicle May not restart.on October 31, 2001 GM introduced into production a wiring harness containing an inductor…
Engine complaints in other Envoy years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2002 GMC Envoy?
NHTSA has 104 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2002 GMC Envoy, 21% of the model year's 487 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (25 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 GMC Envoy engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-289 (engine and engine cooling, Jun 23, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 GMC Envoy engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.