Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 GMC Envoy owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I purchased my vehicle in oct of 2021 in Nov 2021 is when my car started failing my car started to lose power also started smoking from the lower passenger side no warning lights came on besides the oil warning light since Nov 2021 my car has been losing power it only goes up to about 40 m.p.h I have been smelling fuel coming from some where my tail and license plate light and back driver side inside car light stopped working the engine light turns on and off the steering wheel makes the car lose a little bit of power when I turn the wheel or when I roll up and down the windows or adjust my seat my ac does not work the back ac turns on by it's self to the heater does not work when I have it turned all the way to the 5 I hear clicking knocking noises in the back passenger side of the car my fuel injectors had puddles of oil in them the car gets really hot and blows hot air the engine is …
This suv made a loud sound, began to drift, in the rear, at hwy speeds before it tipped over and began to roll, ejecting my two minor sons from the passenger cab before it eventually landed on its side. the roof was molded in a triangular shape, preventing it from resting on the roof as it tilted back onto inside and remains after the last roll The triangular shape was created in the metal after the stabilizing structures gave way almost immediately providing possibly no protection to the patrons inside the carrier cab of suv. demonstrating its inability protect its occupants.
Accelerating while entering a freeway, took foot off the gas and the vehicle continued to accelerate. Applied brake but vehicle continued to accelerate. Put vehicle in neutral to try and slow down and again applied brake. Vehicle began to spin to the right and we hit the guard rail, hitting the passenger rear bumper and the driver's side front bumper. Side air bags deployed. Car spun into the middle travel lane and began to spin around. Car was slowing down and was able to turn car off. Fortunately no other cars were involved. An off duty sheriff's deputy stopped and said he noticed smoke and thought the car was on fire but no fire occurred. When state police arrived they asked us to move the car to the break down lane. Was able to put car in reverse and backed car to breakdown lane. Tried to put car in drive but car wouldn't go forward.
Vehicle was stationary and in drive when it had a uncontrolled acceleration resulting in a collision with a garage where it was being parked. Extensive damage resulted to the home and vehicle. No injuries.
2005 GMC Envoy denali w/37,800 miles. On several occasions, while completely stopped, the vehicle would slightly lunge forward as if going to accelerate although the brake was engaged. When local GMC service dept. Was called by owner to inquire about problem, service tech said he had no reports of such situation. The surge happened again on 10/31/08 and there was a passenger in the vehicle who also experienced the sensation. On 11/17/08 while at a complete stop, after turning wheels sharply to the right to go around a road equipment vehicle in the parking lot, upon removing foot from brake, the denali lunged forward enough to bump the tire of the equipment vehicle and then it accelerated as if the cruise control was activated. There were no brakes when an effort was made to stop the vehicle. Steering of vehicle was hard due to power steering failure . …
The fuel gauge is inoperable due to the failure of the fuel sending unit. This is a common issue in the 2004 -2007 GMC Envoy, Chevy trailblazers and Buick ranier. I know at least 4 other people who have experienced this issue. The dealer states that this is not a class action issue but to many comments are on the internet. The vehicle will stall at intersections and parking lots when proceeding through the intersection after being stopped. I contacted GM customer service and they stated that this is not a recall issue with the GM products. GM should be recall all vehicles and replace the fuel sending units at no charge or a reduced charge(cost of part or labor whichever is the least cost to the owner). The government has bailed them out now it is time for GM to do the right thing. Also the instrument cluster stopped working correctly also and this resulted in speeding tickets. …
I bought a 2005 GMC Envoy used but in good shape. After about 5000. Miles the speedometer started to read 120 MPH. It reset itself a couple of times but now it's completely stuck at the 120. Also the gas gauge sometimes works and sometimes it doesn't. I can fill it up and it will ding and the light comes on and it won't show a drop of gas on the gauge. Then a day or so later it will be fine. Also the check engine light is on. I replaced the gas cap since the owners manual said it could be a faulty gas cap. It helped for a few days but it's back on. After reading all these reviews and complaints I'm sorry I bought it. I don't have the money to keep getting it fixed. It cost a $100.00 for the dealer just to hook it up so they could tell me it needed a speedometer head.(?) that will only cost $468.00. But that won't fix the check engine light or the gas gauge. …
The gas gauge stopped working and shows that the vehicle is on empty. The "low fuel' indicator on the dash will blink randomly and "ding" to draw my attention to it. The gas cap was replaced a week later but the problem has not been resolved. It continues to read "empty." since then the speedometer has also stopped working. The speedometer hand has completely dropped below the 120 MPH mark, although for a few weeks it would register that I was driving much faster than the speed of traffic around me. Moreover, it would register 30 MPH when the vehicle was completely stopped. Yet, it has since stopped working altogether. The vehicle has also recently stalled in reverse and several times has surged/accelerated quickly when I am driving slowly and push the gas pedal to accelerate. …
Fuel light came on, speedometer stopped working, engine cut off. Before that, the muffler started making rumbling noise. I had just fueled the vehicle. Findings by aaa: ABS bad had to be replaced 1056$ and realignment. 2. Exhaust manifold and pipe replacement 400. Don't know about fuel system yet brakes /ABS is 3rd time since buying the car in 2006. 2nd time for engine issues. Car started overheating on beltway this week and blower motor not working right. Also have issues with window passenger side front wont work now and rear wiper stopped working. Holy you know! Think I got a lemon!
While driving I looked down to check my speed and was surprised to see the speedometer reading 120 MPH. While doing research on the internet I found there was a class action suit that was settled in 2008 because of this problem however, my vehicle was not listed as covered in the suit. I feel it should be covered as my vehicle is experiencing the same problems as the ones covered in the settlement. Under the settlement agreement GM would provide the cluster at no cost to me and I would be responsible for the labor cost.
Acceleration complaints in other Envoy years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 GMC Envoy?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 GMC Envoy, 5% of the model year's 488 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 GMC Envoy acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 GMC Envoy, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 GMC Envoy acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.