Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
The contact owned a 2005 GMC Envoy. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH the entire dashboard illuminated and needles on gauges had begun to move independently. The contact heard an abnormal "popping" sound from the front end of the vehicle and gray smoke was emitted from under the hood, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull off of the roadway and placed the vehicle into park (P) with difficulty. The contact exited the vehicle and moved away towards the rear end. The contact stated that she noticed flames under the vehicle located at the front end. The contact stated that within 3 minutes of observing the flames under the vehicle, the entire front end became engulfed by flames. The police and fire department arrived on the scene. …
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 …
On steering wheel where the GMC logo is . Melted/Melting from underneath. Some type of clear color gooey. Have been told it is seal for airbag. Also none of the chimes are not working at all example * seat belts, door,blinkers,dashboard chimes *dummy lights*,along with Bose stereo. Last issues are REAR VIEW MIRROR... KEEPS FALLING OFF. have taken to dealership SEVERAL TIMES! Now they are saying that I need to contact my auto insurance provider to put in claims.
1) I just purchased the vehicle in Oct 2026 & 3 days after purchase, it broke down in Walmart parking lot due to, all the antifreeze pouring out. 2) December 2026 had to replace the front tires as they were stripped to the threads from rubbing against the fender wells. 3) January 2026 Wouldn't start, wouldn't turn over or anything. Had the ignition replaced. Ran fine for one week. 4) Currently won't start. Broke down.
All the gages have stopped working correctly. They do not report proper information to driver . The electrical wiring to the rear wiper, license plate lights and rear hatch stopped working. The most dangerous thing is the ABS brake system dash lights and bell comes on every time the car is driven and the brake pedal goes to the floor when trying to stop.
Unknown All the cluster panels quite working. RPM, Speed, Oil, Water, Gas shows always empty. Danger because have to guess my speed and never know if I have enough gas, oil, or water in my car. Also sometimes when I shut off my car I cannot get the key out of the steering column. Cannot leave my car without my keys.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 GMC Envoy. While driving 50 MPH, the contact discovered a burning odor. The contact attempted to lower the window and noticed that the power switch from the window was hot. The contact disconnected the power switch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed as a switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to call NHTSA. The failure mileage was 130,300.
The driver side window control caught fire, while the vehicle was sitting overnight. It was sitting by itself without reason to catch fire, but it did burn inside the driver side door.
This is a recurring problem with not just my vehicle, but after a very simple web search a vast number of these GMC Envoy vehicles. When traveling normally the speedometer decides to either drop its speed by 20-30 MPH or raise it even as high as 120mph. When traveling in the city or hwy where the speed limit zones vary rather frequently and in heavy traffic, the driver naturally reacts to the needle unaware that the speedometer is actually faulty. I have therefore braked hard to reduce my speed when in fact I was going the speed limit. That can result in an instant to a rear end crash based on normal reactions. GM obviously are aware of this issue as there are multiple on line complaints for this same issue and indeed they issued a recall for similar GM trucks. They however continue to ignore the Envoy problem and leave the owners "live or die" with the problem. …
As I was driving the vehicle, the dashboard lit up and the odometer and all the information systems went to zero. This has happened often over the years. I took it to two GMC car dealerships and the first one said it was the kill switch installed by a buy here pay here dealership. The kill switch was removed and the dashboard continued to flicker. Then the car would not start, I took it to another dealership and was told they couldn't find anything. The car began to tribble, again I took it in and was told that I needed to clean the fuel injection system. I did that and bought a battery but that didn't help. The tow driver said it seems to be something electrical but the car dealership can't find a solution. Have you had this complaint before? Not to confuse the complaint, I have several issues. 1. Dashboard lights up and the information panels shut down (all are at zero) 2. …
Electrical complaints in other Envoy years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2005 GMC Envoy?
NHTSA has 183 complaints about the electrical system of the 2005 GMC Envoy, 38% of the model year's 488 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (39 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 GMC Envoy electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 11 fires and 3 injuries to electrical system 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.