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 2005 GMC Envoy owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
When backing the vehicle to leave a local restaurant, driver struck vehicle behind her. This happened so quickly that it was unknown to the driver how the vehicle traveled so quickly that driver had not even had a chance to turn the steering wheel to avoid striking the other vehicle. Driver placed vehicle in drive to pull over to assess the damage. When placed into drive, the vehicle lurched forward and continued to accelerate despite the brakes being applied. The vehicle struck a brick restaurant. Damage was also done to the interior bathroom of the facility and the business had to close to assure safety of it's staff/customers. Witness states the vehicle was obviously lurching and appeared to have a mechanical problem. The driver's foot bounced off of the brake pedal on impact lodging it underneath the brake pedal. It was also noted that neither front airbags did deploy. …
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 GMC Envoy. The contact stated that the fuel gauge displayed an empty reading after refueling. The fuel gauge began to display a normal reading the following day. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. There was an investigation under NHTSA action number: dp10001 (fuel system, other:storage:fuel gauge system) that May be related to the failure. The contact also stated that one of the settings for the fan stopped functioning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the wiring harness for the blower motor was melted. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 89,980.
My vehicle when purchased was altered from cloth seats to leather by the dealership where purchased. 3 days ago my car is signaling me to service airbag while driving the car or in idle. So I immediately took it to a certified mechanic at meineke and was told that this is a manufacturer defect and there is a recall for this on my year, make & model SUV. I called GM on 11/29/2019 and was told by a supervisor named angel there has been no recalls by their manufacturer and there is nothing more she can do about the matter. I cannot drive my car like this knowing this can be potentially harmful and hazardous.
Received a "check engine" light while driving the vehicle. The fault code that came up was po128 ( insufficient ambient temperature - ect ) upon researching the problem I discovered that this is a common fault on this vehicle. It is generally caused by a "sticking" coolant thermostat. This condition also results in poor heating poor heating of the passenger compartment. If this is such a common problem with vehicle as I have found. GM should issue a recall and correct the problem at no expense to the owner!
I had three cars in front of me stopped. I did not see any breakl lights and I hit the car in front of me pushing the other cars to hit each other. My front end of my car was severely damaged bad enough to damage the radiator and destroy my ac unit. I'm not sure what else was damaged. It sent the person in front of me and myself to the emergency room. " my air bags did not deploy ". My vehicle was moving on a city street.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 GMC Envoy. While driving at approximately 70 MPH, the contact smelled an unusual odor under the dashboard. The contact also heard an abnormal noise coming from the steering column when making a turn. The check engine warning indicator illuminated. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.
When stopped in traffic or at a stop light, my vehicle will idle roughly and sometime stall. It does this in drive, neutral and park. I've had it checked and they couldn't find anything wrong. There are no codes showing a problem.
Engine complaints in other Envoy years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 GMC Envoy?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 GMC Envoy, 8% of the model year's 488 complaints. The component named most often is engine (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 GMC Envoy engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 3 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.