Problems with 2002 GMC Envoy ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Submission from constituent re gmc executive letter reply in engine stalling/stopping while being driven on the freeway of california. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle stalled several times. also, the service engine soon light illuminated, due to a faulty ignition coil. the dealer also replaced the ignition switch, as the possible cause of the engine stalling. the consumer continued to experience stalling issues, as the dealer was unable to determine the cause. when the vehicle stalled, the abs and brake warning light illuminated. the dealer found the rear speed sensor connector broken and not sitting properly in the sensor. they repositioned the connector and secured it to the sensor. the consumer discovered a recall, which described the same symptoms he experienced. recall # 04v289000. *jb

Everything started april last year and its one thing after another since. first my engine started stalling, while driving. one incident, i lost half a tank of gas within a 15 minute ride, which i have a 17 gallon tank. then while driving on an expressway, it suddenly dropped from 70 to 20 before i could get over two lanes to get out of the way of traffic. ive cleaned the throttle body, ive cleaned the camshaft actuator, ive replaced the air filter, fuel filter, and the oil twice within a 8 month period, and yet it still continues to stall. now i recently change the water pump to see if that would help, even though my car was not over heating, now its stalling even worse; i cant even make it through a drive through without having to start it twice. second and even scarrier issue, i hit pot hole one day and before i could make 15 miles, i heard grinding. a cv joint had to be replaced, then two days after that the other cv joint broke off and broke my front axle disconnect assembly. did i hit anybody? no thank god i was in the right hand lane and could get over without hitting anyone or causing injury to myself. ive replaced both cv joints and the assembly now and even did the struts while i was at it, but have also been told i need control arms now. and still my car is stalling, grinding when i turn and i cant get the check engine light to clear long enough to get it inspected. my drivers side windshield works when it wants to and now the car is starting to vibrate unbelievably. ive kept my oil changed, ive kept my filters changed, ive never taken this thing off road and have had it over 7 years and just in the last year i have dumped more money in this car than i have since ive owned it. *tr

When i start the truck in the morning it sounds like the engine is revved up with the loud fan noise. i had the fan clutch replaced independently and the loud noise continues and a slight loss of power at times while driving and it feels like it's taking too long shift into the next gear. the noise is really heard when you accelerate on the gas pedal. *tr

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.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. the contact was driving 40 mph when the low engine power warning lamp illuminated and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the pcm was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 04v289000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 48,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. the contact was driving approximately 60 mph, the engine stalled with the illumination of the low oil pressure warning indicator. the vehicle restated and resumed normally. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who informed there was a faulty power train control module. there was a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v829000 (engine and engine cooling). the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was repaired. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer for the similar failure. the technician was in the process of replacing the fuel pump. the failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. the contact stated while driving approximately 60 mph or more the vehicle would suddenly stall. none of the warning lights illuminated on the instrumental panel. he was able to restart the vehicle and take it to the dealer who diagnosed the failure as being the cooling fan clutch. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 83,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the 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.

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. after a couple days of waiting with no vehicle or call from gmc, i finally get a call back from the mechanic telling me that he spoke to the gmc representative and that they would be calling me back to set up a date and time to take my car to the dealership to have fixed and that the recall information was correct. about an hour later, i received a call from gmc and she told me that they were not going to cover the repair. never having to deal with this before, i was completely confused as to what was going on and why gmc was not covering it. this is a huge safety concern for me and i would like to get some resolution from it. *tr

I have a roaring sound at times when i first begin driving the vehicle. if i slow down or stop within the first 5 minutes of driving, the vehicle commonly stalls. has never stalled at a high rate of speed. i have the ecas (electric suspension) on my vehicle, but i was not part of recall 04v289000 as far as i know. this recall sounds exactly like what is happening with my vehicle. this problem has been going on for at least 3-4 years, and even the dealer "can't seem to find the problem." i'll i ever hear is that the computer doesn't show any problems. the vehicle is a piece of '!@#$%. *tr

Driving on the interstate at 65 mph. without any warning the vehicle suddenly lost power. no warnings flashed on the information panel or anything. able to coast the vehicle to a safe stop. scared too death! could have gotten killed. tried several times to restart the vehicle it would not. waited along side the interstate for 15 - 20 minutes before the vehicle restarted. this vehicle completely shut down without any warning! *tr

2002 gmc envoy slt. engine stalls at highway speeds. loss of power brakes and steering. engine will not restart for anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. this is the 5th time that this has happened to me in the past 4 years. 4 times on the freeway and once on a surface road. this time i was with my wife and 11 month old daughter. i was not able to pull the car over to a safe location. i ended up in the left shoulder in next to the fast lane with only about a foot of space to my right where the cars were whizzing by. i cannot tell you the terror that i felt, as my daughter was in her child car seat on that side as the cars passed honking. this vehicle is very unsafe. i have read many internet postings and it appears that this problem occurs often with this make and model, yet whenever i take the vehicle to the dealership all i get is: no codes are displayed, we can't duplicate the problem, or they start throwing parts at it. so far i have replaced a fuel pump and a crank angle sensor, had the fuel injectors cleaned. the problem persists. i want to make sure that my description is clear. the engine temperature is normal, voltage is normal, outside temperature can be hot, warm or cold, it can be day or night. it has happened in all of these conditions. what is worse is that i cannot restart the engine for around 20-30 minutes, presumably there is some sort of reset on the computer ecm/pcm that occurs that grants me the right to now drive my vehicle again? this is unacceptable. my daughter, my wife or i could have been injured or even killed. i have never complained about this before except to the dealer but now that i have a baby, i am livid. i am a very experienced driver and have always been able to pull the vehicle to safety even without the power assisted brakes or steering. i very much worry about less experienced drivers such as my wife who is from a foreign country and has only been driving for two years. if she had been driving we ...

Exhaust manifold leak. *tr

Roaring sound, no power, vehicle can barely reach 30mph, loud noise has existed for long time (several years) and the power problem usually resolved after about 5 minutes. this is a defect. i found hundreds of owners complaining of same problem on line. dealer replaced fan clutch. *tr

2002 envoy slt also when slowing down to an idle has shut off engine. put up in park and will start back up. dash light states service engine and service on star. have not been able to fix problem yet. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. while driving 50-70 mph, the engine failed and the vehicle lost total power. the failure has occurred on four occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer from where it was purchased three times, but they could not duplicate the failure. the vehicle was taken to an out of town dealer and has currently been in the shop for four weeks. the manufacturer stated that they could not assist because the failure was not under warranty. the current mileage was 67,000 and failure mileage was 56,000.

A couple of months ago i took my vehicle in for several complaints and a repair under warranty. i explained to the dealer the loud fan noise, loss of power during this noise, which happened occasionally upon start up and disappeared after a mile or two of travel. at this time i was told they could not locate the problem. now the noise is constant. i had a mechanic drive it during this noise and he indicated it was a failed clutch fan. in my research to find a tsb (aka technical service bulletin) related to my issue, i was able to find such a bulletin, amongst many customer complaints with the same issue. *jb

Air conditioner cooling becomes intermittent. gm dealer commented that they have been having a number customer complaints about this issue and have been having of " a lot" of problems with the fan relay sensor and the cooling fan clutch. repair calls for replacement of entire fan assembly and sensor/switch. cost of repair approx $1,000. *tr

2002 gmc envoy has a lower engine noise. under extended warranty, adjuster is holding up repair for over two weeks. vehicle has had regular oil changes. vehicle has only 57,800 miles. was recalled for pmc valve and had trans problem brand new. totally disgusted with this truck.

Already replaced the fan clutch at 39000 miles. it cost me close to $800, $300+ for the new fan , and $400+ for labor. the dealer installed the new computer software. now at 42700 miles the fan clutch, the thermostat broken. the bad news, i shipped this envoy to the dominican republic , already talking to the local dealer. my question to all was, in observation of all the fan clutch problems, did this require a recall. now , that i knew about so many people having this problem, either the dealer and gmc refund me for the first fan clutch and repair or replace with current one, or i will definitely sue them. has anyone taken this action? *ak

I drive a 2002 gmc envoy and for the last 2&1/2 years during the summer, i usually notice that the fan seems to run very frequently. after a few minutes it usually stops and i don't think about it again until we restart it. we've taken it to two different dealerships including the one we purchased it from and they tell us there is nothing wrong with the car-it's just hot outside and the engine needs to be cooled by the fan so it runs longer and louder. today, i took it in because it would not quit running and my check engine light came on. they want $700 to fix the fan clutch which we've been trying to tell them wasn't operating correctly this whole time. *nm

Last year (2005) the clutch fan locked up and stayed locked up until we took it to a gm dealer. they said there was a bulletin on this and the pcm needed to be re-programmed. that solved the problem. the vehicle looses power, won,t shift properly and this happens without notice. one minute it's fine and then it's not. now one year later the same problem has occurred. this is ridiculous!! i now have to take it to a dealer and pay to have it re-programmed. if this is a continuing problem, i don't understand why gm can't just replace the chip that holds the code, and be done with it. *nm

My 2002 envoy has stalled 3 times now while traveling on the highway. each time the engine quits and will not restart until disconnecting and re-connecting the battery. since this last time the car displays abs light and speedometer does not work even after disconnecting battery. dealer says i have to replace a computer now. sounds like recall 04v289000 but my vin is not included in that recall. *jb

Engine tended to rev at a high level until warmed up. finally would not come down to a normal level due to a failed fan clutch. vehicle was out of warranty, and dealer quoted $800 for repairs. had the fan clutch replaced independently, which now has us back to the original high level of revving for several minutes before running normal. disappointed to see the number of similar failures, and yet the dealer acts like this is an unheard of event. *jb

1) periodic loud, but not sustained, engine fan roaring noise for 1-2 years. 2) noise finally would not stop and was diagnosed as seized fan clutch, after warranty expiration. 3) replacement of cooling fan clutch at a cost of $630.16 on a vehicle with only 37,188 miles. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20 mph a noise was heard from the engine and the clutch fan was sticking. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop for inspection. the mechanic determined the clutch fan needed to be replaced. the clutch fan was replaced and the manufacturer was alerted.

Severe loss of engine power, loud noises from engine and poor shifting and very poor acceleration. *nm

In my 2002 gmc envoy, i have had to replace my engine fan clutch 3 times. after research on different forums, there seems to a problem with this part. *jb

Dt: contact owns a 2002 gmc envoy. contact was driving on road fan sped up and the heat went up. contact took vehicle to dealer, and they told her to replace the fan clutch motor. the piece to fix the vehicle cost $350. a local mechanic fixed the problem. no crashes. no police reports. incident date october 1, 2005. *ak

I am writing to file a complaint regarding my 2002 gmc envoy. it has 46550 miles on it and the fan clutch has failed on it. after searching online i noticed that this seems to be a very common problem with these vehicles i.e. gmc envoy/chevy trailblazer. the dealership is offering to fix it for 900.00. i will have it fixed, i don't have a choice, but i will keep the old part just in case anyone ever needs to see it. i'm hoping that one day your agency will se that this is a real problem with these vehicles and recall them. thank you. *nm

When starting the truck there is a very noticeable ticking sound coming from the front of the engine. the ticking will continue until the vehicle warms or for a max. of 3-5 min. accelerating the engine will not stop the ticking. inquiries revealed other envoy owners are experiencing the same problem. what is the causing the problem. reply needed as soon as possible. *ak

Driving on road and heard loud clattering noise and then engine died. lost all power! brought to dealer by flatbed and found camshaft broke off due to loss of oil. dealer is supposedly fixing problem. 35,000 miles on it. just bought in march of 04. we think it is engine defect. *jb

Water pump failure at 47000 miles on a 2002 gmc envoy. *ak

Failure of engine cooling system and four wheel drive system. *jb

The engine of my 2002 gmc envoy has stalled twice in the last month while i was driving the vehicle, both time jeopardizing my safety. the first stalled happened while i was making a left turn at night. it stalled and stopped while i was in the oncoming lane on a bend where traffic speed in 75 mph. luckily no oncoming traffic came before i pushed the car off the road. the engine finally started after about 10 ignition attempts. the second stall happened on the freeway while i was drive at 65 mph. the engine just shut down. i steered to the side of the road. the engine started after i let it rest a minute. 've took the car to a gmc shop after each stall. the first dealer told me they couldn't find anything, that it was probably bad gas. the second dealer said they couldn't duplicate the situation so they can't diagnose the problem. *ak

Driving on the interstate at 70 miles per hour, without warning the engine stalled. no crank and the car would not restart. panel lights operational, abs and emergency brake warning lights illuminated. car is currently at dealership awaiting repairs.*ak

When the vehicle was started a ticking noise was heard for 1-2 minutes. the driver drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the problem could not be duplicated and that the vehicle was operating normally. *nm *nm

While driving 70 mph vehicle stalled. as result, vehicle coasted to the side of the road. consumer stated he had to wait 30 minutes before starting vehicle again. *ak

Smell of burning plastic coming from underside of vehicle. unknown if heat source is exhaust system or brakes. *ak

I have a 2002 gmc envoy. it suddenly dies at highway speeds. no engine, no brakes, no steering. and won't restart for 30 or 40 minutes. this has happened 6 times, the last 2 on i-99 and the washington beltway, where i was nearly killed by the truck behind me. while searching the net , i discovered about 12 other owners of the same vehicle who experienced the same problems. the dealer can find no problem and gm refuses to help. after a month in the shop, my envoy was returned to me without a fix. the dealer says gm will offer no consideration. i called gm customer relations, talked to a monica cox, no help. subsequent calls to her were not returned. this is a very dangerous vehicle as i have experienced more than once. i don't know how long my luck will hold out. the date of the event that i will indicate below will be for the last episode and is approximate. the vehicle was used but had less than 1000 miles on it when i purchased it. 953 to be exact. *la

While passing another vehicle we lost engine power, no acceleration power, foot had gas pedal all the way to the floor. we were facing a car head on and a ravine on the left. the car we were passing realized there was a problem and we were able to manuver back into the right lane without being hit. we stopped and waited and then tried to restart and was able to have engine power and gas return. i called the dealership and they first told me it must have fixed itself. i was really afraid this would happen again and requested they take the vehicle and run a computer history to see if it stored the code. they confirmed that the throttle body was defective. dealer replaced. i reviewed your website and see all of the same complaints about stalls, engine failure, no acceleration. i contacted gm and requested they take my vehicle as trade in on 2003 yukon that had 2500 miles but, was comparable to my 2002 envoy. i would be back in a 5 year note but, i would feel much safer. the gm complaint clerk i was assigned told me there was not anything he could do because my vehicle was repaired and still under warranty. but, he called the dealer and told them he would allow me a $1000.00 cash voucher to use toward the purchase of a new vehicle. i did not ask for a new vehicle, i was willing to trade for the 2003 but this is a slap in the face. they didn't even want to give me the trade in value on my envoy. i would have then been upside down in a vehicle loan. this is the worst service and treatment i have ever received. these vehicles are dangerous..just look at the complaints for the same problem. we were so close to being killed!! do something! i really hope you will do something to help the consumer before someone does die. (this veh was in the dealer in july and i complained then that i was getting 14mpg in town and 18 on the hwy. they tried to sell me an engine flush. i no longer feel safe in this vehicle.

When reaching 70 mph vehicle shut down without any warning. vehicle had been reapired three times; however problem still exists. *ak

Service engine check light keeps coming on and dealer can't seem to fix. gas milage has dropped. also, doors rattle and air whistles through windows. dealer says they can't do anything about it. intermittent grinding in transmission. dealer can't fix.*ak

While waiting to proceed in traffic with foot on brake and car in drive, engine suddenly stalled out and was unable to be restarted. also, driverside mirror keeps resetting when unlocking the automatic doors. wipers don't function properly when in intermittent mode. car is at dealer now, hopefully they can resolve this. *ak vehicle is equipped with rainsense automatic rain sensing wipers. rainsense works only when in intermittent mode. settings adjust sensitivity of wipers but not frequency. wiper fails to make a complete smooth pass across windshield. they stop several times during their sweep and stutter. after a few second pause they resume their sweep. wipers work fine when set to standard high or low wiper settings. *kmb

I am concern about safety defect that exist in my gmc envoy 2002. i own this vehicle since march 2002 (1 year) and it stalled 5 times already when driving. it happend 3 times when i stopped my vihicle at red traffic light and 2 times when breaking to slow down, driving downhill before a curve. this 2 times have scared me so much that i am affraid to use this car again. i drive cars for 28 years and nothing like that has happend to me in my life. engine stops working, all lights go out and there is no control over the car whatsoever. i am happy no one got hurt in those incidents. this car has only 16k miles on it and has been in service numerous times already, including power steering leak - 2 times repaired. i do not think driving this car is safe and for that reason i cannot use it anymore.

The anti-freeze is turning into a pudding substance. i do not know why it does this, but on all of my gm vehicles this happens. i have them flushed and refilled but the problem continues to occur.*jb

The engine failed in the middle of a busy road. the low engine power light came on, followed by service engine soon light and then the vehicle lost all power. towed to the dealer. problem was cylinder sleeve flew out and damaged the engine. required a new engine. vehicle had 15000 miles on. gm offered to do whatever it takes to keep me happy and loyal. i request from them to credit all the payments i made on this vehicle to the purchase of 2003 escalade . they counter offered an extended warranty for 60,000 miles. i said no. i am buying a land cruiser this weekend. no more gm cars. the worst. including the high end cadillac . just review the complaints on this site and you will see for your self.

February 2003 engine failed at only 8,000 miles. driving at 45 miles an hour, without warning engine stop and car shut down. dealership had to replace engine. i have had several problems since and nothing corrected. dash board lights/computer does not work at times. very loud wind noise while driving. now loud noise coming from engine and dealership cannot fix 100%. this is the first time i have ever felt this unsafe in any vehicle. manufacturer gave and extension on the replaced engine but that does not make me feel safer. i have contacted manufacturer on several occasions. when they do not do anything about all the problems, you cannot complain or go any further than clerk working on your case. even if you mail in a complaint about the clerk, your complaint will only go as far as that clerk assigned to your case. *jb

Consumer was complaining about having problems with the engine. also, while driving vehicle has lost completely power and had no brakes or steering power. dealer was contacted, and had no idea as why this was happening.*ak

The vehicle stalled without warning. *jb