2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 Problems
- Complaints
- 104filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 68,000miles, 91 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 0campaigns on record
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error
What owners report
The 2005 GMC Envoy XL's complaints are dominated by two things: an erratic fuel gauge that owners commonly connect to the fuel level sensor in the tank, and instrument cluster gauges (speedometer, oil, temperature) that read wrong or quit. Both tend to appear in the 40,000-90,000 mile range, and most describe the problem beginning at or right after a fill-up. Scattered reports also cover cracked exhaust manifolds, door and rear-hatch hardware, and cooling-system parts.
- Fuel system
Fuel gauge reads wrong or stays on empty
- 48 complaints (46%)
- median 70,130 mi at 5.9 yrs old (44 state mileage)
- owner-quoted repair $600 (median of 9 quotes)
- filed 2008–2018
Owners describe the gauge going to empty right after a fill-up, then swinging between empty and full, chiming the low-fuel warning while the tank is full, or simply stopping at empty. Many say the dealer identified the fuel level sensor or sending unit in the tank and quoted several hundred to over a thousand dollars for the repair, sometimes noting a prior repair under warranty that did not last. Some describe running out of fuel and stalling because they could not tell how much gas was left. Mostly reported between about 30,000 and 90,000 miles, very often starting immediately after refueling.
What to check: Ask whether the fuel level sensor or pump assembly has been replaced and when; on a test drive, fill the tank and watch the gauge for several minutes to see whether it registers and holds steady.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“My 2005 Gmc envoy sl only has 47,000 miles. I experienced dash electronics concerning warning indicator lights ( power train cooloing fan at 46,000 miles ) and gas tank level gauage stopped working at 40,000 miles. I have been told that this issue related to an overall sensor problem and will effect the headlights and other safety related issues.”
NHTSA complaint #10421696, filed 2011-08, 40,000 miles“I have a 2005 Gmc envoy. The gas gauge had started having problems at 60,000 miles. It completely stopped working at 77,000 to 80,000 miles. I bought the car used in 2008 with only 45,000 miles. My job has me on the highway a lot. I tried to estimate the miles. But this is very dangerous I have ran out of gas on highway 820 at 260 miles after filling up. I ran out on highway 30 at 320 miles. …”
NHTSA complaint #10412359, filed 2011-07, 80,000 miles - Electrical system
Instrument cluster gauges fail or read inaccurately
- 29 complaints (28%)
- median 66,000 mi at 6.3 yrs old (25 state mileage)
- owner-quoted repair $500 (median of 5 quotes)
- filed 2007–2016
Complaints describe the speedometer reading high or low, sticking at a fixed number while parked, or dropping to zero while driving, and oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges behaving erratically or pegging hot. Several owners were told the whole instrument panel cluster needed replacement, while others were first sold an oil sending unit or thermostat that did not resolve it. Spread from roughly 40,000 to over 130,000 miles, typically appearing gradually rather than all at once.
What to check: With the engine running, check that every gauge sits where it should at idle and moves smoothly on a test drive; ask whether the cluster or any sending units have been replaced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I had trouble with the gauge that shows overheating.I took the car in to put in a thermostat thinking it was the problem,but when I took it in they said that my cluster was bad and the gauges were messed up.I paid $392.00 for the cluster and $100.00 for labor.I bought this vehicle used with 119,000 miles on it on 6/20/2011 and on 2/23/2013 I had the cluster replaced with mileage of 132,356. …”
NHTSA complaint #10810675, filed 2015-12, 132,356 miles“While traveling on the interstate in the evening, the speedometer became stuck at about 30 MPH. We pulled off at a rest stop and turned off the engine, hoping that the speedometer would reset itself. Upon restarting the vehicle, the speedometer sat at 60 MPH, even though we were still sitting at the rest stop--not moving. We tried turning off the engine again and this time when we restarted the vehicle, the speedometer needle stuck at over 120 MPH--again we were not moving. …”
NHTSA complaint #10504178, filed 2013-03, 135,550 miles - Engine cooling
Cracked exhaust manifold / exhaust smell
- 14 complaints (13%)
- median 90,935 mi at 6.4 yrs old (14 state mileage)
- filed 2007–2016
Owners report a ticking or tapping sound when the engine is cold that fades as it warms, along with exhaust smell inside the cabin while driving. Shops diagnosed a cracked exhaust manifold in these cases, and owners note the same pattern being reported across similar GM trucks and SUVs. Reported from roughly 80,000 to 110,000 miles in the sample.
What to check: Listen for a cold-start tick near the exhaust manifold and check for exhaust odor in the cabin; ask whether manifold or exhaust work has been done.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“The exhaust manifold on my 2005 Gmc envoy xl slt is cracked. I have researched and discovered many of these Gmc envoy and chevy trailblazers have this same incident occurring.”
NHTSA complaint #10301722, filed 2010-01, 82,000 miles“Smell of exhaust while driving. Noticed engine made a ticking sound which went away after engine got warm. Brought vehicle into a service center and a diagnosis of a cracked exhaust was made. Have noticed many other trailblazer and rnvoy owners complaints of exact same issue. Because of the nature of carbon monoxide poisoning in the cab I am entering this into the safety complaint database.”
NHTSA complaint #10417677, filed 2011-08, 110,000 miles - Body and structure
Door latches and rear hatch hardware problems
- 9 complaints (9%)
- median 68,000 mi at 4.3 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
- 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2008–2016
Complaints describe passenger door latches seizing so the doors will not open from inside or outside, which owners link to water and road salt getting into the door. Others report the rear hatch struts and lift mechanism failing from frequent use, and the rear glass door coming loose at its hinges. Reported from about 20,000 to 105,000 miles, with latch trouble mainly noted in winter and salty-road conditions.
What to check: Open and close every door and the rear hatch several times, check that latches release smoothly and struts hold the hatch, and look for looseness where the glass attaches.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Rear glass door came unglued at hinges damaging the struts and almost falling on my head. Dealer was contacted and replacing the glass door was suggested at $1500.00. Repairing attempted using glue and glass door came loose again. It was a near miss, could become a fatality. Main rear door struts were damage and the door almost hit me again.”
NHTSA complaint #10250108, filed 2008-11, 48,000 miles“1. Events leading up to the failure were normal driving in winter conditions. 2. Passenger door latches seize from corrosion. Passenger doors will not open, passengers could not exit vehicle after a 4 hour ride. There is no seal to prevent water, salt, debris from entering the inside of the door and the door latch mechanisms during normal vehicular operation. 3. Door latches were replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #10300262, filed 2010-01, 68,000 miles - Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
Cabin fan resistor and blower failure
Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints
Owners describe the air conditioner or blower working only on lower speeds or cutting out on the highest setting, sometimes with a burning smell through the vents. In the complaints that were diagnosed, the blower resistor and its connector were found burned or melted, and the resistor, pigtail and blower were replaced. Reported in the sample around 150,000 miles, with symptoms building over time.
What to check: Run the blower through every speed setting and note any burning smell or dead setting; ask whether the blower resistor or connector has been replaced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Air conditioner quit working on level 5, would work on level 1-4, level 5 would keep turning off. Shortly after this within the same day I could smell something burning coming through the air vents. Mechanics noted and showed me that the resistor plugs on the back had burned and melted together, that's what was causing the burning smell. Needed a new resistor, pig tail, and blower. Also my fuel gauge and RPM are broke, have not been working for the past 3 years.”
NHTSA complaint #10465981, filed 2012-07, 150,000 miles“Fuel gauge malfunctions and will not work properly. When vehicle is filled to full tank level, there is a click sound and the gauge goes all the way to the empty position, then warning light and very low fuel indicator light comes on. This is the 2nd GM vehicle I have had problems with. Once the warranty expires everything starts to go wrong such as fuel pump/sensor, radiator/fan motor, A/C, front wheel bearings. The more I try to maintain these vehicles the more problems. I will purchase a honda, nissan, toyota next time.”
NHTSA complaint #10410392, filed 2011-07, 67,000 miles
Buying note. Budget for a fuel level sensor repair and a possible instrument cluster replacement on this model year, and verify both work during a test drive. A pre-purchase inspection that checks the exhaust manifold and every door latch is worthwhile.
Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.
NHTSA recorded 104 consumer complaints for the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370. 91 of the complaints include a mileage, and 26% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 68,000 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 126 technical service bulletins for this model year.
Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Fuel system55 53%
- Electrical system29 28%
- Engine cooling9 8.6%
- Air bags4 3.9%
- Equipment4 3.9%
- Steering4 3.9%
- Body and structure4 3.9%
- Brakes3 2.9%
- Engine3 2.9%
Also reported: Exterior lighting (3), Latches, locks and linkages (3), Electronic stability control (2), Interior lighting (1), Other or unknown (1), Seat belts (1), Vehicle speed control (1).
Example complaints
Fuel system: “I filled my tank at a gas station and when leaving the check engine light came on and the fuel gauge dropped down to e and low fuel light came on. After 10-15 seconds the fuel gauge went all the way to full . A few minutes later it did the same thing again, and has continued.”
NHTSA complaint #10520249, filed 2013-06, 70,260 milesElectrical system: “I have a 2005 Gmc envoy and I have had to replace a water pump, a blower motor wiring harness that melted into my truck, the lights are half out on me heater and my door panel where you put the windows up and down, the windshield wiper in the back works when it wants my speedometer is stuck on 40 even when its off and my check engine light is on and I bought this truck less than 2 years ago!”
NHTSA complaint #10378859, filed 2011-01, 60,000 milesEngine cooling: “I have owned my 2005 envoy xl since june of 2006. Once, I passed 36,000 miles, I started experience lots of issues with my vehicle. I started hearing a knocking noise in the rear when I would turn on the AC and the steering was off somewhat. I had the steering fixed for around $400 but the knocking was going to cost around the same amount. Less then 10,000 miles later, the knocking noise is more persistent and is related to issues with the fuel pump. My gas hand will move to empty when I fill the tank up and will not move forward for days at a time. …”
NHTSA complaint #10264028, filed 2009-04, 38,000 milesVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “2005 Gmc envoy xl back rear door window bracket detached the first time, the second time the bracket itself broke and shattered the rear window. This is a design flaw that people all over the country have experienced. I am trying to get warranty to cover it but they keep telling me they don't cover broken glass, well if the bracket didn't snap in 2 the glass would not have broken. I am very lucky I was not blinded by the explosion of glass. I took pictures which show pieces of glass over 20 feet away. …”
NHTSA complaint #10374961, filed 2011-01, 67,000 milesMileage when problems were reported
26% of the 91 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 49,000 and 92,450 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Recalls and investigations
NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 126 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 11020816Jul 18, 2025Other or unknown. This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- 11019074May 30, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
- 11019073May 30, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
- 11019072May 30, 2025Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.
- 11008956Sep 9, 2024Other or unknown. This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only).
- 11007208Sep 6, 2024Other or unknown. This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires…
- 11006621Aug 26, 2024Electrical system. Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need…
- 11007091Aug 5, 2024Engine. This service bulletin provides guidelines and diagnostic/repair information to technicians regarding vehicle engine oil consumption.
- 11006421Jul 24, 2024Transmission and drivetrain. GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging…
- 11004761Jun 28, 2024Fuel system, Engine. This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with…
Other model years of the GMC Envoy XL 370
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 5 | 116,140 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 104 | 68,000 | 0 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 7 | 98,000 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2003 | 7 | 143,000 | 0 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
All GMC Envoy XL 370 model years
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370?
The 2005 GMC Envoy XL's complaints are dominated by two things: an erratic fuel gauge that owners commonly connect to the fuel level sensor in the tank, and instrument cluster gauges (speedometer, oil, temperature) that read wrong or quit. The issues reported most often: Fuel gauge reads wrong or stays on empty; Instrument cluster gauges fail or read inaccurately; Cracked exhaust manifold / exhaust smell.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 have?
NHTSA recorded 104 consumer complaints for the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 is reported most often?
Fuel system is named most often, in 55 complaints (53% of the total), followed by electrical system with 29.
Has the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 been recalled?
NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
At what mileage are problems with the 2005 GMC Envoy XL 370 reported?
Among the 91 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 68,000 miles and the middle half falls between 49,000 and 92,450 miles; 26% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.