2000 GMC Jimmy Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2000 GMC Jimmy most often describe front-end suspension wear — upper and lower ball joints, tie rods and wheel hub bearings — frequently appearing well before 60,000 miles. Brake corrosion and wear, transmission failures and leaking engine oil cooler lines follow closely, and fuel gauge failure is a recurring complaint. Many reports come from vehicles in their first few years of use, though door and lighting complaints appear later in life.

1. 1
   Suspension

   Ball joint and front-end wear

   • 31 complaints (15%)
   • median 53,111 mi at 4.8 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2001–2012

   Complaints describe worn or broken upper and lower ball joints, inner and outer tie rods and front wheel hub bearings, sometimes on vehicles with modest mileage and regular dealer service. Several owners report a ball joint separating while driving, leaving the wheel leaning inward and in some accounts severing a brake hose; others describe repeated ball joint replacement within tens of thousands of miles. Owners say a dealer or independent shop performed the repairs, and some mention partial goodwill coverage after warranty. Mostly reported between roughly 25,000 and 90,000 miles, with some failures past 100,000 miles.

   What to check: Have a shop inspect the ball joints, tie rods and front hub bearings on a lift before buying, and ask for service records showing whether they have already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my 2000 Gmc Jimmy my left side upper ball joint broke. Luckily I had just came out of a sharp corner and my speed was only about 25 MPH. A car had just passed in the other direction when my vehicle swerved to the left, halfway into the other lane before I was able to get control of it. Upon inspection, the tire was leaning inward and my brake line was severed. I had to use my emergency brake to stop.”

   NHTSA complaint #10487301, filed 2012-12, 127,115 miles

   “I own a 2000 Jimmy and have gone through 2 sets of upper and lower ball joints and at this time the left lower ball joints went again. What is the problem with the ball joints? This is costly to repair, as wel as dangerous, affecting the steering. I would like to know what improvments are being done to correct the problem, and if it is a common occurance among other Gmc SUV's. There should not be disposible parts put on the front end of any vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10102566, filed 2004-12, 72,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake rotor corrosion and worn brakes

   • 30 complaints (14%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $460 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2015

   Owners report brake noise, vibration and premature pad and rotor wear, often with rear or all four rotors described as heavily corroded and not resurfaceable. Some complaints mention leaking at the rear brake hose or caliper, a wheel cylinder replaced repeatedly, and a corroded or cracked steel brake line that led to fluid loss and a pedal going to the floor. Repairs were commonly done at a dealer or brake shop at the owner's expense, with some work declined as wear items. Reported from about 24,000 miles upward, with many between 40,000 and 90,000 miles; brake line corrosion reports tend to come at higher mileage.

   Recall 99V220000

   What to check: Ask when the pads, rotors and brake fluid were last serviced, and have the steel brake lines and hoses inspected for corrosion or seepage, especially at the rear.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Sometimes when applying brakes I heard a noise. Took vehicle to dealer and was informed that I needed new front and rear brakes. In addition, rear rotors were so coroded that they where not resurfacable and needed to be replaced. Total charge $1000. Why would rear rotors corode so severely after only 46,900 miles and 3.25 years of driving?”

   NHTSA complaint #10062259, filed 2004-03, 46,900 miles

   “Noticed dampness around the left rear brake hose to rear brake caliper. We took our vehicle to be inspected and were told that there are 2 copper washers that are causing the leak and requires replacement. We were also told that this is quite a common problem. If this was not repaired and the leak continued, it would have resulted in the loss brake performance, loss of vehicle control and injury to the occupants.”

   NHTSA complaint #10255996, filed 2009-01, 62,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission failure (4L60-E)

   • 19 complaints (9%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 4.9 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2000–2007

   Complaints describe sudden loss of gears, a pop or whine followed by no movement, or loss of reverse, sometimes with the transmission shop or dealer reporting internal sun gear or sun shell damage. Several owners say the unit was rebuilt or replaced at their own cost, and some report a dealer describing the failure as something they see often. A few complaints also mention four-wheel-drive engagement issues or delayed throttle response. Most often reported between about 38,000 and 90,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that all gears engage cleanly and that shifts are firm, ask for transmission service records or rebuild paperwork, and test four-wheel-drive engagement if the vehicle has it.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I put my 2000 Jimmy in reverse and heard a pop sound then it would not move at all so I put it in drive a it did move then but it wined so I had to call a wrecker to come get it.I bought it from a ford dealer they said it was the valve body it would cost 650.00 to fix but I also but the extended warrenty but it was already out the said 4 out of 5 Jimmy have the same problem”

   NHTSA complaint #10121129, filed 2005-05, 87,000 miles

   “1st 3 time now my check engine light went on for the samr thing secondary air injector system malfunction.it was just a bad sensor its still doing it.they want 140. Just for parts to fix it. 2nd I spent about 1000.00 to fix frount brakes rotors pads andwheel berrings.the owner of the garage said that he fixed about 50 of these a year my SUV was only 2 at the time 3rdi also spent almost 3000. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10119845, filed 2005-05, 75,000 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge reads inaccurately

   • 19 complaints (9%)
   • median 91,500 mi at 7.1 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2002–2017

   Owners report the fuel gauge sticking, fluctuating or reading full when the tank is empty, especially below half a tank, forcing them to track mileage with the trip odometer. Several say a mechanic identified the fuel level sensor, which sits with the pump in the tank, and that the repair was costly; one complaint describes gasoline leaking from the spider injector area between the firewall and engine and a strong fuel smell. Reported mostly between about 60,000 and 150,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Note the gauge reading before and after a fill-up and watch for a fuel smell under the hood or in the cabin; ask whether the fuel level sensor has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I continue to have constant problems with my 2000 Gmc Jimmy. First thing that happened was the gas gauge just started messing up. Giving false reading. I ran out of fuel two times because the gas gauge showed I had half of tank of gas and apparently it was empty. Leaving me sitting on the side of the road way out in the country. The second time this happened it cost me my current job. My employer did not believe that my gas gage would give such false readings!”

   NHTSA complaint #10234117, filed 2008-07, 150,135 miles

   “For the past two years my 2000 Gmc Jimmy has had continuous malfunctioning fuel gauge which is not reliable. The fuel quantity needle fluctuates and is un reliable. The dealer says the repair is expensive and is not covered, due to the vehicle being out of warranty period. The vehicle mileage is tracked to determine approx fuel quantity. I am submitting this report to urge the odi to effect a vehicle recall to fix this wide spread problem with the 2000 my Gmc Jimmy vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10223468, filed 2008-04, 128,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine cooling

   Engine oil cooler line and gasket leaks

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe oil leaking from the cooler lines, timing cover, oil pan or intake manifold gasket, sometimes with oil dripping onto the exhaust and producing a burning smell. Owners report paying for hose or line replacement, and in one account a full loss of oil on the road; some mention cooling system leaks and coolant loss alongside the oil leaks. Mostly reported between about 29,000 and 66,000 miles, with a few later.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check for oil residue and a burning smell around the cooler lines, timing cover and underside, and watch the oil level between changes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Noticed a unusual odor coming from the engine area in late december, 2008. We took our Jimmy in for routine service (1/21/2009) it was recommended that the engine oil cooler lines were leaking and need to be replaced. We found out that the oil was dripping on the exhaust system causing the unusual odor. This could result in a fire and loss of vehicle or injury to the occupants if it was not noted by the dealer technician.”

   NHTSA complaint #10255994, filed 2009-01, 62,948 miles

   “My 2000 Jimmy has leaks assoxiated with the oil lines. I have found out that this is and has been a known problem for many years. Where is the recall? I just spent over $400 to repair...GM should pick up this cost.”

   NHTSA complaint #10057096, filed 2004-02, 44,500 miles

Buying note. Inspect the front suspension and brakes carefully and ask for records of ball joint, hub bearing, brake line and transmission work, since those are the areas owners describe most. A pre-purchase inspection that includes the underside and a road test of all gears and four-wheel drive is worth the cost on this model year.

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.