Owners have filed 17 complaints
about the 2018 Chevrolet Express with NHTSA between 2019 and 2025.
The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain.
Across this model's run it ranks 20 of 25 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 26
Against the median year of the Chevrolet Express. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 30
5.9% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 100
63% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
How 2018 compares with every other Chevrolet Express
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2018 Chevrolet Express
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Electrical System
423.5%
0 crashes, 1 fires · median 33,641 mi
Transmission & Drivetrain
423.5%
Median failure at 70,000 miles
Other & Unspecified
317.6%
Median failure at 12,600 miles
Brakes
211.8%
Median failure at 7,241 miles
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
15.9%
Median failure at 60,000 miles
Suspension
15.9%
Median failure at 468 miles
Body & Structure
15.9%
Steering
15.9%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
112.5%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
337.5%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
112.5%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
337.5%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Mar 2019peak 3Jan 2025
Recalls on the 2018 Chevrolet Express
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 20245431,228 units in Canada
Brakes
Issue: On certain vehicles, the brake lines could become damaged by contact with the body mounts. This could lead to a brake fluid leak and cause reduced braking. Note: This recall only affects certain cutaway chassis vehicles. Safety Risk: Reduced braking can cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake lines.
Recall 202321025,587 units in Canada
Electrical
Issue: On certain vehicles, an unused wiring harness for a rear HVAC blower motor, located in the left B-pillar area, could become damaged if exposed to moisture or contaminants. If this happens, the wires could short circuit. Note: This recall only affects cutaway chassis incomplete vehicles. Safety Risk: A short circuit can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealership to seal the wiring for the rear HVAC blower motor at the left B-pillar.
Recall 20211032,360 units in Canada
Tires
Issue: Certain vehicles were built with tires that may have been cured too long. As a result, the sidewall could crack or the tread and belts could separate. This could lead to a sudden loss of air pressure and could cause a tire failure. Note: This recall only affects certain Continental tires, with specific date codes and mold numbers. Safety Risk: A tire failure could cause a loss of control and increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify the owners by mail and instruct them to take the vehicle to a dealer to inspect and replace the tires, if necessary.
Recall 202047956,979 units in Canada
Other
Issue: Certain vehicles may have incorrect body control module software. As a result, the immobilization system is not active during the learning procedure for a new "unlearned" blank replacement key could be used during a 30 minute reprogramming procedure to disable the immobilization system. During this time, the vehicle cannot be driven. Safety Risk: This small error does not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. General Motors has made changes to vehicle software to ensure that all unsold and new vehicles have the correct body control module software.
Recall 20185251,077 units in Canada
Heater And Defroster
On certain vehicles equipped with a single manual rear climate control module (CCM), the CCM could overheat when the temperature is set to maximum heat or the knob is set to maximum floor vent. If this occurs, the insulation material used on the CCM terminal connectors could catch fire, increasing the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will remove the insulation from the CCM terminal connectors.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Phoenix, AZFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Unknown, electrical fire from inside passenger door, no external heat source, and heat source seems to be from inside the door. Vehicle was parked while fire occurred.
NHTSA complaint #11418581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Kenner, LA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While travelling down the road the "service Stabilitrak" and "service traction control" messages come on in the Driver Information Center and the lights for each component are lit in the dashboard. On occasion, the emergency brake light comes when I know the emergency brake is off. My safety is at risk because I'm not sure if the lights are indicating a problem or if the lights are malfunctioning as they come on every time I take a trip in this vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by three different Chevrolet dealers, one of them three times and no fix has solved the problem. The dealers confirm the problem, but cannot find the solution. Chevrolet headquarters is well aware of the issue and have paid toward some of the dealer charges. The issue has been going since I purchased the vehicle in 2019.
NHTSA complaint #11634944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Glen Allen, VA
POWER TRAIN
The transmission started to fail at around 65k miles. There were no warning signs, it just began shifting hard and then began slipping. It was taken to a transmission shop and the fluids were replaced, but this did not change anything. It was at this time we were told the transmission would need to be replaced, but they had no means to obtain a replacement. It has been over two years since the problems started and the transmission is still in the vehicle and we drive it daily. It continues to slip going up through the gears and progressively gets worse during the day. By the end of the day you cannot pull out in front of anyone for fear of it slipping and not grabbing the next gear. This is an obvious danger to us and other drivers around us. The problem has been evaluated by the Chevrolet dealer and two other independent shops. The fluids have been changed but this did not help. Only the dealer has been able to provide a solution which is to replace the transmission. This was quoted to cost $11,000. Due to this high price and no alternative options, we've continued to drive the vehicle as safely as possible.
NHTSA complaint #11604194 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Slingerlands, NY
POWER TRAIN
when the vehicle approaches 45-50 mph on the highway, the car begins to shake violently, where it feels like the body/frame of the vehicle is going to separate from the car. the only way to resolve/reset this is to bring the vehicle to an almost complete stop and then re-accelerate. when this happens on the highway everyone violently shakes in the vehicle, and it is difficult to quickly bring the car to a halt as other cars are traveling at highway speeds behind the vehicle. this has been taken to the dealership multiple times over the years with no resolution.
NHTSA complaint #11595186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Slingerlands, NY
STEERING
when the vehicle approaches 45-50 mph on the highway, the car begins to shake violently, where it feels like the body/frame of the vehicle is going to separate from the car. the only way to resolve/reset this is to bring the vehicle to an almost complete stop and then re-accelerate. when this happens on the highway everyone violently shakes in the vehicle, and it is difficult to quickly bring the car to a halt as other cars are traveling at highway speeds behind the vehicle. this has been taken to the dealership multiple times over the years with no resolution.
NHTSA complaint #11595186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Slingerlands, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
when the vehicle approaches 45-50 mph on the highway, the car begins to shake violently, where it feels like the body/frame of the vehicle is going to separate from the car. the only way to resolve/reset this is to bring the vehicle to an almost complete stop and then re-accelerate. when this happens on the highway everyone violently shakes in the vehicle, and it is difficult to quickly bring the car to a halt as other cars are traveling at highway speeds behind the vehicle. this has been taken to the dealership multiple times over the years with no resolution.
NHTSA complaint #11595186 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Slingerlands, NY
POWER TRAIN
Since purchasing this vehicle in 2018 we have had an ongoing issue of the car randomly going into a violent shaking when exceeding speeds of about 60mph, it happens without warning, and other than coming to an almost standstill, it is impossible to recover the vehicle. This is extremely dangerous on the freeway. Have taken the vehicle to Chevrolet dealership multiple times without any resolution. They would charge us for an alignment and this never fixed the problem. This continues to be an ongoing issue, and now having researched it on the internet, I am reading this is not a unique experience by Chevrolet/GM truck owners.
NHTSA complaint #11516209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Slingerlands, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Since purchasing this vehicle in 2018 we have had an ongoing issue of the car randomly going into a violent shaking when exceeding speeds of about 60mph, it happens without warning, and other than coming to an almost standstill, it is impossible to recover the vehicle. This is extremely dangerous on the freeway. Have taken the vehicle to Chevrolet dealership multiple times without any resolution. They would charge us for an alignment and this never fixed the problem. This continues to be an ongoing issue, and now having researched it on the internet, I am reading this is not a unique experience by Chevrolet/GM truck owners.
NHTSA complaint #11516209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Slingerlands, NY
STRUCTURE:BODY
Since purchasing this vehicle in 2018 we have had an ongoing issue of the car randomly going into a violent shaking when exceeding speeds of about 60mph, it happens without warning, and other than coming to an almost standstill, it is impossible to recover the vehicle. This is extremely dangerous on the freeway. Have taken the vehicle to Chevrolet dealership multiple times without any resolution. They would charge us for an alignment and this never fixed the problem. This continues to be an ongoing issue, and now having researched it on the internet, I am reading this is not a unique experience by Chevrolet/GM truck owners.
NHTSA complaint #11516209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesNinilchik, AK
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the defroster would intermittently fail to operate as needed. The contact mentioned that the defroster might start working when driving over a pothole or an obstruction in the road. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). The contact also discovered that the rear window was made out of tempered glass which failed to comply with FMVSS standards; she was also able to link that failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V387000 (Visibility). The manufacturer was notified of both failures and informed her that the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System) was already performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer also informed her that the VIN was no longer included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). The contact was also referred to the dealer, but they offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11447540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 60,000 milesNinilchik, AK
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the defroster would intermittently fail to operate as needed. The contact mentioned that the defroster might start working when driving over a pothole or an obstruction in the road. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). The contact also discovered that the rear window was made out of tempered glass which failed to comply with FMVSS standards; she was also able to link that failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V387000 (Visibility). The manufacturer was notified of both failures and informed her that the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System) was already performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer also informed her that the VIN was no longer included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V655000 (Electrical System). The contact was also referred to the dealer, but they offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11447540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 70,000 milesWashington, DC
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that the gear shifter would shake when shifting gears. Over time, the shifter cable fractured without warning. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where he was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The contact disputed the diagnosis and notified the manufacturer of the failure. The manufacturer initially agreed to repair the gear shifter under warranty; however, they later informed him that they would only cover 10% of the cost for the repair. The contact was provided with a case number. The contact then had the vehicle towed to Ourisman Chevrolet Buick GMC of Alexandria (1800 Old Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22303) where he was charged for the repair to the shifter cable. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11435920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phoenix, AZFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Unknown, electrical fire from inside passenger door, no external heat source, and heat source seems to be from inside the door. Vehicle was parked while fire occurred.
NHTSA complaint #11418581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 7,200 milesWheatridge, CO
SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN 2500. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKING SYSTEM ERRONEOUSLY ACTIVATED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP ABRUPTLY. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT BEING DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PURAFOY CHEVROLET (601 DENVER AVE, FORT LUPTON, CO) WHO REPROGRAMMED THE BRAKE MODULE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,200.
NHTSA complaint #11281820 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 7,283 milesWheatridge, CO
SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKES APPLIED AUTOMATICALLY. TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM STOPPING ABRUPTLY, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO CONTINUE DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS, INCLUDING EMICH CHEVROLET (303-647-5376, LOCATED AT 2033 S WADSWORTH BLVD, LAKEWOOD, CO 80227) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,283.
NHTSA complaint #11244426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 7,283 milesWheatridge, CO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKES APPLIED AUTOMATICALLY. TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM STOPPING ABRUPTLY, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO CONTINUE DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS, INCLUDING EMICH CHEVROLET (303-647-5376, LOCATED AT 2033 S WADSWORTH BLVD, LAKEWOOD, CO 80227) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT THE VEHICLE PERFORMED AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,283.
NHTSA complaint #11244426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 468 milesWausau, WI
SUSPENSION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 4500. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD SEVERAL BANGING SOUNDS UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT EXAMINED UNDERNEATH THE CAMPER AND DISCOVERED THAT THE SPRINGS WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO CARRY THE LOAD OF THE CAMPER.THE 2018 CHEV 4500 IS THE PROBLEM THE SPRINGS ARE NOT HEAVY ENOUGH AND IT LAYS ON THE STOPS AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CAMPER WAS RIDING OVER THE YELLOW, RUBBER OVERLOAD STOPS. ACCORDING TO THE FRONT END TAG OF THE CAMPER, THE CAMPER HAD THE ABILITY TO HAUL UP TO 4,600 LBS; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT'S LOAD WAS LESS THAN THE WEIGHT CAPACITY. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURES. THE COACHMEN MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAMPER WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 468. THE VIN WAS INVALID. *TR
NHTSA complaint #11244191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 12,600 milesBrockton, MA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TAKARA RECALL. MY CHEVY EXPRESS HAS VIBRATION IN THE FLOOR AND STEERING WHEEL AT SPECIFIC SPEED, ONE AT 28 TO 30 MPH, ANOTHER AT 38 TO 40 MPH AND AGAIN AT 48 TO 50 MPH. THIS IS VERY ANOYING GIVE THAT THE VAN HAS ONLY 13K MILES ON IT.
NHTSA complaint #11184656 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.