75 of the
856 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Express
are about the transmission —
9% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2020.
75
Complaints
9%
Share of all complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
-Transmission locked - broken output shaft ring gear weld. -Yes its available for inspection. -Vehicle came to complete stop in middle of freeway as if emergency brake was applied unknowingly. Could be bad if going around corner or downhill -Problem confirmed by dealer -No -No warning signs or check engine light
NHTSA complaint #11736454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost motive power and shuddered abnormally, causing the vehicle to decelerate to 40 MPH. The vehicle was pulled over and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The failure recurred while driving at 40 MPH on several occasions. An independent mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V839000 (POWER TRAIN); and refused to provide a diagnosis without a visible fractured part. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,753.
NHTSA complaint #11726848 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and was shuddering while driving on the highway. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure reoccurred shortly afterwards while driving at 15 MPH. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but it was not diagnosed. The vehicle was then driven to a dealer, where the contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V839000 (POWER TRAIN); and associated the issue with the recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11721782 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting a recurring transmission defect in my 2019 Chevy Express Cargo Van. Shortly after purchase, I noticed clunking sounds when slowing down or coming to a stop. The issue progressed into rough shifting and eventual check engine lights with codes P0722 and P0700. The dealership stated the valve body had already been replaced in 2020 and suspects the torque converter is the root cause, which is causing repeated valve body failures. These transmission failures create unsafe driving conditions, including loss of smooth deceleration and unpredictable shifting behavior. I believe this is a design flaw affecting the Hydra-Matic transmission system and may qualify as a safety risk. There are multiple class action lawsuits currently pending regarding GM’s 8-speed transmissions (Speerly v. GM; Battle v. GM), and many consumers are reporting similar symptoms.
NHTSA complaint #11686435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2021 Chevrolet express van with an 8L90 transmission has failed after only 80k miles, willing to have it inspected. Check engine codes show P0700 and P2714 on 02/08/25. No prior warning lamps. This product has put my safety at risk due to overheating and making the vehicle go into limp mode while on public roadways. The product is known to fail for trucks alike with the same transmission but has yet to be reported for the Chevrolet express. Has only been confirmed via OBDii scanner from parts shop.
NHTSA complaint #11647184 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the contact continued to drive the vehicle normally. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to vibrate abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission and the driveshaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
NHTSA complaint #11644633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the contact continued to drive the vehicle normally. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to vibrate abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission and the driveshaft had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
NHTSA complaint #11644633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the “Service Engine” warning light flashed on and off. The contact stated that after arriving to the residence and shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and the contact was able to park the vehicle. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the Progressive Snapshot device had caused the failure. The vehicle was repaired, and the Snapshot device was removed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
NHTSA complaint #11634601 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
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.
When I come to stop in traffic the drivetrain suddenly jolts and pushes the vehicle forward potentially pushing me into the car or traffic in front of me unless I put it in neutral or press hard on the brakes approaching the stoplight. Happens everyday.
NHTSA complaint #11587552 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Express 2500. The contact stated that while her husband was driving, the vehicle failed to accelerate after a stop. The vehicle failed to shift into reverse but continued to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
NHTSA complaint #11550877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Express. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped with the transmission in reverse(R), the vehicle moved forward. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 4,783.
NHTSA complaint #11535437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.