CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 · model year

2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500

10 NHTSA complaints, and 1 recall campaign listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002CHEVROLETEXPRESS 1500 carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2002 EXPRESS 1500 is tires with 2 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2002 EXPRESS 1500, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
TIRES2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE1
SEATS1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES1
VISIBILITY1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
SERVICE BRAKES1
SEAT BELTS1

Recalls (1)

07E08800024/10/2007

EQUIPMENT

CERTAIN HONEYWELL FRAM RACING BRAND HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 25, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2007, AND SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR VEHICLES LIST ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FILTERS ARE MARKED WITH A DATE CODE A61451 THROUGH A72571 SEQUENTIALLY. THE DATE CODE AN

Recent Complaints

20150819SEAT BELTS

REAR SEAT BELTS FAIL TO LOCK MY VEHICLE IS A CONVERSION VAN BUILT BY DEBUT IN SAGINAW MICHIGAN. RECENTLY MY GRANDCHILDREN NOTICED THAT THE REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED TO LOCK. THOSE BELTS ARE ON THE SEAT/BED UNIT. THE SEAT BELTS HAVE THE NAME ATWOOD MOBILE PRODUCTS ON THEM. I INSPECTED THE SEAT BELTS AND DETERMINED THAT THE PLASTIC COATING ON THE MALE END OF THE BELT PREVENTED THE MECHANISM FROM PROPERLY LOCKING IN PLACE. I CUT ENOUGH OF THE PLASTIC COATING OFF TO ALLOW THE ENDS TO PROPERLY LOCK IN PLACE. THEY WORK FINE NOW. MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE MAY BE MANY MORE VANS WITH SEAT BELTS THAT DO NOT PROPERLY LOCK IN PLACE.

20140624TIRES

TIRES HAD MORE THAN 50% TREAD LEFT. RIGHT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY STARTED SHAKING THE VEHICLE. DETERMINED BELT HAD BROKE. TIRE DEALER ALSO SAID OTHER FRONT TIRE WAS GOING BAD. A FEW MILES LATER ON A BUSY HIGHWAY READ TIRE SPLIT OPEN . PERFORMANCE TIRE OF TOPEKA AND COOPER TIRE COMPANY WOULD NOT MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENT FOR AN OBVIOUS DEFECT. (3 OUT OF 4 TIRES BREAKING WITHIN A WEEK). *TR

Mileage: 105,000

20130918SERVICE BRAKES

BRAKES FAILED WITH NO WARNING. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT BRAKE LINES BURST DUE TO RUSTING.

Mileage: 105,235

20100408ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY BOTH AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A PLASTIC INTAKE GASKET LEAK. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

Mileage: 50,000

20081001TIRES

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE VEHICLE HAS COOPER COBRA RADIAL TIRES, SIZE P255\70R15 (NA). WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WITHOUT WARNING ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE TIRE WAS CHANGED AND THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO HIS DESTINATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT TIRE COMPANY REPLACED THE TIRE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS CONTINUOUSLY LOW. THE FAILURE MILEAGE, VIN, AND DOT NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN.

20080513LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

SIDE DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE WELL UNLESS DOOR IS SLAMMED. THIS IS BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR HAS MADE THE DOOR LEAN DOWNWARD. *TR

Mileage: 37,000

20080513VISIBILITY

DRIVERS SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR VIBRATES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I HAVE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT BUT I'VE HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE LATE 2002, WHEN THE CAR WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD. *TR

Mileage: 10,000

20080122SEATS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. THE SEAT BRACKETS THAT HOLD THE SEAT TO THE TRACK CONSTANTLY BREAK, WHICH CAUSES THE SEAT TO BECOME OFF TRACK. THE SEAT HAS BEEN REPAIRED TWICE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,474. UPDATED 02-19-08 *BF

Mileage: 26,000

20071101ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500. IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, THE CONTACT NOTICED A LEAK IN THE BACK OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. AS A RESULT, HE HAS TO CONSTANTLY ADD ANTIFREEZE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

Mileage: 28,000

20070218POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TWO WEEKS AGO OUR 4 YEAR OLD 1500 EXPRESS VAN, A CONVERSION VAN, DEVELOPED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE STICKER PRICE WAS OVER $55,000. THE MILEAGE IS 42,000 MILES. WHEN THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE REPAIR COST WOULD BE OVER $3,000, IT PROMPTED ME TO CALL GM CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE RESULT WAS APPROXIMATELY $500 OFF OF THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR, OR A $1,000 BUY OUT TO BE APPLIED TO A PURCHASE OF A NEW GM VEHICLE. THE REASON WE DECIDED TO PURCHASE OUR SECOND CHEVY VAN WAS BECAUSE WE HAD VERY GOOD LUCK WITH OUR 1998 VAN. I USE THE WORD LUCKY INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT EITHER YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE A GM PRODUCT WORK SATISFACTORILY, OR YOU END UP WITH AN UNREASONABLE PROBLEM/COST. OUR CURRENT VAN HAS BEEN A BIG PROBLEM HAVING DIED ON COUNTRY ROADS AT 39,000 MILES. THE COST OF THAT REPAIR WAS OVER $600. TODAY, AS I MENTIONED, WE WERE LOOKING A REPAIR COST OF OVER $3,000. ALL PROBLEMS INCURRED WITH NORMAL USAGE (NO TOWING, ONLY LONG TRIPS, AND REGULAR 3000 MILE OIL CHAN

Compare 2002CHEVROLETEXPRESS 1500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 have?
The 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500?
Yes, the 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500?
The most-complained component for the 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 is TIRES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE.
Is the 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2002 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.