Total Complaints
3 filings
CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 · model year
3 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2011CHEVROLETEXPRESS 1500 carries 3 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 EXPRESS 1500 is exterior lighting with 1 filings, followed by service brakes (1) and air bags (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2011 EXPRESS 1500, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
3 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS AND GMC SAVANA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 135, "PASSENGER CAR BRAKE SYSTEMS." SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A CLEARANCE CONDITION IN WHICH
SUSPENSION:REAR:AXLE:SPINDLE
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, COLORADO, EXPRESS, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; AND GMC CANYON, SIERRA, SAVANA, YUKON AND YUKON XL VEHICLES. THE REAR AXLE CROSS PINS WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND COULD FRAC
MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I INVESTIGATED I FOUND IT WAS PROBABLY RELATED TO THE FRONT AIR BAG SENSORS. WHEN I EXAMINED THE SENSORS I FOUND THAT THE ALUMINUM ALLOY BODY AND THE PLASTIC SHIELD SURROUNDING IT HAD SPLIT WIDE APART WHERE THE STEEL MOUNTING SCREW PASSED THROUGH THE SENSOR HOUSING. BOTH SENSORS HAVE FAILED IN EXACTLY THE SAME MANOR. THE VEHICLE HAS 83,000 MILES ON IT AND DOES NOT HAVE ANY OTHER OF ADVANCED CORROSION ANYWHERE ELSE. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY SEEMED TO HAVE NO INTEREST AND ADVISED ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER AND HAVE IT REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE.
Mileage: 80,000
WE DEVELOPED A SIGNIFICANT LEAK IN A REAR BRAKE LINE OF OUR VAN. THE LEAK DID NOT LEAD TO A LOSS OF CONTROL, BUT THE BRAKE RESERVOIR WAS NEARLY EMPTY WHEN I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE. THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED BASED ON A LARGE SPOT LEFT ON OUR DRIVEWAY UNDER THE VAN. THE VEHICLE WAS PROBABLY DRIVEN ABOUT 50-100 MILES (ONE TO TWO DAYS) AFTER THE LEAK DEVELOPED BUT BEFORE THE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED AND ADDRESSED. WHILE FIXING THE PROBLEM, I FOUND THAT THE LEAK WAS DUE TO AN ASSEMBLY ERROR. THE VAN'S FUEL FILLER DOWN-PIPE HAS A WORM-GEAR CLAMP THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY CLOCKED. THIS CAUSED THE CLAMP TO RUB ONE OF THE REAR BRAKE LINES AND WEAR A HOLE IN IT. I SENT TWO PICTURES SHOWING THE CLAMP AND BRAKE LINE AS I DISCOVERED THEM. I ALSO SENT A PICTURE OF THE DAMAGED LINE AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VAN HAD ABOUT 87,000 MILES WHEN THE LEAK DEVELOPED.
Mileage: 87,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 1500 CARGO VAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS HAD FAILED ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE HEAD LAMPS EACH TIME. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WERE NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. *BF CONSUMER STATED SEALED BEAM LAMPS ON BOTH SIDES WERE REPLACED MULITPLE TIMES. VIN IS INVALID. *JB
Mileage: 12,000
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
Data as of 2025. 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.