Total Complaints
5 filings
CHEVROLET W3500 · model year
2005 CHEVROLET W3500
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2005CHEVROLETW3500 carries 5 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 2005 W3500 is engine and engine cooling with 1 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan (1) and engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hoses/lines/piping/fittings (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.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2005 W3500, 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050926ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FR
Mileage: 14,100
20050926ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS
PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FR
Mileage: 14,100
20050926POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FR
Mileage: 14,100
20050926ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
PURCHASED 2005 EQUINOX ON 12/14/04 FROM CRANE CHEVROLET IN CLIFTON, NJ. HAD A FUNNY SMELL FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SMELL GOT WORSE. INFORMED BY AN AUTO-GARAGE THAT I NEEDED A FLUSH-SHOULDN'T NEED A FLUSH UNTIL ABOUT 30,000 MILES. HAD APPROX. 14,000 MILES. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER. THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM AMONG OTHER THINGS. GM NOR THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT TO DATE CONTACTED ME FOR THIS RECALL OR ANY OTHER RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. ON (5/27/05) TRUCK TO SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED SERVICE OF RECALL NOTICE I FOUND ON THE INTERNET. TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED HIS COMPUTER AND SAID, "OH YEAH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE COOLING SYSTEM". THEY REPLACED COOLING SYSTEM HAD TO LEAVE TRUCK FOR A HOSE TO BE ORDERED. GOT THE TRUCK BACK-SMELL NOT AS STRONG, BUT STILL THERE. TOLD (BY DEALERSHIP-SERVICE AREA), IT WAS A RESIDUE PRIOR TO COOLING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. SHORT TIME ELAPSED SMELL GETTING STRONGER AND NOISE (GROWLING NOISE) FR
Mileage: 14,100
20050210ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 40 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BY OWNER.*AK *TC
Compare 2005CHEVROLETW3500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2005 CHEVROLET W3500 have?▼
The 2005 CHEVROLET W3500 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 CHEVROLET W3500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2005 CHEVROLET W3500 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS.
Is the 2005 CHEVROLET W3500 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 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.