Total Complaints
3 filings
GMC C5500 · model year
2005 GMC C5500
3 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2005GMCC5500 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 2005 C5500 is engine and engine cooling:engine with 2 filings, followed by steering (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 2 investigation files overlapping the 2005 C5500. 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.
3
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:ENGINE | 2 |
| STEERING | 1 |
Recalls (2)
07E08600016/10/2007
SUSPENSION
CERTAIN LINK ULTRARIDE REAR AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEMS, MODEL 8M000070, SOLD FOR INSTALLATION AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT ON GM CHASSIS MODELS 4500 AND 5500, AMBULANCES AND SHUTTLE BUSES. THE AXLE SIDE LATERAL CONTROL BRACKET OF THE SUSPENSION HAS CRACKED IN SOME CASES.
08E00400007/01/2008
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
CERTAIN INTERMOTIVE WHEELCHAIR LIFT INTERLOCK, P/NO. ILIS605-H3 ILIS ACTIVATION KIT (INTERLOCK OPTION FOR GATEWAY 401) SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET FOR 2005 - 2008 CHEVY 560 (C4500 AND C5500 KODIAK) 6.6L DIESEL VEHICLES WHICH A PROTECTION DIODE WAS USED. THE DIODE CAN BE EXPOSED TO VOLTAGE SPIKES GR
Recent Complaints
20181105STEERING
GM HAD A RECALL IN 2007 FOR MEDIUM SIZE TRUCK FOR STEERING BOX PROBLEM FOR STEERING WHEEL BEING OUT OF CENTER AND NOISE OR HARD SPOTS IN STEERING. THE RECALL NO. IS 07220. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK APPX 2 YRS AGO NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE RECALL UNTIL A FRIEND SUGGESTED DOING SOME RESEARCH. VIN NUMBERS AFFECTED BY RECALL IN 2005 WERE [XXX]. MINE BEING [XXX] CLEARLY FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE. IT SAYS IF STEERING BOX NUMBER IS EARLIER THAN BUILD DATE IT HAS BEEN FIXED OR BUILD DATE IS AFTER SOME TIME IN 2007 THEY ARE OKAY.. MY TRUCK ONLY HAD 13,000 MILES WHEN I BOUGHT IT AND NOW HAS 20,000. IT SAYS IF MANUFACTURING DATE IS SAME AS TRUCK BUILD DATE IT HASN'T BEEN FIXED. THE STEERING BOX AND THE TRUCK HAVE THE SAME BUILD DATE APRIL 2005. (0405) I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND SINCE THE VIN CHECK COMES BACK CLEAN THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO. I EVEN HAD A PARTS GUY AT GM DEALER TELL ME THAT A CLEAN VIN CHECK ISN'T ABNORMAL IF THE RECALL IS OLDER. IT SAYS IN THE RECALL THE BOX COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF NOT F
20080918ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
I PURCHASED THREE C-5500 TRUCKS. AS OF NOW I HAVE TWO TRUCKS WITH FAILED ENGINES DUE TO PREVIOUS INJECTOR FAILURE. I AM CURRENTLY OUT OF WARRANTY BUT NOT BEFORE I NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS MAKING MORE NOISE THAN NORMAL. I WAS TOLD THAT IT HAD TO BE BROKEN BEFORE IT COULD BE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. THAT WAS 60,000 MILES AGO. WHICH SHOULD NOT BE MAJOR MILEAGE FOR A DIESEL ENGINE. *TR
Mileage: 165,000
20080918ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
I OWN 3 CHEVORLET C-5500 TRUCKS. TWO OUT OF THE THREE HAVE HAD INJECTOR FAILURE. AFTER THE INJECTOR FAILURE THE TRUCKS ENGINE SEEM TO BE NOISIER. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE NOISE AND WAS TOLD IT HAS TO BE BROKEN BEFORE REPAIRSCAN BE PERFORMED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW I AM OUT OF WARRANTY AND HAVE TWO TRUCKS WITH MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO THE PREVIOUS INJECTOR FAILURES. *TR
Mileage: 165,000
Compare 2005GMCC5500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2005 GMC C5500 have?▼
The 2005 GMC C5500 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2005 GMC C5500?▼
Yes, the 2005 GMC C5500 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is SUSPENSION. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 GMC C5500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2005 GMC C5500 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING.
Is the 2005 GMC C5500 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.