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2018 GMC Savana Owner Complaints

Updated May 30, 2026
Ryan Davis

Complaint Summary

The 2018 GMC Savana has 5 reported complaints.

  • Top issues involve service brakes and suspension.

Reliability Score

Reliability Score

7.9/ 10

Based on 5 complaints

Most Frequent Issues

SERVICE BRAKES

1 20%

SUSPENSION

1 20%

WHEELS

1 20%

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

1 20%

ENGINE

1 20%

Quick Insights

  • The top category is SERVICE BRAKES, accounting for 20% of all complaints.

  • Owners have reported issues across 5 distinct vehicle systems.

  • Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.

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Complaint Summary

What owners keep reporting on the 2018 GMC Savana

The 2018 GMC Savana has 5 owner complaints in this dataset. SERVICE BRAKES is the most common complaint category, representing about 20% of the reports shown here.

Most common complaint categories

The top complaint groups for the 2018 GMC Savana are SERVICE BRAKES (1), SUSPENSION (1), WHEELS (1).

Are these complaints a serious red flag?

Potentially. 3 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.

What should buyers inspect on a used 2018 GMC Savana?

Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.

Read the full buyer guideRecall report and remedy notesMaintenance costs and intervals2017 Savana complaints2019 Savana complaints2020 Savana complaints

Detailed Complaint Log

Showing 5 of 5 systems

SERVICE BRAKES

1 Report20% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

AFTER WAITING MY TURN TO PAY A TOLL ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE EXIT IN TOLEDO, THE VAN DID NOT STOP WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND I RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. MY VAN BRAKES HAD BEEN WORKING AS WE EASED UP TO THE TOLL BOTH WITH ABOUT 6 CARS AHEAD OF ME. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES THE WHOLE TIME. WHEN I WAS SECOND ON LINE, I EASED UP ON THE BRAKES. BUT, THE VAN WOULD NOT STOP EVEN THOUGH I STOMPED ON THE BRAKES TWICE VERY HARD, IT STIL WOULD NOT STOP.

1/27/2019

SUSPENSION

1 Report20% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

MY 2018 VAN IS AN EXPLORER CONVERSION WITH 13000 MILES ON IT. IT WAS TAKEN TO GMC FOR REPAIRS FOR WHAT THE TECH IS CALLING A "DEATH WOBBLE". BASICALLY THE VAN AT UNPREDICTED TIMES GETS INTO A ROUGH SHAKING IN THE FRONT END THAT FORCES YOU TO STOP. THIS HAPPENED WHILE BRAKING GOING DOWN STEEP GRADES (5%+), ALSO TURNING ONTO A SLOPED ROAD AND AGAIN JUST TRAVELING ON A HILLY ROAD WITHOUT AND USE OF BRAKES. DEALER FOUND THAT 3 OF THE 4 RIMS WHICH WERE INSTALLED BY EXPLORER CONVERSION VANS ARE WARPED OR BENT. THE TIRE SIZE INSTALLED IS 20" WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE STOCK SIZE OF 16". THE CURRENT TIRES ARE PIRELLI SCORPION VERDE 265/50/R20. THE VAN HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON STANDARD ROAD AND NEVER COLLIDED WITH OR RAN OVER ANY OBJECT IN THE ROAD. UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME IF REPLACING THE WHEELS WILL FIX THE ISSUE DUE TO ISSUES OBTAINING REPLACEMENTS. BIGGER CONCERN IS 3 OUT OF 4 WHEELS FAILING UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND USE.

11/27/2020

WHEELS

1 Report20% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

MY 2018 VAN IS AN EXPLORER CONVERSION WITH 13000 MILES ON IT. IT WAS TAKEN TO GMC FOR REPAIRS FOR WHAT THE TECH IS CALLING A "DEATH WOBBLE". BASICALLY THE VAN AT UNPREDICTED TIMES GETS INTO A ROUGH SHAKING IN THE FRONT END THAT FORCES YOU TO STOP. THIS HAPPENED WHILE BRAKING GOING DOWN STEEP GRADES (5%+), ALSO TURNING ONTO A SLOPED ROAD AND AGAIN JUST TRAVELING ON A HILLY ROAD WITHOUT AND USE OF BRAKES. DEALER FOUND THAT 3 OF THE 4 RIMS WHICH WERE INSTALLED BY EXPLORER CONVERSION VANS ARE WARPED OR BENT. THE TIRE SIZE INSTALLED IS 20" WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE STOCK SIZE OF 16". THE CURRENT TIRES ARE PIRELLI SCORPION VERDE 265/50/R20. THE VAN HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON STANDARD ROAD AND NEVER COLLIDED WITH OR RAN OVER ANY OBJECT IN THE ROAD. UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME IF REPLACING THE WHEELS WILL FIX THE ISSUE DUE TO ISSUES OBTAINING REPLACEMENTS. BIGGER CONCERN IS 3 OUT OF 4 WHEELS FAILING UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND USE.

11/27/2020

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

1 Report20% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

MY 2018 VAN IS AN EXPLORER CONVERSION WITH 13000 MILES ON IT. IT WAS TAKEN TO GMC FOR REPAIRS FOR WHAT THE TECH IS CALLING A "DEATH WOBBLE". BASICALLY THE VAN AT UNPREDICTED TIMES GETS INTO A ROUGH SHAKING IN THE FRONT END THAT FORCES YOU TO STOP. THIS HAPPENED WHILE BRAKING GOING DOWN STEEP GRADES (5%+), ALSO TURNING ONTO A SLOPED ROAD AND AGAIN JUST TRAVELING ON A HILLY ROAD WITHOUT AND USE OF BRAKES. DEALER FOUND THAT 3 OF THE 4 RIMS WHICH WERE INSTALLED BY EXPLORER CONVERSION VANS ARE WARPED OR BENT. THE TIRE SIZE INSTALLED IS 20" WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE STOCK SIZE OF 16". THE CURRENT TIRES ARE PIRELLI SCORPION VERDE 265/50/R20. THE VAN HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON STANDARD ROAD AND NEVER COLLIDED WITH OR RAN OVER ANY OBJECT IN THE ROAD. UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME IF REPLACING THE WHEELS WILL FIX THE ISSUE DUE TO ISSUES OBTAINING REPLACEMENTS. BIGGER CONCERN IS 3 OUT OF 4 WHEELS FAILING UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND USE.

11/27/2020

ENGINE

1 Report20% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Savana. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The oil pressure light was illuminated. After several attempts, the vehicle failed to restart. The Police Department was called, and the Officer helped to push the vehicle out of the roadway. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, but the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed back to the residence and was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The repair was pending. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,634.

3/10/2025

About This Data

Data and Methodology

MethodologyHow we score →

Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.

FAQ

What are the most common owner complaints for the 2018 GMC Savana?

The most reported complaint category for the 2018 GMC Savana is SERVICE BRAKES, with 1 owner report. That is about 20% of all complaints logged here. Other recurring themes include SERVICE BRAKES, SUSPENSION, WHEELS.

Are complaints about the 2018 GMC Savana a serious warning sign?

Potentially. 3 complaint reports fall into higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components. That does not prove every vehicle has a defect, but repeated complaints in those systems justify a more careful pre-purchase inspection.

How should buyers use complaint data for the 2018 GMC Savana?

Use complaints as an early pattern to investigate, not a standalone verdict. Start with the top complaint categories, compare those themes against the recall report and maintenance guide, then inspect service records for evidence that the same problem areas were already addressed. If the same issue appears repeatedly across complaints and recalls, treat it as a real ownership-risk flag.

Are complaints about the 2018 GMC Savana severe?

3 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection before purchase.

Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.

Read complaint summaries

GMC Savana: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?

Use complaint patterns together with recalls and maintenance guidance to estimate ownership risk and inspection priorities.

Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.

Return to full vehicle report
Complaint entries
5
Top-topic view
5 grouped topics shown
Primary source
NHTSA ODI owner complaint records

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In this guide

  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Common Problems
  3. 03Owner Complaints
  4. 04Data and Methodology

Start here

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