AI Damage2011 GMC Savana 1500: common problems
Owners of the 2011 GMC Savana 1500 filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electronic stability control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
- 2 Electronic stability control 33% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 33% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 1 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 gmc savana 1500. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle began to accelerate independently. The contact engaged the brake but the vehicle continued to attempt to accelerate.
Broke down 5 or 6 times due to this brought it in for issues after one year. Just shut down due to stabilatrac error
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 gmc savana 1500. The contact received notification of nhtsa recall campaign number:14v117000 (air bags ) and stated that the authorized dealer installed the incorrect air bag components. The contact did not have any safety concerns with the air bag until the recall was performed.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 17,152 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Savana 1500 has 2 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 3, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2011 GMC Savana 1500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electronic stability control, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 3.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2011 GMC Savana 1500?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2011 GMC Savana 1500 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2011 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.