2011 Chevrolet EXPRESS

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Excellent Reliability

Quick Summary

The 2011 Chevrolet EXPRESS has 17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (24% of all complaints), specifically: this ambulance over the past thirty days has been displaying false mileages with messages that the def tank was almost empty and the vehicle was going to go into limp mode. mileages varied from lows in the 150's to highs of 2430 during the same ambulance transport. we took the vehicle to watson chev.

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

4 complaints

24%

• THIS AMBULANCE OVER THE PAST THIRTY DAYS HAS BEEN DISPLAYING FALSE MILEAGES WITH MESSAGES THAT THE DEF TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY AND THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. MILEAGES VARIED FROM LOWS IN THE 150'S TO HIGHS OF 2430 DURING THE SAME AMBULANCE TRANSPORT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WATSON CHEV
• WHILE TRANSPORTING A PATIENT IN THIS AMBULANCE THE DASH WARNING NOTICE CAME ON WARNING THE DEF TANK LEVEL WAS LOW AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SOON GO INTO LIMP MODE. THE DEF TANK HAD JUST BEEN FILLED TO FULL. STRANGE READINGS CONTINUED TO APPEAR WARNING OF EITHER JUST A FEW MILES OR OVER 2000 MILES.I WAS
• I WAS PULLING BACK INTO MY DRIVEWAY MY VAN STARTED IDLING VERY ROUGH AND ERRATIC. THE VEHICLE DISPLAY READ "ENGINE POWER REDUCED. SERVICE TRACTION. ESC OFF." I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK SO I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE CAR OFF. I STARTED MY CAR UP AGAIN AFTER LETTING IT SIT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND IT RAN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THIS AMBULANCE OVER THE PAST THIRTY DAYS HAS BEEN DISPLAYING FALSE MILEAGES WITH MESSAGES THAT THE DEF TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY AND THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. MILEAGES VARIED FROM LOWS IN THE 150'S TO HIGHS OF 2430 DURING THE SAME AMBULANCE TRANSPORT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WATSON CHEV”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

3 complaints

18%

• ABOUT 10 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING OUR 2011 EXPRESS VAN MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN I 81 BETWEEN SHIPPENSBURG AND NEWVILLE, PA AND THE VAN STARTED PULLING TO AN ABRUPT HALT FOR NO REASON. I CHECKED THE PARKING BRAKE AND THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS RESTING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. NOTHING THE VAN WOULD NOT MO
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STABILITRACK AND TRACTION CONTROL SERVICE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH A BEEPING SOUND. IN ADDITION, THE POWER REDUCE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED. THE VEHICLE IDLED VERY ERRAT
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING AND SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE AGGRESSIVELY DOWNSHIFTED, THE BRAKE PEDAL INDEPENDENTLY DEPRESSED, AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HARD UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS OF THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“ABOUT 10 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING OUR 2011 EXPRESS VAN MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN I 81 BETWEEN SHIPPENSBURG AND NEWVILLE, PA AND THE VAN STARTED PULLING TO AN ABRUPT HALT FOR NO REASON. I CHECKED THE PARKING BRAKE AND THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS RESTING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. NOTHING THE VAN WOULD NOT MO”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

3 complaints

18%

• VEHICLE WAS NOTED TO BE LEAKING FLUID WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. BRAKE FLUID LEVEL NOTED TO BE VERY LOW (JUST ABOVE THE MINIMUM LINE). NOTED THAT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED BRAKE FLUID LEAKS AT A STEADY AND SI
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING AND SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE AGGRESSIVELY DOWNSHIFTED, THE BRAKE PEDAL INDEPENDENTLY DEPRESSED, AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HARD UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS OF THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURN
• WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO STOP THE BRAKE PEDDLE VIBRATES AND THE CAR SHIFTS FORWARD A LITTLE AND THE STEERING COLUMN MAKES A WINDING NOISE.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“VEHICLE WAS NOTED TO BE LEAKING FLUID WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. BRAKE FLUID LEVEL NOTED TO BE VERY LOW (JUST ABOVE THE MINIMUM LINE). NOTED THAT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED BRAKE FLUID LEAKS AT A STEADY AND SI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

2 complaints

12%

• THIS AMBULANCE OVER THE PAST THIRTY DAYS HAS BEEN DISPLAYING FALSE MILEAGES WITH MESSAGES THAT THE DEF TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY AND THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. MILEAGES VARIED FROM LOWS IN THE 150'S TO HIGHS OF 2430 DURING THE SAME AMBULANCE TRANSPORT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WATSON CHEV
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET EXPRESS. WHILE DRIVING AND SLOWING DOWN, THE VEHICLE AGGRESSIVELY DOWNSHIFTED, THE BRAKE PEDAL INDEPENDENTLY DEPRESSED, AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HARD UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS OF THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

1 complaints

• WHILE TRANSPORTING A PATIENT IN THIS AMBULANCE THE DASH WARNING NOTICE CAME ON WARNING THE DEF TANK LEVEL WAS LOW AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SOON GO INTO LIMP MODE. THE DEF TANK HAD JUST BEEN FILLED TO FULL. STRANGE READINGS CONTINUED TO APPEAR WARNING OF EITHER JUST A FEW MILES OR OVER 2000 MILES.I WAS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHILE TRANSPORTING A PATIENT IN THIS AMBULANCE THE DASH WARNING NOTICE CAME ON WARNING THE DEF TANK LEVEL WAS LOW AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SOON GO INTO LIMP MODE. THE DEF TANK HAD JUST BEEN FILLED TO FULL. STRANGE READINGS CONTINUED TO APPEAR WARNING OF EITHER JUST A FEW MILES OR OVER 2000 MILES.I WAS ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 17 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: THIS AMBULANCE OVER THE PAST THIRTY DAYS HAS BEEN DISPLAYING FALSE MILEAGES WITH MESSAGES THAT THE DEF TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY AND THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. MILEAGES VARIED FROM LOWS IN THE 150'S TO HIGHS OF 2430 DURING THE SAME AMBULANCE TRANSPORT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WATSON CHEV
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: ABOUT 10 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING OUR 2011 EXPRESS VAN MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING DOWN I 81 BETWEEN SHIPPENSBURG AND NEWVILLE, PA AND THE VAN STARTED PULLING TO AN ABRUPT HALT FOR NO REASON. I CHECKED THE PARKING BRAKE AND THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS RESTING MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. NOTHING THE VAN WOULD NOT MO
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BRAKES: VEHICLE WAS NOTED TO BE LEAKING FLUID WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE BACK DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE LINE WAS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. BRAKE FLUID LEVEL NOTED TO BE VERY LOW (JUST ABOVE THE MINIMUM LINE). NOTED THAT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED BRAKE FLUID LEAKS AT A STEADY AND SI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: THIS AMBULANCE OVER THE PAST THIRTY DAYS HAS BEEN DISPLAYING FALSE MILEAGES WITH MESSAGES THAT THE DEF TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY AND THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. MILEAGES VARIED FROM LOWS IN THE 150'S TO HIGHS OF 2430 DURING THE SAME AMBULANCE TRANSPORT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WATSON CHEV
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)