Used 2003 GMC Savana Cargo Consumer Reviews
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
03 AWD Savana Cargo "Doors Galore"
I love my van ! I have had vans all my life but the modern AWD , rack and pinion , all wheel disc , full size Savana drives like a Cadillac and I get 17 mpg consistently when its not brutally cold . I live in Minnesota . I had reservations about the drivers side double doors as I had never had that option before , I soon realized that when you jump out of your truck but need to reenter to grab something you are hauling around you can't beat drivers side double doors for access ! I drove over 100,000 miles before my Brakes needed pads and have had except for some minor door switch partial failures "No Problems" with my truck ! Did I say "I Love This Truck" ?
5.7 engine fails after warranty
With an oil change documented every 3- 5 thousand miles, my trusty GMC Savanna extended 1-ton cargo van came to a grinding halt at 60,600 miles (less than 2 years old). I had the old 5.7 engine replaced with a new one by a GMC dealer. Out of pocket was a total of $6,400. GMC said it was not their problem. I am stuck. I am now persuing samll claims court. How long should an engine last? I usually can have upwards of 200,000 miles without incident. After owning 14 GM vehicles, I found the loyalty stops with me.
- 3500 Cargo VanMSRP: $11,9991,139 mi away
- 2500 Cargo VanMSRP: $23,9951,168 mi away
- 2500 Cargo VanMSRP: $11,9951,421 mi away
Junk
I purchased my Savana 2500HD Van and Serviced it at regular intervals myself, (oil changes, lube). The brakes on these trucks wear out after about 18000 miles and thats mostly highway. At 52k miles the trans started giving me problems to which I was informed that the Torque Converter was defective. As always "GM could not do anything as far as any warranty coverage". Also you may want to note that the Truck was less than 1 1/2 years old when this happened. Also the front end had some kind of "looseness" that the dealer could never find or fix. I'm very disatisfied with this truck and would not buy another even with the so called "0" percent financing.
2001 makes additional quality improves
The 2001 2500 was the first vehicle I factory ordered as soon as it was available. Although it took nearly 10 weeks to deliver I found that the quality is even higher than my 1997. The Savana 2500 gives me a smooth ride and power to spare. While the mileage could be better, at 16 MPG it's way better than the 10+MPG I was getting my the used mid '80s vans. The only problem I've experienced is that the seat belt does not always retract and sometimes gets caught in the door. I ordered the power heated mirrors which are helpful having no rear windows. For the money I will definitely be looking at the GMC again next time around.
Dependable, hard-working truck
I have had excellent perfomance from my Savana and have not had even one problem. I did have the dealer correct the wheel alignment under warranty which did not cost me at all. I changed the original brakes at 60,000 miles and installed new Monomax shocks w/ an anti-sway bar on the rear suspension so I could tow motorcycles. Replaced the original tires at 45,000. I get 20mpg on the freeway and 15mpg city. I change the oil every 3k with synthetic oil and lube the front end at the same time. I have transported 8 people in this van as well as my touring Kawasaki motorcycle with no problem and still the same mileage. How you maintain and drive a vehicle makes a lot of difference.