Used 2003 GMC Savana Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2003 Savana, so we've included reviews for other years of the Savana since its last redesign.
The kids love it
Liz, 06/27/2007
1996 GMC Savana G1500 3dr Van
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I seem to have similar experiences to those reviews already written. Brakes need replacing a lot, driver's side window works 75% of the time, scraped up running boards while learning my boundaries and they don't do well in airport parking garages! But, my 6 kids Love this van! So much so that with 158,000 miles, we just purchased a new one! We are excited about spending 10+ more years with this one.
Great Van
Allan Bremer, 01/04/2022
1998 GMC Savana G2500 3dr Van
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought my 1998 GMC 2500 Savana with the 5.7 motor in November of 2021. The seller said a company was taking care of it and that it's motor was rebuilt and only has 90,000 on it. Who knows what 'rebuilt' means - maybe they just put a new starter on it, I don' know, I wasn't given any information about what was done to the motor. You have to move around the shift lever in order to make the key contact and start it. It ran great going down the highway, has power, sounded awesome, and is very comfortable. It was used as a cargo van / food truck to deliver stuff. No major dents in it but the sliding side door handle and lock was missing and would get stuck and the back drivers side door has been smacked and it needs to be lifted up a touch to totally latch. It starts up every time and goes down the highway great. No 'Service Engine Soon' light, gas gauge works, but I notice the steering seems to have a little play when going down the highway. I can let go of the steering wheel and it stays straight really well and it's not pulling from side to side or nothing like that. Right now the biggest problem is that it has developed a tick every revolution of the engine and its hard to tell if it's low in the motor or high. The ticking sound is not quite a knock but it is kind of loud. At the moment I've been doing all kinds of stuff to try to find the culprit. Let me say this. I've driven the van around 1,300 miles with the ticking/knocking sound and it hasn't gotten better or worse. I've checked the flywheel for cracks and the tightness of the flywheel bolts, changed the oil and put a really good filter in it. I also removed the left valve cover just to see how the rockers looked. It's a massive job just to get that left/drivers side valve cover off. I even made YouTube videos to show the process: see this: https://youtu.be/GUGiHv2Fk3U The rockers on that left side looked really clean and there was no gunk around the cover and on the bottom. I'm going to adjust my rocker bolts first, and then change the oil again to look for metal shavings. While the oil pan is off, I'm going to use a small ball peen and tap the bottom of each rod to hear a clunk or weird sound, that'll tell me if a bearing has a problem. Worse case scenario is to pull the engine and check everything - or just replace the engine. Ya know, sometimes they say if it ain't broke don't fix it...If read where some owners have a tick/knock and just keep driving it...what ever. I hope my review is helpful. All in all I love the way the van drives and goes down the road and it's worth it to me to repair it. The body and suspension seems to still be in great shape, brakes too. If you have a 1998 gmc with a 5.7 ticking noise let me know your situation. Take care!
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2003 GMC Savana for sale near you
1 of 1 listings
- 2500 Passenger VanMSRP: $4,9992,486 mi away
A great family vehicle
M Pagel, 08/04/2005
1996 GMC Savana G1500 3dr Van
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
We bought ours in the summer of 1997 with only 40 miles on it. It was customized by Autoform and sometimes it is tricky to get parts. The only major problems we have had in 9 years is the fuel pump and air conditioning hoses needed to be replaced all within the last 2 years. We now have 105K miles on it and it still runs like brand new. It is great for hauling people and things. We have been on some awesome trips to the Rockies and it has worked wonderfully. I particularly like the fact I can get a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the back so for me it works better than a full size pickup. The reclining seat levers are made out of plastic which tend to strip but are easy to replace.
Great van
Terry Derian, 12/15/2015
updated 12/17/2018
1999 GMC Savana G2500 3dr Ext Van
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
bought this van new in 2005. The only repairs beside the normal (oil, tires, brakes, fluids) was a water pump at 185000 miles. Put 191,000 on this and was still going strong until i t was in a wreck. This was one of the most dependable vehicles i have ever owned.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
GMC Savana Explorer Conversion
Alexstaar, 06/06/2010
2003 GMC Savana 1500 Rwd 3dr Van (4.3L 6cyl 4A)
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
We purchased our van at the beginning of 2004. Our van has pretty much seen it all. The first trip we took it on it was hit by Hurricane Charley. It now gets 14 mpg city and 16 mpg hwy. The 5.3 liter engine 0-60 is about 8 sec. though it's only RWD, it does excellent in rain, snow, and ice. It is very fun to drive. I will definitely consider buying another one of these vans!