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.
GMC Savanna - A nice ride
Northern Driver, 08/24/2003
2003 GMC Savana 1500 AWD 3dr Van (5.3L 8cyl 4A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
My Savanna is a conversion that looks and performs up to expectations and turns heads. I would not have purchased one of these vans based on standard features/factory trim. The dashboard and interiors are too flat and plasticky and the bumpers/mirrors are black plastic. Both of these detractions were remedied by the conversion - wood dash trim and painted bumpers/mirrors. The ride is very stable and makes the van much more akin to daily driving. My old Astro AWD had a best of 20 mpg, while the Savanna gets 18-19 mpg top end. The braking is very good and the engine performance is excellent.
1999 Savanna Cargo Van
Kevin, 12/02/2017
updated 06/08/2020
1999 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
Gets 16 Mpg with or w/o load. Handles balanced on Highway. Brakes well but get overheated easily in traffic lights. Stay away from Los Angeles commuting in rush hour. Very safe driver visibility like an aircraft. 400,000 on my chassis with one time ball joint and center link replacements. Second engine has a hundred thousand miles on it and purrs like a kitten. It has 450,000 miles on the chassis. I have replaced the shock absorbers, bushing, p/s gear box, control arms and more. Truck runs perfect when I maintain it.
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2003 GMC Savana for sale near you
Showing 1 of 1 listings
- 2500 Passenger VanMSRP: $4,9992,488 mi away
2500 PRO PACKAGE
Don Schwartz, 02/22/2016
2003 GMC Savana 1500 AWD 3dr Van (5.3L 8cyl 4A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
I'm very surprised doing the value, comparison there is NO 2500 3/4TON AWD model to choose from. Only a 1500 series. Also the Pro Package has 2 double long air assisted opening panels, one on each side where the windows would normally be. Custom 12 volt interior lighting. Electronic transmission towing switch on instrument panel. The 5.3L Vortex engine is to die for. As with all GMC/CHEVY exterior primer and paint SUCK! My van may be 13 years old but has less than 78,000 miles. On the 10th year after the RUST warranty disappeared so did the paint from the primer. Primer installed oh so thin and never properly adhered to the cheap paint used. Had an 1985 CHEVY 3/4 TRUCK that did the same thing with the paint. Thought somehow GMC would be better quality, top of the line. NO WAY! If you plan on getting a Chevy or GMC and keep it for any extended period, then PLEASE take my word for it, YOU WILL BE REPAINTING the vehicle. Rain water works behind the paint dislodging huge sections at a time. Vortex engine is fantastic. Could have enhanced performance and economy with electric fans on the radiator (push/pull setup) and an electric water pump. This setup would have reduced unneeded drag on the 5.3L topped off with a cold air intake. But we are all aware of each and every penny that's saved in construction, goes in someone's back pocket. As a great woman once said, if you want it done right, do it yourself.
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For family and travel with space
A Redensek, 01/20/2007
1996 GMC Savana G2500 3dr Ext Van
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Have liked the vehicle very much, lots of space for large family to travel, comfortable, nice ride, good performance, reliable, low maintenance, nice Santa Fe conversion package. Only problem in 10 years, fuel pump went out close to 100,000 miles. Had one transmission pandrop and normal oil changes, on first muffler and no exhaust work. Have to replace brakes more often than ought (not heavy duty enough for the large vehicle) lots to power and drain battery, what is expected w/ TV/VCP, radio/CD/cassette players, lots interior lights? Most wear and tear due to large family, years/high miles-oops mom scraped the running boards-can't see low in rear, careful in reverse, so use side mirrors!
Lots of Repairs
NelsonVSM, 01/16/2004
1998 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I have a Glavel (AutoForm) conversion with 75,000 miles. Very nice for kids for travel and camper. Lots of problems including: new transmission (3,000 miles), new dash board cluster, broken CD, broke power attenna, new power window motors, dash replaced twice, failed water pump, failed AC, 3 batteries, brakes every 14,000 miles, etc.
If you get one its for the long haul
escs4, 11/14/2002
2000 GMC Savana G2500 SLE 3dr Van
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Pros: Great Horsepower, and durability. The van had been in 3 fenderbenders and only had scratches. Great for bad weather and loads. Don't get is confused with a 1/2 ton capacity van. Cons: very thin window glass, bad sound proofing, hollow doors other than front doors. Engine pings (the owners manual says it's OK if it does, but anyone that knows engines knows thats a load of crap, especially for a engine that only has 24000 miles. Sensitive to roll and yaw when loaded down (high center of gravity).
Excellent Family Alternative to SUV's
hurstcastle, 08/04/2008
2001 GMC Savana SLT 3dr Van (5.7L 8cyl 4A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Vehicle has proven very reliable over the past 6+ years, rides exceptionally and served our family very well. Would pick this vehicle any day over a SUV. Tons of features in SLT package!
Great Conversion Van
ruspol, 01/09/2003
1998 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I purchased a used 98 Savana conversion van last week and I can't stop driving it. THe leather seats are very comfortable and leg room is excellent. I made my first road trip to San Diego and cruised at 85mph and got 15 miles per gallon.
Great Van
Great Van, 10/27/2008
1999 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I purchased this van to replace my 3rd Astro Van. I needed something that could tow with confidence and not give up comfort. I landed on a GMC Savana with the 5.7 and an Explorer low top conversion. I purchased the van with 94,000 miles. The van runs and drive great and now has 107,000 miles. Only problem to date was the A/C went at about 105,000 miles. I love the van, although the gas milage is about 3-5 miles less on average than the Astro, but it makes up for it in overall comfort and the ability to tow my 14 foot enclosed trailer and motorcycle through the mountains of North Carolina with ease.
The Family Cruiser
Carl Mundell, 11/30/2004
2000 GMC Savana G3500 SLE 3dr Ext Van
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
We have owned our GMC Savana for almost five years now. The van is always a pleasure to drive. I have a large family and we designed the van to meet our needs. The van was the first extended van the conversion company created. It sets nine, six captain chairs and a fold down bench in the back. The van glides down the highway and has had only one recent mechanical problem. The sending unit in the gas tank went bad. My only interior problem has been the interior panels on the back door staying in place when they are closed. My everyday MPG is about 12.5 and trips are between 14.5 to 16. I believe thats very good for a 1 ton extended van fully loaded with a large cargo carrier on top.
My 2000 Savana Conversion
Keith Johnson, 01/03/2005
2000 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
So far so good with this van. It is a big vehicle and sits high off the road. I have the 5.0 ltr motor which gives it decent power. A little noisy when you punch it to merge with fast traffic. Brakes are spongy but work when required. It is great if you have lots of kids. It seats 6 people very nicely. Very roomy and the heater is great. Good handling but tends to pull in high winds. It is a highway cruiser vehicle however, it handles nicely in town. Gas mileage is great. I like it a lot. I am glad I bought it. GMC makes a good quality vehicle which is why I bought this make of van. I have not yet drove it in deep snow which will be the real test for handling.
Great in a number of ways.
latitude38, 08/05/2003
2002 GMC Savana 3500 3dr Ext Van (5.7L 8cyl 4A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Air-con, excellent, when in SE US. Rear air-con is 3 rows of vents, Dodge and Ford is less. Leg room better than Ford. Noise is low. 155 inch wheel base is nice on the extended 15 passenger van. When not heavily loaded less pressure in rear the rear tires makes passengers more comfortable. Tires that come with the van are very stable for side movements. Break in period before towing is 9,000 or 11,000 miles. Service is low, one change of the rear- end oil, and at oil change the grease points/zerks. The undercarriage is super for this 1-ton vehicle which is one reason I chose this vehicle. The standard engine is a 350 and power wise is great.
A Great Cross Country Trooper
Martin, 12/12/2008
1996 GMC Savana G1500 3dr Van
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
We have owned this vehicle for three years now and it has been great transportation. We had purchased it to make regular back and forth trips from Texas To California but wound up moving to Pennsylvania. It was a great ride in the cross country expeditions. We have used to haul machines, lumber, water purifiers and just plain traveling. We like the capacity as we carry people to church on Sunday and have had as many as 15 on the run. We would buy it again. The only real problem we have had was with a engine sensor that only happened while traveling in the California Desert and that was only once. Haven't had any other issues. Would recommend this baby to anyone who wanted a roomy ride.
Great Van - built solid
stockmds, 12/22/2002
1998 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This is my secound GMC. I bought this one new and paid almost $35,000. The price was a little step, but it is very dependable. I have only need a few minor repare and they were covered under warranty. This is a great van and I am very satisfied.
Epitomy of Planned Obsolescence
TabulaRasa, 06/24/2004
1996 GMC Savana G1500 3dr Van
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
This is a typical GM product. It looks alright on paper, but in real world use, it falls flat on it's face. This vehicle has been beset by problems from day one. The built-in TV/VCP will short out the rest of the interior lights. It is on it's 3rd transmission. The rear differential is going out (clack clack clack!). The intake manifold has cracked. The fuel pump has died. The brakes are garbage. Even the oil dipstick is rusty. That's sad.
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.
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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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.
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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!
Bonnie's van
Bonnie, 02/12/2007
1996 GMC Savana G2500 3dr Van
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
An excellent conversion van-- Trailmaster conversion. After 10 years and 160,000 miles it is still reliable and comfortable. This van has spoiled me for driving distances in anything else.
GMC Savana
SHANE GRIMES, 01/12/2005
1998 GMC Savana G2500 SLE 3dr Van
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
When my diesel van was new, from 1 to 3 yrs it had engine problems, transmission, alternator, sliding door, and few other problems, but they eventually got fixed. It is now pretty reliable except for the alternator belt has flown off 3 times. Despite the problems I've had, I love my van! It tows great! I have no problems passing any other truck type vehicles on any mountain passes. My husband agrees it out performs his 1997 4x4 dually Chevy diesel truck, except there is no 4wheel drive. I can honestly say this vehicle has enhanced my life, because of its towing abilities and the inside room it provides. I've learned to live with the cheap interior. I will buy this vehicle again, with 4wheel drive.
2000 GMC Savana Explorer SE Hightop Van
Marcus, 01/03/2022
2000 GMC Savana G1500 3dr Van
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I really enjoy my 1500 van it’s so much smoother than the bouncy 2500. It has the vortec 350 with 430k miles original motor runs like a champ no issues to pass inspection every year the transmission been swapped out once and still driving everyday And getting 17 mpg. With the rear A/C it gets colder than a Cadillac
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Need better side mirrors
3500 savanah van, 06/21/2007
2001 GMC Savana 3500 3dr Van (5.7L 8cyl 4A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I use my van mostly to pull my fishing boat to the ocean. The van needs side mirrors that extend out, for better visibility when backing up in tight spaces. Ive seen some nice ones on Ford pickups. Some mirrors extend and retract and fold against the truck when not driving. I love my van. I just stow all my fishing gear in holders. Just lock the van and you're ready for the next trip.
Plenty of space
blue 250, 01/13/2005
2003 GMC Savana 1500 Rwd 3dr Van (4.3L 6cyl 4A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
We have enjoyed this vehicle for the last 14000 miles. It was a conversion by Cobra, nothing fancy, just the best seats available, no TV or mood lights. Fuel economy has ranged from 12.5 mpg in sub-zero city driving to 20.2 mpg on 55 mph rural roads. The only failure to date is the windsheild weather stripping, which came loose while on the interstate. The dealer made the repair, eventually. GM treats the option list like all Savanna's will be plumbing trucks. No MP3 cd player, no XM sattelite controller, no trip computer. All of these item are available on the Yukon/Suburban, which this van is based on. 5.3 V8. It was the same price as the Toyota Sienna, but the space won out.
GMC Savana diesel
Rob AMOS, 12/13/2005
1999 GMC Savana G2500 SLE 3dr Ext Van
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Great van. We use it to tow the US Bobsled to shows. Gives great power and fuel mileage for such a large van. I'm looking foward to buying the new GM Diesel van. We also take it to a lot of Nascar Races. We are very active in racing selling our products to several teams and sponsor several teams. It's not uncommen to see Nascar drivers catching a ride in our van. It can seat 15 people. All in all very satisfied.
Spacious with issues
Rick russell, 03/11/2024
1997 GMC Savana G1500 3dr Van
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Great for hauling kids and camping ,easy hauling perfect for 4x8 sheets ply. Rear behind bench has much room for my stuff. Pulling camper trailer. But as time wears on there have been odd brake issues and all rusty brake lines, huge expense. Also I've had a few electrical issues and corroded grounds that are hard to trace.
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Windy!
tfw3, 07/15/2002
1998 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I paid close to 35K for an Exployer conversion. Great looking interior. However the ride is only fair and @ highway speed there is so much wind noise it is hard to hold a conversation
2000 GMC Savana Explorer SE Hightop conversion van
Marcus75072, 10/09/2023
2000 GMC Savana G1500 SLE 3dr Van
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
350cid V8 5.7Liter Vortec aprx 430,000 original miles purchased brand new one owner never for sale. Daily driver since day one passes state inspection every year runs perfect no engine lights transmission was replaced a couple hundred thousand miles ago still shifts like butter no issues front and rear a/c is so cold it’s colder than a Bentley this 1500 Savana is the best hightop conversion van explorer ever made it’s smoother than a Mercedes Benz the 2500 vans are stiff and bouncy gota tow a boat or home to be smoother there just no other van that is so smooth and comfortable as the 1500 getting an average of 17 mpg on the highway and with its 30 gallon tank just gives that extra comfort of the smoothest, powerful long lasting 350 iron block that’s been dependable since new. I heard the recent bad news with the vans 2024 models no longer will have V8s but a turbo 6 I seriously don’t think it will be as reliable as mine being loaded down with tools going up hills and then 2025 go out with a bang with v6 turbos breaking down in vans but all the vans being discontinued maan I wouldn’t take less than 100,000 bucks if I ever decide to sell it but even at the six figs I would not let mine go no way.
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