There are 20 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2005 GMC Envoyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THE REAR WINDOW TO OUR 2005 GMC ENVOY XL SHATTERED WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE REAR HATCH. THE WINDOW WAS FROZEN FROM THE COLD WEATHER AND WHEN IT FLEXED, IT SHATTERED EVERYWHERE.
MY CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME. MY NEIGHBOR ALERTED ME THAT MY REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. I WENT OUTSIDE AND SUBSEQUENTLY OBSERVED GLASS EVERYWHERE INSIDE, ON TOP, THE BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR GMC MODEL THERE IS WHOLE BLOG DEDICATED TO IT ON EDMUNDS.COM. *TR
LOW BEAM RELAY (HEADLAMP DRIVER MODULE (HDM) BURNED OUT--SAME THING HAPPENED 4-9-2015. THIS TIME MELTED THE FAN RELAY AND FUSED THE TWO RELAYS TOGETHER. 2006 & 2007 ENVOYS WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME IDENTICAL PROBLEM. THE HDM OVERHEATED AND CAUSED HEADLAMP AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS TO FAIL AND NOT ILLUMINATE. GMC PLANS TO CHARGE APPROXIMATELY $800 FOR ENTIRE NEW SET UP BECAUSE BOX IS NOT SOLD WITHOUT ALL RELAYS. WAS TOLD POSSIBLE FURTHER EXPENSE IF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE FOUND. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC ENVOY XL 370. WHILE TRAVELING A HIGHWAY RATE OF SPEED, THE REAR WINDOWS FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GLASS REPAIR SHOP WHERE BOTH WINDOWS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO YEARS LATER, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE REAR WINDOWS FRACTURED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE GLASS REPAIR SHOP WHO REPLACED THE REAR WINDOWS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 09/09/15*LJ
WE PARKED OUR GMC ENVOY IN THE DRIVEWAY THE EVENING OF 6/8/13 AROUND 7:30 PM. I HADN'T USED THE REAR HATCH AT ALL ON THIS DAY. MY HUSBAND WAS OUTSIDE AND LEFT AND CAME BACK IN HIS VEHICLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. SO SOMETIME IN THE EARLY HOURS OF 6/9/13 THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. AT FIRST WE THOUGH SOMETHING OR SOMEONE BROKE IT, HOWEVER THERE WERE NO FOREIGN OBJECTS FOUND THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT THE BREAK. IT WASN'T A NICK OR CRACK, THE GLASS WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. MOST OF THE GLASS WAS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND ALL OVER THE SIDE WALK WITH ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE. AFTER DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH I FOUND MANY OTHER INSTANCES OF THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER GMC ENVOYS. IN SOME CASES PEOPLE WERE NEAR ENOUGH AND SOME BEING INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND INCURRED INJURIES WITH NO KNOWN OR APPARENT CAUSE FOR THE GLASS TO BE SHATTERED. THANK GOODNESS WE WERE INSIDE SLEEPING AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE PROBLEM COMES IN THAT I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED EVEN WITH MY INSURANCE AS MY DEDUCTIBLE HASN'T BEEN MET, SO WE HAVE PLASTIC OVER IT. WITH ALL THE REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE GMC CLAIMS TO HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. I'M GOING TO TAKE IT IN TO A DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING, BUT WONDER IF ANYTHING CAN BE DONE TO COMPENSATE REPLACING THE GLASS. *TR
CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY FOR THE AFTERNOON AND THE REAR GLASS SHATTERED FOR NO REASON. NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING HITTING REAR GLASS. HALF THE GLASS WAS INSIDE VEHICLE AND HALF THE GLASS WAS BLOWN BACKON THE HOOD AND BUMPER OF MY SECOND CAR WHICH WAS PARKED DIRECTLY BEHIND SAID VEHICLE. NEITHER ONE WAS IN MOTION. *TR
REAR WINDSHIELD/BACK WINDOW SHATTERED ON IT'S OWN WHILE PARKED IN PARKING LOT. COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY OR WHAT HAD CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SHOP FOR WINDSHIELD TO BE REPLACED, AND WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR TO LEAVE THE SHOP THE REAR WINDSHIELD SHATTERED AGAIN. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT AT THE TIME AND THIS SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF BOTH OF US. THE SHOP COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS AND REPLACED THE WINDOW FOR A 2ND TIME. WHEN I GOT HOME I GOOGLED 'GMC ENVOY, REAR WINDOW' AND SEE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY OTHERS WITH ENVOYS OF DIFFERENT YEAR MODELS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO HERE FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE OF US DRIVING THESE VEHICLES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC ENVOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ROLL THE WINDOW UP BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000. ..UPDATED 12/06/12 *BF UPDATED 12/06/12
AT APPROXIMATELY 8 AM FRIDAY JANUARY 27TH I OPENED THE BACK HATCH OF MY GMC ENVOY. APPROXIMATELY 4-6 INCHES PULLING IT DOWN TO SHUT IT THE ENTIRE WINDOW SHATTERED ALL OVER ME, THE GROUND AND INSIDE MY CAR. I CALLED MY INSURANCE, PAID THE DEDUCTIBLE TO HAVE IT REPLACED, IT WAS FIXED AND THEN TODAY JANUARY 28TH, ONE DAY AFTER HAVING IT REPLACED I WAS CLOSING THE DOOR AGAIN AND AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME POINT IN CLOSING IT COMPLETELY SHATTERED AGAIN. THIS IS TWICE IN TWO DAYS. I WAS TOLD THE FIRST TIME IT PROBABLY HAD TO DO WITH THE WEATHER BUT THE WEATHER WAS WARMER TODAY THAN YESTERDAY AND SEVERAL FORUMS HAVE SHOWN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VEHICLE ISSUE VS A WEATHER ISSUE. *TR
THE REAR WINDSHIELD OF MY 2005 GMC ENVOY XL EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON TODAY. I LIFTED THE FULL HATCH (NOT JUST THE WINDOW SECTION) TO PLACE ITEMS IN THE BACK THAT I HAD PURCHASED AT HOME DEPOT. I PLACED A CAN OF PAINT, ONE BAG, AND A BAG OF SAND IN THE BACK - NOTHING THAT WAS NEAR THE GLASS OF THE HATCH. I THEN CLOSED THE HATCH WITH ENOUGH FORCE FOR IT TO CLOSE SECURELY, BUT NOT WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE. AS I WALKED TO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR TO ENTER THE CAR, I HEARD A LOUD POP THAT I THOUGHT WAS SOMEONE HITTING THE BACK OF MY CAR WITH THEIR VEHICLE. AS I WALKED AROUND TO THE BACK, MY REAR WINDOW WAS SHATTERED INTO A MILLION TINY PIECES. THERE WERE NO OBJECTS OR PEOPLE AROUND THE WINDOW CLOSE ENOUGH TO BREAK IT - IT JUST SHATTERED FOR NO REASON AT ALL! THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF ISSUES WITH REAR WINDSHIELDS, BUT I FOUND INFORMATION THAT DIFFERS ON LINE. FORTUNATELY, THE DEDUCTIBLE ON MY INSURANCE IS ONLY $200. HOWEVER, FOR OTHERS, I HAVE SEEN WHERE THEY HAVE HAD TO PAY UP TO $1500 OUT OF POCKET FOR THE EXPENSE BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO REPLACE THE WINDOW. THE COMPANY THAT IS COMING TO REPLACE IT SAID THE WINDOW ITSELF COSTS $937, NOT INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION. *TR
2005 GMC ENVOY XL BACK REAR DOOR WINDOW BRACKET DETACHED THE FIRST TIME, THE SECOND TIME THE BRACKET ITSELF BROKE AND SHATTERED THE REAR WINDOW. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY HAVE EXPERIENCED. I AM TRYING TO GET WARRANTY TO COVER IT BUT THEY KEEP TELLING ME THEY DON'T COVER BROKEN GLASS, WELL IF THE BRACKET DIDN'T SNAP IN 2 THE GLASS WOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN. I AM VERY LUCKY I WAS NOT BLINDED BY THE EXPLOSION OF GLASS. I TOOK PICTURES WHICH SHOW PIECES OF GLASS OVER 20 FEET AWAY. I ALSO READ POST BY OTHER PEOPLE WHERE CHILDREN WERE CUT IN THE FACE A SCARRED BY THIS SAME EVENT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 GMC ENVOY XL370 DENALI. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT WAS STANDING UNDER THE REAR HATCH WINDOW IT EXPLODED. HE STATED THAT THE EXPLOSION SOUNDED LIKE A BOMB. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A SHIRT ON AT THE TIME AND HAD CUTS FROM THE GLASS ON HIS BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 104,751. UPDATED 12/23/10*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $1500. THE MANUFACTURER PAID FOR THE REPAIRS. UPDATED 01/01/11*JB
BOTH OF MY WINDOWS WHICH SLIDE DOWN WITH THE PUSH OF A BUTTON DO NOT WORK! THEY HAVE BOTH BUSTED. ONE IS STUCK DOWN. THE OTHER I HAVE TO SHOVE UP BECAUSE WHILE DRIVING FROM THE VIBRATIONS IT FALLS. VERY UNSAFE. THEY BOTH STOPPED WORK WHILE I WAS OPERATING THEM BY PUSHING THE BUTTON FOR THEM TO SLIDE DOWN. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THEM YET. ITS VERY COSTLY. ITS HARD TO BELIEVE NO RECALL HAS BEEN DONE. I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS. *TR
I HAVE A 2005 ENVOY THAT I PURCHASED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO FROM A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. ON THE DAY OF THE FAILURE, I DID NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO WORK. WHEN I RETURNED HOME, I FOUND THAT THE BACK TRUNK HATCH HAD SOMEHOW OPENED ON ITS OWN, CAUSING IT TO SEPARATE FROM THE GLASS. THE TRUNK HATCH WAS BROKEN IN SUCH A MANNER THAT IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT ON BY ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL OR OBJECT. AFTER NOTICING THIS DEFECT, I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP. THE AUTOMOBILE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY WHERE THEY FILED A CLAIM WITH THE WARRANTY COMPANY. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DECIDED THAT THE STRUTS WERE NOT THE CAUSE OF THE DEFECT AND WORKED PROPERLY AND COULD NOT HYPOTHESIS ON WHY THIS FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. HE REPORTED THIS TO THE WARRANTY COMPANY WHO THUS DENIED THE CLAIM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT COVER THE GLASS ON THE AUTOMOBILE. I WAS DISPLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME AND CONTACTED BOTH THE WARRANTY COMPANY AND THE GMC HEADQUARTERS MYSELF, HOPING THAT THIS INITIATIVE WOULD RESOLVE THE SITUATION. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THERE IS SOME TYPE OF DEFECT THAT CAUSED THE HATCH TO OPEN ON ITS OWN. THE COMPANY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE STRUTS AND ARE REQUIRING ME TO PAY FOR THE GLASS REPLACEMENT AND LABOR FOR SOMETHING THAT I NEITHER CAUSED NOR COULD HAVE PREVENTED. *TR
REAR GLASS DOOR CAME UNGLUED AT HINGES DAMAGING THE STRUTS AND ALMOST FALLING ON MY HEAD. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND REPLACING THE GLASS DOOR WAS SUGGESTED AT $1500.00. REPAIRING ATTEMPTED USING GLUE AND GLASS DOOR CAME LOOSE AGAIN. IT WAS A NEAR MISS, COULD BECOME A FATALITY. MAIN REAR DOOR STRUTS WERE DAMAGE AND THE DOOR ALMOST HIT ME AGAIN. *TR
I TURNED ON THE DEFROSTER ON A COLD EVENING IN A GMC ENVOY I HAD RENTED FROM NATIONAL RENT A CAR. IT WAS, I BELIEVE, A 2005 MODEL. IT WAS A COLD NIGHT AND THE DEFROSTER HAD TO BE TURNED ON. WHILE DRIVING, FIVE MINUTES LATER, A LARGE "CRACK" WAS NOTED. THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED STARTING IN THE EXACT SHAPE OF THE CENTRAL DEFROSTER. THE SINGLE EXIT DEFROSTER IS A HAZARD AS HEAT IS TOO CONCENTRATED. *JB
I RECENTLY BOUGHT AN GMC ENVOY XUV SUDDENLY ONE DAY WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND IT STARTED RAINING, I TURNED ON THE WIPERS AND THEN ADJUSTED IT TO THE SLOWEST MODE. THEY STOPPED WORKING AND I HAD TO DRIVE HOME IN THE RAIN WITH POOR VISIBILITY. I ALSO BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE AND AS OF THIS DATE THERE ARE ONLY APPROXIMATELY 6000 MILES ON THE CAR. I CALLED TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND WAS TOLD IT MAY NOT BE COVERED BY MY WARRANTY SO FAR I HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED AND THEREFORE HAVE NOT BEEN USING THIS VEHICLE. UNTIL I GET BETTER SERVICE AT GMC I WILL CONTINUE TO NOT USE IT. *NM
2005 GMC ENVOY HAS DEVELOPED MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. *MR THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SEAT SIDE COVER WAS COMING OFF AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE. BOTH ISSUES WERE RECURRENT. *SC
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS WITH THE MEMORY SEATS AND MIRRORS. ON PRIOR YEAR ENVOYS, WHEN YOU PRESSED THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE REMOTE, THE SEATS AND MIRRORS WOULD RECALL TO THAT DRIVERS POSITION. NOW YOU HAVE TO PUSH THE 1 OR 2 BUTTON ON THE DOOR, WHILE IN PARK, TO RECALL THE SEAT AND MIRROR POSITIONS. THERE IS NO TIE WITH THE REMOTE AND THE MEMORY SEATS. I DON'T KNOW WHY GM WOULD DO AWAY WITH THIS FEATURE, BUT IT IS VERY INCONVENIENT AND IN MY OPINION - A BIG STEP BACKWARDS.*AK
PURCHASED NEW 05 ENVOY XL 12/04. WINDSHIELD IS SO DEFECTIVE IT IS DIFIFCULT TO FOCUS OR SEE CLEARLY TO DRIVE. CAUSES EXTREME EYE STRAIN AND HEADACHE TO THE POINT OF BEING UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED WITH ANOTHER WINDSHIELD THEY FOUND AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. IT IS JUST AS DEFECTIVE. ENVOY IS EXTEMELY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T FOCUS CLEARLY THRU WINDSHIELD. IT WILL MAKE YOU LITERALLY SICK TO TRY AND DRIVE IT IT CAUSES INABILITY TO FOCUS CLEARLY, EXTREME EYE STRAIN/PAIN, MIGRAINE HEADACHES, DIZZINESS AND NO ONE WANTS TO RIDE IN IT BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU SICK. DANGEROUS TO DRIVE...CAN'T SEE WELL. DEALERSHIP WON'T FIX. SAYS THEY HAVE A MEMO SAYING NOT TO FIX ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL DEFECTIVE. WE HAVE WAITED 3MONTHS FOR A REP. TO BE AVAILABLE. SAY THEY HAVE NONE TO LOOK AT IT. THEY ARE REASSIGNING REPS SOON TO OUR AREA. THERE MUST BE SOMEONE FOR GMC WHO CAN FIX THIS DANGEROUS AND 'SICKENING' SITUATION. $40,000+ VEHICLE AND CAN'T DRIVE IT. IT IS SO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS YOU CAN'T SEE WELL TO FOCUS IT IS SO DISTORTED. EVERYTHING IS WAVY, OUT OF FOCUS AND HURTS YOUR EYES. TO TRY AND DRIVE IT ON A BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE AS THE BRIGHTNESS MAKES THE DISTORTION ALL THE WORSE. I HAVE HAD TO WEAR THREE PAIRS OF SUNGLASSES AT ONE TIME TRYING TO DARKEN IT ENOUGH TO DRIVE ON A SUNNY DAY. *AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026