The 2016 Express is built on GM's ancient but proven full-size van platform—solid bones, but showing its age with aging fuel system components, transmission cooling issues, and AFM-related engine problems on V8s. Work vans rack up miles fast, so expect higher-mileage maintenance earlier than typical passenger vehicles.
Active Fuel Management (AFM) Lifter Failure on 6.0L V8
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Ticking/tapping noise from engine at idle that worsens when warm, Check engine light with P0300-series misfire codes or P0521 oil pressure, Lifter collapse causing valve train damage, Metal shavings in oil on filter inspection
Fix: Requires disabling AFM system and replacing affected lifters, camshaft if damaged, and sometimes valve springs. Range AFM Delete kit plus lifter replacement is 12-16 hours labor. If cam is damaged, add another 6-8 hours. Many shops now proactively disable AFM on these engines.
Estimated cost: $2,800-5,500
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: Transmission fluid leaking from front of vehicle near radiator, Pink/red fluid puddles under engine bay, Transmission overheating warnings or limp mode, Coolant mixing with transmission fluid (strawberry milkshake fluid)
Fix: Steel cooler lines rust through where they connect to radiator or at frame mounting points. Requires replacement of affected lines, often both for preventive measure. If internal radiator cooler failed and contaminated fluid, trans needs full flush or rebuild. Line replacement alone is 2-3 hours labor.
Estimated cost: $400-800 for lines only, $2,500-4,500 if transmission contaminated
Fuel Pump and Fuel Filter Housing Corrosion
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Hard starting after sitting, especially in cold weather, Loss of power under acceleration or uphill, Engine stalling at idle or when hot, Fuel smell from rear of vehicle
Fix: In-tank fuel pump assemblies corrode, especially in rust-belt regions or with ethanol fuel. Pump replacement requires dropping tank (3-4 hours). Fuel filter housing on frame rail also rusts through on 6.0L models. Filter housing replacement adds 1-2 hours.
Estimated cost: $600-1,200
Intake Manifold Gasket Leak (V8 engines)
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Coolant loss with no visible external leak, White smoke from exhaust on cold start, Rough idle or misfire when engine is cold, Coolant smell from engine bay
Fix: Plastic intake manifolds develop cracks or gasket failures allowing coolant into cylinders. Requires intake manifold removal and gasket replacement, about 4-6 hours labor. Often find corroded coolant crossover passages that need cleaning or replacement.
Estimated cost: $800-1,400
EVAP Vent Solenoid and Purge Valve Failure
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 50,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Check engine light with P0449, P0496, P0455 codes, Fuel smell near rear of vehicle, Difficulty fueling (pump clicks off repeatedly), Failed emissions test
Fix: EVAP vent valve on top of fuel tank corrodes or sticks. Purge valve on engine also fails. Vent valve requires dropping tank or accessing from inside van (2-3 hours). Purge valve is easier, 0.5-1 hour. Often both need replacement at similar intervals.
Estimated cost: $300-700
Rear Leaf Spring and Shackle Corrosion
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: null
Symptoms: Sagging rear end, especially when loaded, Clunking noise over bumps from rear suspension, Visible rust on leaf springs or shackles, Uneven tire wear on rear wheels
Fix: Heavy cargo use and road salt cause leaf spring main leafs to crack and shackles to seize or break. Replacement requires removing U-bolts and shackles, often cutting rusted hardware. Per side is 3-4 hours if bolts come out clean, 5-6 hours with rust. Always inspect frame mounts—cracked frames are not uncommon on high-mileage cargo vans.
Estimated cost: $800-1,600 per side
Owner tips
If buying a 6.0L V8, budget immediately for an AFM disable kit—it's cheap insurance against $4,000+ engine work
Inspect transmission cooler lines annually in rust-belt states; replace proactively at 80k miles to avoid contamination
Check frame and leaf spring mounts carefully on cargo vans—cracks here mean walk away
Use Top Tier fuel and replace fuel filter every 30k miles to extend fuel pump life
Flush transmission fluid every 50k miles on work vans—these transmissions run hot and don't tolerate abuse
Solid work van if maintained, but AFM lifters on 6.0L V8 and transmission cooler issues are expensive time bombs—buy one with those already addressed or budget $3k-5k for the eventual repairs.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles. One or both of the rear-quarter windows may be tempered glass instead of laminated glass. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Consequence: Tempered glass increases the risk of injury in the event of a side impact or rollover crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tempered glass windows with laminated glass windows, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-586-596-1733. GM's number for this recall is N192218960.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · 18V655000
2018-09-21
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Express and GMC Sierra vehicles equipped with a single, manual, rear climate control module (CCM). If the temperature is set to maximum heat or the mode knob is set to maximum floor vent and an electrical short occurs, components within the CCM may overheat.
Consequence: If the CCM overheats, there is an increased risk of a fire in the vehicle's headliner.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the electrical insulation from a wiring connector within the CCM to remove the fire risk, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18299.
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS · 18V295000
2018-05-03
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles equipped with power windows. Liquid may leak into the driver's power window switch and cause corrosion, resulting in high electrical resistance.
Consequence: High electrical resistance can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side window switch, free of charge. The recall began August 10, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18155.
EQUIPMENT · 18V267000
2018-04-26
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD, 2009 GMC Topkick 5000, 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series and Isuzu F Series, and 2009-2018 Chevrolet Express, and GMC Savana vehicles, equipped with certain Plastic-Handle Fire Extinguishers or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Consequence: In the event of a fire, if the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, instructing them to contact Kidde to get a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began June 11, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Isuzu customer service at 1-866-441-9638. GM's number for this recall is 18146.
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES · 16V700000
2016-09-29
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Chevrolet Express manufactured September 25, 2015, to August 22, 2016, and 2016 GMC Savana cargo and cutaway vans manufactured January 28, 2016, to May 18, 2016. The affected vehicles were manufactured without an inside rearview mirror and with a right-hand convex exterior review mirror. These vehicles are required to have either an inside rearview mirror or both left and right-hand flat exterior rearview mirrors. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Consequence: If the driver does not have a clear unobstructed view to the back of the vehicle, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will instal a right-hand flat rearview mirror, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 16036.
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS · 16V184000
2016-04-01
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana incomplete vehicles equipped with a 159 inch wheel base manufactured August 2, 2013, to January 30, 2016. The affected vehicles were shipped to final stage manufacturers without a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence: Without a TPMS, the driver would not be alerted if one or more tires became under inflated. Driving with under inflated tires increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install the hardware and software necessary to equip the vehicles with a TPMS, free of charge. The recall began on May 25, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15819.
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