Tire size P 245/75 R 16 Was transporting church members (8) to church function on enter state when the tire blew out for no apparent reason. No more than 1000 miles ware on tires. The blow out caused damage to rear radiator causing overheating and damaging engine
GMC Savana tire blowout problems
18 of the 348 owner complaints about the GMC Savana describe tire blowout or tread separation, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 18
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 34,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20171
- 20132
- 20051
- 20011
- 20006
- 19992
- 19983
- 19972
Often reported together
What owners say
I have purchased a conversion van that has been modified by an aftermarket upfitter but sold as new on a franchised gmc dealership lot. The van carries two placards with conflicting gvwr information. These vans are being modified in mass quantities. The rear springs have been changed to soften the ride but are inadequate to support the weight of a 3/4 ton van. The tires that are being installed on these vans for vanity reasons are not of the correct weight rating for a 3/4 ton van. We have had major issues with the tires failing and the rear springs bending. The conversion company, the gmc dealer, nor gm customer service wish to address these issues. Yet these vans continue to be sold in mass quantities on gmc and chevrolet dealer lots as brand new vehicles. I am seeing many online complaints in forums and facebook groups from other owners with the same type of issues. I am genuinely concerned that someone is going to be injured eventually due to tire or spring failure. Also I have been having issues with the seat belts becoming completely unbolted from the seats. The fasteners used by the conversion company for the seat belts are also inadequate for today's standards. Please understand that my complaint is not in regard to the oem spec gm van. This complaint is related to a gm authorized upfitter that is taking brand new vans provided by gm, installing their parts, then selling them as new vehicles at gm dealerships. This conversion company (the explorer van company) also installs their products on ford, mercedes, and possibly the ram vans as well. We have had three tire failures already because of this issue. Belle tire would not sell us a replacement tire because the size installed on the van is not rated properly and there is no tire manufacturer in the us that produces a tire in the proper size with the correct weight ratings.
We have purchased 20 hifly, lt245-75r16 e range 10 ply tires to use on our fleet of 15 gmc 3500 vans.year range is between 2007-2014. We are finding separation and bubbling in them. We were advised that "what do you expect from a cheap chinese tire, you got what you paid for.". No warranty or exchange given. I still have 11 on shop floor due to such failures these are very dangerous at highway speeds when the treads and sidewalls bubble and blow out or tread separates, this could cause an accident which could cause loss of control, injury, death or destruction of property. We have purchased cooper tires without the same issues on these units, driving the same speed, weight, and distance. The faulty tires are available for testing and or inspection.
We purchased 18 pinnacle lt245/75r16 load range e 10 ply tires from grainger and made in china for our fleet of 15 2007-2014 gmc 3500 vans. I have 6 of them on shop floor due to failures that are available for inspection and or testing. Some of the others were destroyed and sent to be recycled. These vans are driven upon the interstate, highways and city streets, at or about the speed limits and within the weight class of a 1 ton van. Mileage varied from 5000 to 10000 before the tire bubbled on the tread or at the bead, separated or blew out. We have purchased cooper tires in the same spec range prior to and after said purchase with no failures as the pinnacle tires.
2005 gmc savanna with tire failure. Consumer states that the van has had three tire blow outs. He stated that the blow outs occurred on the same tire and the same spot. *kb the consumer was told the low profile tires were not a good match for the vehicle. The consumer also stated he has experienced problems with the electronics and the wheels.
While the vehicle was in motion, the rear tire on the drivers side peeled and the tire blew out and caused the vehicle to sway and the sway bar to break. On a separate occasion, the passenger tires rubber peeled away from the steel belt. As the rubber was peeling from the tire, it was hitting the sides of the vehicle causing numerous scratches and rubber marks as well as breaking pieces off of the rear panel. *ak *sc
While driving at 55 MPH consumer felt as if the vehicle rolled over a bump. After stopping the vehicle and a thorough inspection con consumer determined that the tread separated from the tire. Consumer replaced two tires on the vehicle due to tread separation.
Consumer stated the passenger rear tire tread separated, following a loud noise, tire was not flat. *ak the drivers rear experienced tread delamination. The tires were in great shape and showed less than 50% tread wear. (large portions of the tread separated from the tires and exposed the steel belts) the tires were noisy and out of balance. They were still under warranty and the consumer requested a refund. (one tire lost tread and held air, and the other lost tread and had gone flat) *scc the consumer replaced all five tires at his expense.
Front passenger's side tire peeled and the rear driver side tire tread separated. Firestone steeltex r4s 245/75r16.
While driving on interstate at 65 MPH, I noticed a vibration or rough ride followed by a complete tread seperation and blow out of the right rear tire on my gmc 3500 series long wheelbase savanna van. Tread remained attached to casing scraping a three foot arch on the side fender panel(paint scraped from steel belts and black rubber deposited)and the tail pipe was pulled into the wheel causing it to fold in two at the axle. Debrise from the tire hit several other cars and no accident resulted from this failure. Tire size was 245/75/16e inflated to proper presure five days prior, rotated at regular intervals and visually checked frequently. Dt
Related recalls
Tires: sidewall
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Express Cutaway, and 2025-2026 Savana Cutaway vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a tire with sidewall damage.
- Risk
- A tire with sidewall damage may experience sudden air loss or driver loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect all tire sidewalls and replace tires with sidewall damage, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 27, 2026. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020. GM's number for this recall is N252542620. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 5, 2026.
Recall number 26V127000 · Recall details
Tires
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
- Risk
- Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1‑888‑988‑7267, Buick customer service at 1‑866‑608‑8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
Recall number 21V115000 · Recall details
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles with certain combinations of front-tire and gross-vehicle-weight option codes. The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be incorrectly calibrated, causing the TPMS warning lamp to illuminate when tire pressure reaches 37 PSI, not 41 PSI. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
- Risk
- If the low tire pressure telltale is not illuminated at the correct tire pressure, the driver may have less time to react to a low-tire-pressure situation, which could affect the driver's ability to control the vehicle in certain situations and could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will check the PSI information on the remote control door lock receiver (RCDLR) and tire placard match, and if the information is different the RCDLR will be reprogrammed. This repair will be done free of charge. The recall began August 27, 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 18255.
Recall number 18V509000 · Recall details
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
- What is wrong
- 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."
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 16V184000 · Recall details
Questions about the GMC Savana tire blowout
Which GMC Savana years have tire blowout or tread separation problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (6 complaints), 1998 (3 complaints) and 1997 (2 complaints).
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