Owners have filed 65 complaints on the Chevrolet SSR, covering 2003–2006. The system named most often is Electrical System (16 reports). Worst years by volume: 2004, 2005, 2003; cleanest: 2006, 2003, 2005. On average the car was 4.5 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Chevrolet SSR
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 65 SSR complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Electrical System 16 Read
Engine stalled, brakes faded and auto stopped. Attempted to start many times (6) before the engine would start again. The engine ran roughly but sufficient to drive to a gm dealer for repair (new ignition switch). On 04/05/10, the same problem occurred again. Speed at that time was idling at a stop light. Similar…
Driving 55mph; check engine light came on; engine and all electricals shutdown; same codes as bulletin 10009520; TSB 3089; returning from trip in mountains - could have resulted in loss of life; still see recent posts of this situation: how can it possibly be closed?
The contact owns a 2005 chevrolet ssr. The contact stated that the speedometer provided an inaccurate reading that the vehicle was traveling 60 mph while sitting idle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 47,000
Structure 16 Read
The contact stated the inside handle on the driver's door fractured making it impossible to exit the vehicle from inside the vehicle. The dealership determined the part needed to be replaced, but the part has been on backorder for 6-8 weeks
Driver's inside door handle broke. Driver was able to exit by using door unlock function on keyfob, lowering window and reaching outside to open door. This worked for several weeks while I tried to work with the manufacturer to have them replace the defective door handle. Now the locking mechanism will not allow even…
My 2005 ssr drivers inside door handle failed. Unable to open door from inside. From what I hear this has been a common problem on these vehicles. Unable to locate parts and a long wait if they are found. Seems to be a safety problem when I can't get out of my vehicle
Latches/locks/linkages 13 Read
The interior driver side door handle is broken on my chevrolet ssr. I am unable to exit the vehicle without rolling the window down and reaching outside. I fear this would be very unsafe in the event of an accident or fire. The dealership says the part is on backorder and have no idea when they will be able to repair…
The contact stated the driver's side door handle is inoperable. The only way to exit the vehicle from the driver's side is to roll down the window and open the door. The dealership has been informed and has ordered a new door handle for the driver's side. The contact expressed concern the passenger side door handle…
The contact stated the front left door handle failed to open the door. The window needed to be lowered in order to open the left front door by the outside door release. The service dealer and manufacturer were contacted and the part was on back order. Updated 9/15/2006 - as of 9/22/2006 the part was still not available
Power Train 4 Read
Put the truck in reverse and the transmission cable broke. It is plastic and the catalytic converter heats the plastic and cracks it. The underhood fuse block went while driving. The truck shut off on me while I was driving and would not restart. The dealer said this is a big issue with this truck. I had to spend 600…
The contact stated while accelerating there was a popping sound heard coming from under the middle of the vehicle. The dealer determined the problem was in the driveshaft between the transmission and rear end. The dealer could not determine a remedy
Engine over heats, electrical system malfunctions, speedometer cluster malfunctions, center switches malfunction, center switch failures. Fuel system malfunctions, fuel system delivery system make vehicle stall. Rear transmission seal leaks, clutch release spring spring out. ABS lights, oil lights & engine over…
Engine And Engine Cooling 4 Read
The contact owns a 2006 chevrolet ssr. The contact stated that water entered the vehicle and damaged the gasket. The dealer replaced the gasket, but now the electrical system malfunctions and the vehicle shuts down without warning. The failure occurred while driving 55 mph. The dealer was unable to duplicate the…
The contact owns a 2004 chevrolet ssr. The contact stated that the temperature gauge would rise and the vehicle would overheat when idling. As of december 7, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The contact felt that the cooling fan was too small for the engine. The current and failure mileages were 15,320.…
2004 chevrolet ssr. Consumer writes in regards to a faulty cooling system. *smd the consumer discovered the coolant reservoir had a hole in it, and all the coolant leaked out. The engine stopped running and was hot
Fuel/propulsion System 3 Read
Fuel level gauge not functioning properly. Also, vehicle has accelerated while brake was being depressed almost causing rear end collision...had to put into neutral
Po463 code indicating fuel level sensor comes on then check engine light comes on. The fuel gauge will go to empty and back to full or existing fuel level. This occurs when vehicle is moving or stationary, with the engine running. Purchased from chevrolet dealer on 05/26/2015 (third owner), and malfunction happened…
Fuel gage reads way pass full
Air Bags 2 Read
The contact stated that the service light illuminated continuously. The vehicle was taken to the dealers who determined that the problem was the airbag module and replaced the module. The service light continued to illuminate. The dealers determined that the cause of the problem was related to a seatbelt defect and…
The contact stated that the airbag warning light illuminated. According to the manufacturer, the airbag warning light was not a safety issue. The service dealer was not able to repair the air bag warning light since parts were not available. Updated 8/7/2006 -
Tires 1 Read
Consumer complaint concerning the 2005 ssr tire problems. *ts ***nar*** the left rear tire blewout from the sidewall. On june 9, 2006 the right front tire had a sidewall blowout
SSR years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2004 | Electrical System | — | — | |
| 2003 | Electrical System | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 32 |
| Average complaints per series | 2 |
| Worst single series | 6 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.5 years |
A model average of 2 hides a worst series at 6. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the SSR?
By complaint volume, 2004, 2005, 2003 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which SSR years are the cleanest?
2006, 2003, 2005 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Chevrolet SSR have?
65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2003–2006. Of those, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.