ChevroletExpress2002Overview/chevrolet/express/2002/base/

2002 Chevrolet Express

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 Express.

Body VAN

The 2002 Chevrolet Express is a van that requires 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil. Owner reports show 82 total complaints for the model year, with the most frequent issue centered on the engine and cooling system and a single recall issued. In the broader complaint history spanning 1995‑2026, the 2002 Express sits well below the peak year of 2003 (127 complaints) but above the low‑water mark of 1995 (1 complaint), indicating a moderate reliability profile with a notable concentration of cooling‑related concerns.

Model year201820172016201520112010200920082002

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 25160561. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter25160561 alt 12731175
Engine air filter22909882 alt 25042562
Fuel filter25121468
Spark plug12681665
Front wiper blades15214346
Serpentine belt12564763 alt 19355374
Thermostat12632948 alt 12551507

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length215.4 in
Overall width79.1 in
Overall height83.9 in
Wheelbase135 in
Curb weight4634 lb
Track (front / rear)66.5 / 66.9 in

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Express of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

8.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 8.70 sec — 2003 1500 Passenger Van (SWB)
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
20031500 Passenger Van (SWB) 5.3L V88.70 sec16.70 sec285 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, SAE 75W · SYNTHETIC in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 21.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity6.3 qt
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity5.5 qt
Differential Gear OilSAE 75W · SYNTHETIC
Differential Gear Oil Capacity4.4 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts74 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts189 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head BoltsBolts: 26 ft-lbs, nuts: 12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug21.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts9.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket88.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle67.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket67.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-6-5-4-3-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11-14 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca
Optional BCI Group Number78

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum66.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)60-66
RPM50-63 @ Idle rpm
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum66.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)60-66

Brakes

Torque to Knuckle38 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle38 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.25 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.25 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.23 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages
120 ft. lbs.20 ft. lbs
255 ft. lbs.55 ft. lbs
355 ft. lbs.55 ft. lbs
490 degrees90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 6 stages
1All bolts22 ft. lbs
2All bolts 22.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
3120 degrees120 degrees
4Bolts 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,11,14,16,1760 degrees
5Bolts 15,1845 degrees
6Bolts 4,5,12,1330 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 7,500 miAir Filter Restriction Gauge (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Underbody (inspect)
Every 15,000 miAir Intake System (inspect) · Radiator Fan Assembly (inspect) · Underbody Splash Shield (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Wheel Bearing (repack)
Every 50,000 miTransmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Crankcase Depression Regulator Valve (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 100,000 miPCV Valve (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2002 Chevrolet Express sits within a generation marked by a steep upward trend in technical service bulletins, which rose from 6 in 1995 to 961 by 2007. With 82 complaints and 433 TSBs, the 2002 model experiences higher volumes than the 2001 model but avoids the sharp increase in recalls seen in 2003, where recalls jumped from 1 to 13. Primary complaint areas for 2002 include Engine & Engine Cooling, Tires, and the Electrical System, though the data does not specify the root causes. This year falls just before the generation's peak in complaints and recalls, indicating a period of relative stability before the volatility of the 2003–2006 model years. Because it precedes the high-recall era of the mid-2000s, this is a good year to buy.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
433
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
82
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 82 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling9
Tires8
Electrical System7
Structure6
Power Train6
Service Brakes, Hydraulic6
Exterior Lighting4
Steering4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 433 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D2025-02-19Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
03-06-01-023I2024-12-17EngineThis service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons…
PIP4723J2024-10-25Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
03-06-01-023H2024-10-07EngineThis service bulletin explains how to measure for oil consumption and possible reasons…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Express. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 Express take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2002 Express have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.