Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 GMC Safari problems

Owners filed 150 complaints about the 1996 GMC Safari with NHTSA between Feb 1996 and Dec 2009. The most-cited component is visibility (31).

Complaints
150
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
12
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Visibility31
  2. Suspension30
  3. Service brakes, hydraulic27
  4. Structure14
  5. Electrical system12
  6. Steering10
  7. Engine and engine cooling9
  8. Equipment9
  9. Fuel system, gasoline8
  10. Seat belts7
  11. Vehicle speed control6
  12. Power train5
  13. Tires4
  14. Air bags4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 31, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19968
199732
199812
199914
200021
200121
200211
200310
200413
20053
20062
20071
20080
20092

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Visibility

31 reports1 related recall
“POWER WINDOWS DO NOT WORK. CONSUMER CHECKED THE FUSES, AND THE FUSES ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AFTER MARKET REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE DEFECT WAS NOTICED. *AK NO RECALL FOUND ON THIS ISSUE. *TC”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 15, 2004VisibilityODI 10095233

Suspension

30 reports1 crash
“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A RESIDENCE WHERE A DEALER REPRESENTATIVE CAME FOR AN INSPECTION AND DETERMINED THE PASSENGER SIDE TORSION BAR FRACTURED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 15, 2006SuspensionODI 10173571

Service brakes, hydraulic

27 reports4 crashes1 fire
“SINCE THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, WE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM W/ABS BRAKES. WHEN YOU WOULD SLOW DOWN & GET TO ABOUT 20 MPH, THE VAN WOULD START TO LOCK UP RENDERING THE VEHICLE OUT OF CONTROL & UNABLE TO STOP. WE TOOK IT TO OUR USUAL MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THE SENSOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE WAS BAD & REPLACED IT. THAT LASTED ABOUT 6 MONTHS & WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM REOCCUR. AGAIN, OUR MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT (PULLING HIS HAIR OUT MIND YOU) & DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS UNEQUAL VOLTAGE, SO HE REPLACED BOTH SENSORS. NOW AGAIN WE STARTED HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. AS OF TODAY, THE ABS LIGHT IS ON & THE SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING. WE ARE NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS STOPPING NOW. ANYWAY, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH & NOTICED THAT A GOOD NUMBER OF GM VEHICLES HAVE HAD ABS RECALLS, 1 STORY I READ WAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I REQUESTED SEVERAL THINGS FROM GM. 1) DIRECTION TO GO NOW; 2) REIMBURSEMENT FOR THESE EXPENSES(APPROX $800); 3) ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED THE RIGHT WAY & 4)A RECALL BE PLACED ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE ALSO. IF THERE WAS A RECALL PLACED ON IT, WE DID NOT RECEIVE IT IN THE MAIL. UNFORTUNATELEY, I WAS SENT A REPLY BASICALLY SAYING THAT THE 1996 MODEL WAS…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 15, 2004Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10070281

Structure

14 reports
“I LOVE THIS VAN BUT IM BEGINNING TO THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE DOOR HANDLES. WHEN I LEAST EXPECT IT THE HANDLES WILL JUST BREAK OFF IN MY HAND. I HAVE REPLACED EACH ONE AT LEAST TWICE. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THEM THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2009StructureODI 10285696

Electrical system

12 reports
“ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILS EVEN WITH NEW BATTERY, ALTERNATOR. WHEN I ATTEMPT TO START VEHICLE ALL POWER IS LOST. HAPPENED LAST YEAR IS HAPPENING AGAIN, ONLY IN WINTER. KILLS BATTERY AFTER BATTERY. HAVE BOUGHT 3 BATTERIES, NOW THE ELECTRICAL POWER JUST DOES NOT COME ON. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 19, 2009Electrical systemODI 10296435

Steering

10 reports
“FINGERS BENT AND TWISTED FROM DRIVING STIFF/TIGHT STEERING ON VEHICLES. INDEX AND MIDDLE BENT TOWARDS BABY FINGER. SEE PHOTOS AT HTTP:PHOTOS.YAHOO.COM/MIKETOMICH. THIS INFORMATION IS BEING SUBMITTED BY LANA'S COUSIN MIKE TOMICH. LANA'S FINGERS ARE ALL BENT AND TWISTED FROM THE HIGH EFFORT STEERING. LANA HAS DRIVEN ONLY GM VEHICLES WHICH INCLUDED THE SAFARI VAN, MALIBU, CAPRICE CLASSIC AND TRANS AM. MIKE TOMICH 989, 665-2311 LANA HAS EXPERIENCED SHOULDER PAIN AND CARPAL TUNNEL PROBLEMS, ETC. DT”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 24, 2002SteeringODI 768815
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 31, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.