Sign inCreate free garage
Problems · NHTSA complaints

2003 GMC Safari problems

Owners filed 27 complaints about the 2003 GMC Safari with NHTSA between Jan 2003 and Oct 2015. The most-cited component is service brakes, hydraulic (8).

Full 2003 Safari research
Complaints
27
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes, hydraulic8
  2. Service brakes3
  3. Air bags2
  4. Engine and engine cooling2
  5. Power train2
  6. Fuel system, gasoline1
  7. Seat belts1
  8. Service brakes, air1
  9. Seats1
  10. Suspension1
  11. Tires1
  12. Vehicle speed control1
  13. Visibility1
  14. Structure1

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 28, 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
20035
20044
20054
20062
20075
20080
20091
20100
20112
20120
20131
20142
20151

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

Service brakes, hydraulic

8 reports1 fire
“ABS SYSTEM DEFECT. WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO STOP, AT VERY LOW SPEED (ABOUT 5 MPH) ABS ENGAGES, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO NEED FOR IT. THIS CAUSES A "FLOATING" SENSATION, MAKING CONTROL OF THE STOPPING POINT UNCERTAIN, UNLIKE NORMAL BRAKING. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. MOST RECENTLY, CAR IS PULLING TO RIGHT DURING THE STOP, WHEN ABS ENGAGES. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 19, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10430853
Get this fixed

Service brakes

3 reports
“THE BRAKE LINES IN FRONT ARE RUSTED OUT AND LEAKING CREATING A SERIOUS PROBLEM, AS THE BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING. I SEE THIS IS A RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH GMC VEHICLES. THE COST TO REPAIR IS ASTRONOMICAL. WHY ISN'T GMC RECALLING THESE VEHICLES?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 5, 2015Service brakesODI 10779874
Get this fixed

Air bags

2 reports2 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SAFARI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 25, 2013Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10504464
Get this fixed

Engine and engine cooling

2 reports
“DAMPNER FAILED, PURCHASE VAN WITH THIS PROBLEM 3 MONTHS AGO AND STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE DAMPNER PART FROM GMC. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH ONLY 60 MILES ON IT. DURING THE TEST DRIVE, PRIOR TO PURCHASE, THERE WAS A HARMONIC ROAR NOISE VIBRATION COMING FROM THE REAR. *SC”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 5, 2004Engine and engine coolingODI 10099916
Get this fixed

Power train

2 reports
“VALVE BODY WAS REPLACED, THE FAN MOTOR WAS REPLACED, AND ALL OF THESE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE AGAIN. DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED WARRANTY EXPIRED.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2004Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10087674
Get this fixed

Fuel system, gasoline

1 report1 related recall
“FUEL TANK DEVELOPED A LEAK WHERE FUEL LINE ENTERS THE TANK. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 6, 2007Fuel system, gasolineODI 10202095
Recall: Fuel system, gasolineGet this fixed
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

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