AI Damage1988 GMC Jimmy: common problems
Owners of the 1988 GMC Jimmy filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and seats. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 20% of all complaints
- 2 Seats 20% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Seats: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.5 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 2.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 4.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 5.7 L · petrol · 8 cyl
- 6.2 L · diesel · 8 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: AWD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained back, neck, and wrist injuries that required continuous medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was not provided.
I have had to replace passenger side head 3 times now.a friend of mine told me that they are notorious for cracking heads.mine was broke in 3 places.can you help??
Two of the rear seat belts on my 1988 gmc jimmy - full size failed completely. The angle bracket has a steel strap which is riveted in place to it and the to the end of the seat belt(s).
Driver's and passenger's side seat bolts that were attached to floor were defective. Consumer was traveling and seat went back while driving.
Just want to report 2 front firestone tires w/ about 7,000 miles on them failed due to belt tear or separation .it seems most firestone tires don't last as long as claimed! Somethings wrong w/ their manufacture process or materials. (tiresize: p235r75/15)( dot number: tire size: p235r75/15 )
Consumer noticed fuel leaking from the fuel tank due to corrosion at the seal. Consumer contacted the dealer, dealer replaced the fuel tank assembly and the sending unit.
Sudden acceleration; went to park the vehicle and then the vehicle suddenly accelerated.
Left rear brake cylinder came apart, causing brake fluid to leak/brake failure.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Jimmy has 119 complaints (23 years in the data). This year has 15, below average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
- Jimmy 19845 sources
- Jimmy 19856 sources
- Jimmy 19863 sources
- Jimmy 19876 sources
- Jimmy 198913 sources
- Jimmy 199011 sources
- Jimmy 1991118 sources
- Jimmy 1992122 sources
- Jimmy 1993216 sources
- Jimmy 1994334 sources
- Jimmy 1995499 sources
- Jimmy 1996407 sources
- Jimmy 1997274 sources
- Jimmy 1998238 sources
- Jimmy 1999137 sources
- Jimmy 2000211 sources
- Jimmy 2001100 sources
- Jimmy 99997 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1988 GMC Jimmy?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, seats, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (20%), rust, corrosion (13%), unintended acceleration (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1988 GMC Jimmy?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1988 GMC Jimmy from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1988 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.