AI Damage1996 GMC Safari: common problems
Owners of the 1996 GMC Safari filed 139 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 139
- involving a crash
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 24% of all complaints
- 2 Suspension 21% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 20% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 8% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 7% of all complaints
- Visibility: 33 complaints (24% of all).
- Suspension: 29 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 28 complaints (20% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 12 complaints (9% of all).
- Structure: 12 complaints (9% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 139 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 28 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 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.
Consumer was rear ended and the passenger air bag deployed, and sustained injuries from the impact. Ph
Driver's side seat belt failed to lock when vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. Dealer and manufacturer were not notified at this time. Feel free to provide any further information.
I applied my brakes in an attempt to come to a complete stop; however, the brakes failed to engage. I then put full pressure on the brake pedal. The pedal went down almost to the floor, but the brakes failed to stop the vehicle.
Consumer was involved in a head-on collision traveling 40-45 mph and the driver's and passenger's side air bags did not deploy, both driver and passenger sustained injuries.
Owner has abs brakes, she states while driving vehicle and coming out of driveway brakes did not work, she also notes that her brake pedal went to floor, resulting in an accident.
While driving attempted to apply the abs brakes and the vehicle would not stop. Hit another vehicle head-on and the air bag did not deploy.
The mechanic found the fuel pump was not pumping fuel. Upon retrieving the fuel pump from the gas tank, he found it to have suffered severe electrical damage. The actual failure was not the fuel pump, but because it generated enough heat to melt the hose coming from the pump along the connection.
The consumer 1996 gmc safari van electrical problem with fuel pump. The fuel pump did not pump fuel. The fuel pump suffered electrical damage. The fuel filter was changed when the rebuilt engine was placed in the vehicle. The main bearing was shot.
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 2,807 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Safari has 52 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 139, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
- Safari 19867 sources
- Safari 198711 sources
- Safari 19887 sources
- Safari 198918 sources
- Safari 199035 sources
- Safari 199139 sources
- Safari 199259 sources
- Safari 199361 sources
- Safari 1994119 sources
- Safari 1995195 sources
- Safari 1997135 sources
- Safari 199889 sources
- Safari 199961 sources
- Safari 200068 sources
- Safari 200139 sources
- Safari 200225 sources
- Safari 200318 sources
- Safari 20045 sources
- Safari 20054 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1996 GMC Safari?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, suspension, service brakes. Total complaints: 139. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (8%), A/C or heater (7%), windows, sunroof (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1996 GMC Safari?
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 1996 GMC Safari 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 1996 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.