IllustrationWHEN DRIVING DURING SNOW STORM ON A WET/SLIPPERY ROAD, THERMAL LINEAR ACTUATOR WHICH ACTIVATES THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FAILED, DROPPING VEHICLE INTO TWO WHEEL DRIVE BEFORE DRIVERS FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM ACCELERATOR. RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL. (IS NOTED IN A NEWS ARTICLE THAT COLD WEATHER TRIGGERS THIS CONDITION)
1996 GMC K3500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all K3500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 0 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
2 reportsDRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE ,PROCESS OF CHANGING LANES APPROXIMATELY 35MPH, VEHICLE AHEAD CAME TO A STOP, SLAMMED ON BRKES AND IT DID NOT STOP. ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DID NOT CHATTER ,RAN INTO OTHE RVEHICLE. HAS HAD BRAKES REPLACED ONCE.VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR NOW. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.