IllustrationWHILE SAFARI WAS PARKED TORSION BAR BROKE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SAFARI WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION. BOTH TORSION BARS BROKE BECAUSE THE PARTS HAVE BEEN RE-ENGINEERED. GMC OBVIOUSLY KNEW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SAFARI'S. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
1994 GMC Safari
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Safari years
Owner complaints for the 1994 GMC Safari are substantially higher than the model-year median of 30.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Safari years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 16 of 119 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 37 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports1 fire reports8 injury reports
Suspension complaints
15 reportsWHILE DRIVING FRONT TORSION BAR BROKE, CAUSING FRONT END TO DROP. DEALER HAS INSPECTED VEHICLE, WILL REPAIR THE VEHICLE. *AK
I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN I PASSED A SLIGHT DIP IN THE ROAD AND THERE WAS A VERY LOUD BANG RESEMBLING AN EXPLOSION AND THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE SLAMMED TO THE GROUND. THE DRIVERS SIDE TORSION BAR SNAPPED! IT WAS VERY FORTUNATE THE TIMING OF THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN IT DID, AS WE HAD JUST LEFT …
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I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN I PASSED A SLIGHT DIP IN THE ROAD AND THERE WAS A VERY LOUD BANG RESEMBLING AN EXPLOSION AND THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE SLAMMED TO THE GROUND. THE DRIVERS SIDE TORSION BAR SNAPPED! IT WAS VERY FORTUNATE THE TIMING OF THE INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN IT DID, AS WE HAD JUST LEFT THE MASS TURNPIKE AND WERE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF MYSELF, MY FAMILY AND THE LIVES OF OTHER PERSONS. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN THE MATERIAL THE TORTION BAR IS MADE OF, AND I FEAR THE OTHER SIDE MAY BE DEFECTIVE AS WELL. *AK
TORSION BAR BROKE. THE DEALER IS REPAIRING VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE TORSION BAR BROKE AT THE REAR PORTION OF THE BAR. SUSPECT THE BAR HAD BEEN CRACKED FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE IT WAS RUSTED INSIDE THE CRACK. BOTH TORTION BARS WERE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT STYLE TORTION BAR THE DIDN'T HAVE A COLLAR AT THE REAR TORTION BAR MOUNT. THIS COLLAR CAUSED DEBRIS AND MOISTER TO COLLECT AT T…
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DRIVER'S SIDE TORSION BAR BROKE AT THE REAR PORTION OF THE BAR. SUSPECT THE BAR HAD BEEN CRACKED FOR SOME TIME BECAUSE IT WAS RUSTED INSIDE THE CRACK. BOTH TORTION BARS WERE REPLACED WITH A DIFFERENT STYLE TORTION BAR THE DIDN'T HAVE A COLLAR AT THE REAR TORTION BAR MOUNT. THIS COLLAR CAUSED DEBRIS AND MOISTER TO COLLECT AT THE REAR OF THE TORTION BAR, WHICH LED TO GOOD CONDITIONS FOR RUST TO DEVELOP. IF THE REPLACEMENT TORTION BAR NO LONGER HAS THE COLLAR, THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE MANUFACTURER ACKNOWLEDGES THE COLLAR WAS CAUSING PROBLEMS.
Official recalls
194V087000 · Equipment:other:labels
May 9, 1994
THE MANUFACTURER'S CERTIFICATION LABEL AND/OR THE DRIVER AIR BAG ADVISORY LABEL MAY BE MISSING FROM THE VEHICLES, WHICH DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF 49 CFR 567.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: CONSEQUENCE OF NON-COMPLIANCE: OWNERS OF VEHICLE WOULD BE UNAWARE OF THE LOAD CAPACITY OF THE VANS, THE VAN BUILD DATE, AND WOULD NOT HAVE ANY ASSURANCE THAT THE VANS MEET THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS.
Remedy: THE LABELS WILL BE FURNISHED TO OWNER'S FOR INSTALLATION ON THE VEHICLES.
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
1RQ99003 · Windshield Wiper
Opened Mar 8, 1999 · Closed May 31, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer
No summary supplied.