IllustrationWINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK AS THEY PLEASE. THEY WILL CUT ON AND OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THERE IS A RECALL ON OTHER GMC VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK *SLC
1996 GMC Safari
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Safari years
Owner complaints for the 1996 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: 22 of 139 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.
- Visibility. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
139 reportsBELT TENSIONER FELL OFF, CAUSING CAUSING A LOSS OF BRAKES . BELT RUNS THE POWER BRAKE SYSTEM. *AK
WHILE TURNING ON WINDSHIELD WIPERS DURING RAIN WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT RUN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHR INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE PARKED RIGHT TORSION BAR SNAPPED IN HALF WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE 2 TORSION BARS AT CONSUMER EXPENSE. COMMON PROBLEM. *AK
ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEN, AIR CONDITIONER WAS BLOWING HOT AIR, AND CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP. THEY TOLD HER THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS RUBBING AGAINST A BLOCK CONNECTING WITH AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, AND THIS WAS CAUSING AIR CONDITIONING COOLANT TO RUN OUT ONTO THE GROUND. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCLERATED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ACCLERATOR WHICH GOT STUCK. DRIVER COULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN VEHICLE. TRIED APPLY BRAKES, BUT BRAKES BURNED AND CAUGHT ON FIRE, HAD TO PLACE VEHICLE IN PARK POSITION TO STOP IT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 WHEN ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, AND IT WAS HARD TO PREVENT VEHICLE FROM SPEEDING UP AND TO TRYING TO KEEP CONTROL, VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSUMER FINALLY SHIFTED GEAR INTO PARK, WHICH THEN STOPPED VEHICLE. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, AND NOTICED BRAKES HAD CAUGHT ON FIR…
Read full complaint
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 WHEN ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK. CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES, AND IT WAS HARD TO PREVENT VEHICLE FROM SPEEDING UP AND TO TRYING TO KEEP CONTROL, VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. CONSUMER FINALLY SHIFTED GEAR INTO PARK, WHICH THEN STOPPED VEHICLE. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME, AND NOTICED BRAKES HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS STANDING WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING FRONT OF THE VAN FELL TO THE GROUND. VAN WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP FOUND TWO TORISON BARS BROKE IN HALF. DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATON.*AK
ABS LIGHT WOULD COME ON/ PEDAL JERKED, AND THERE WERE NO BRAKES. CONTACTED DEALER. HE SAID THAT IT WAS A SENSOR THAT NEEDED TO BE RESET. REPLACED COMPUTER MODULE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN DEALER ABOUT FIVE TIMES, AND IS STILL AT THE DEALER. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL EITHER NOT COME ON OR STOP WORKING WHEN ON. ALSO AIR CONDITIONER FAILED WHEN COOLANT LINE RUBBED AGAINST UNDERBODY, FORMED A HOLE, AND LEAKED OUT COOLANT GAS. *AK
Official recalls
403V159000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer
Apr 28, 2003
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
01V123000 · Seat Belts:front:warning Light/devices
Apr 10, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE "FASTEN SAFETY-BELT" AUDIBLE WARNING OCCASIONALLY MAY NOT COME ON OR MAY TERMINATE IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW ALARM MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 27, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
99V009000 · Child Seat
Jan 20, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH INTEGRATED DUAL CHILD SEATS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE MISSING A SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CLUTCH SPRING AND/OR PAWL SPRING IN THE CHILD SEAT. IF THE CLUTCH SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT WOULD LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE USED. IF THE PAWL SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT WOULD CONTINUALLY PLAY OUT AND WOULD NOT LOCK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THESE CONDITIONS COULD INCREASE THE OCCUPANT'S RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SEAT BELTS ON THE CHILD SEATS, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE CHILD SEAT.
97V057000 · Seat Belts:rear/other
Apr 8, 1997
THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE RIGHT-HAND REAR BUCKET SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A VEHICLE CRASH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND PERSONAL INJURY COULD RESULT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTOR ON THE REAR SEAT CUSHION FRAME.
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
1EA02006 · Windshield Wiper Failure
Opened May 31, 2002 · Closed Jul 23, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor
AS A RESULT OF THIS, AND THE PRECEDINGINVESTIGATION, RQ99-003, GM HAS EXPANDED THE POPULATION OF SAFETY RECALL 98V-150 (REPLACEMENT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTROL MODULE) TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL 1.77 MILLION VEHICLES.INCLUDED ARE VARIOUS 1994-1997 MY M/L VANS, S/T TRUCKS AND SUVS, & C/K TRUCKS AND SUVS.SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL REPORT FOR DETAILS.