IllustrationHYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE DUE TO RIGHT-FRONT BRAKE LINE RUBBED ON THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE UNTIL THE BRAKE LINE LEAKED FLUID OUT. BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS ONLY 1 YEAR OLD.
2001 GMC Safari
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2001 GMC Safari do not stand out strongly from 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
10–25K
925–50K
550–75K
975–100K
0100–150K
0150K+
24 reports with mileage · 15 unknown
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 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 4 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 reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
39 reportsBUMPER FRACTURED LIKE GLASS WHEN BUMPED BY A VW LEAVING SHARP EDGES AND MATERIAL DANGEROUS TO PASSERSBY. THE TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE MID TWENTIES AND CLEARLY WITHIN THE DESIGN PARAMETERS OF THE COMPONENT. GM REPRESENTATIVES HOLD THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFECT WHEN THE BUMPER NOT ONLY FAILED TO PERFORM IN A MINIMALLY ACCEPTABLE WAY…
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BUMPER FRACTURED LIKE GLASS WHEN BUMPED BY A VW LEAVING SHARP EDGES AND MATERIAL DANGEROUS TO PASSERSBY. THE TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE MID TWENTIES AND CLEARLY WITHIN THE DESIGN PARAMETERS OF THE COMPONENT. GM REPRESENTATIVES HOLD THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFECT WHEN THE BUMPER NOT ONLY FAILED TO PERFORM IN A MINIMALLY ACCEPTABLE WAY BUT IN FACT RENDERED THE VEHICLE A HAZARD TO PEDESTRIANS. DT
CONSUMER STATES: WHILE DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF 55MPH WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. ALSO WAS A FAILURE ON THE ABS BRAKE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FEEL FREE TO ADD. TS
ENGINE STALLS AS VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AS PROGRESSED BY NOT RESTARTING AFTER IT STALLS. THIS WILL BE THE FIFTH TIME GOING IN, AND CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEAE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICAL DISTROYED BY ELECTRICAL FIRE. *AK
THE ENGINES REVS UP WHEN VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD. ONE TIME, WHEN DRIVING TO MAILBOX TO RETRIEVE MAIL, CAUSED MY ARM TO HIT WINDOW FRAME AND BRUISE. FOUR DAYS AGO I WAS BEHIND A CAR AT STOP LIGHT. JUMPED 3 TO 5 FEET. COULD HAVE EASILY HIT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A NORMAL OC…
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THE ENGINES REVS UP WHEN VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD. ONE TIME, WHEN DRIVING TO MAILBOX TO RETRIEVE MAIL, CAUSED MY ARM TO HIT WINDOW FRAME AND BRUISE. FOUR DAYS AGO I WAS BEHIND A CAR AT STOP LIGHT. JUMPED 3 TO 5 FEET. COULD HAVE EASILY HIT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE AND TO PRESS HARD ON BRAKE WHEN STOPPED! THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I BELIEVE I WAS APPLYING ENOUGH PRESSURE AND THE ENGINE SHOULDN'T BEHAVE AS THOUGH I HAVE SUDDENLY GASSED IT. I AM AFRAID OF THIS VEHICLE! DON'T FEEL SAFE. ALSO CHOKES WHEN ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO FREEWAY. TRIED TO TRADE IN IN NOV. DEC. BUT WANTED ME TO PAY ADDTIONAL $3,000. PLEASE HELP. THANKSTRIED TO. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT STARTED THERE ARE NO BRAKES, AND THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE VAN DRIFTS BACK BY TAKING IT OUT OF GEAR, CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH HYDROBOOST BRAKES AND THIS PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.*TH
WITH THE ENGINE OFF THE VEHICLE HAD NO BRAKING ABILITY AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, THE CONSUMER WAS LETTING THE VAN ROLL BACK TO ALLOW ANOTHER VEHICLE TO GET OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED PER GMS SPECS. NLM
DUE TO LOCATION OF BRAKE FLUID CONTAINER, BRAKE FLUID IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHECK OR REFILL, BRAKE FLUID CONTAINER IS LOCATED UNDERNEATH VEHICLE .CHASSIS IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS S4041014383.*AK
Official recalls
105V099000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch
Mar 14, 2005
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MAY DEVELOP AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION IN THE STOP LAMP OR HAZARD LAMP CIRCUIT THAT RESULTS IN THE STOP LAMPS AND HAZARD LAMPS BEING INOPERATIVE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE LOSS OF STOP LAMPS AND REAR HAZARD LAMPS COULD FAIL TO WARN A FOLLOWING DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE IS BRAKING AND/OR IS STOPPED AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HAZARD WARNING FLASHER SWITCH AND APPLY SPECIAL GREASE TO THE CONTACTS AT THE TIME OF INSTALLATION OF THE MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE REPAIR WOULD BE USED IN VEHICLES IN WHICH THE HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON IS STILL MOVABLE. IF A VEHICLE HAS A HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON THAT IS NOT MOVABLE (FROZEN), THE ENTIRE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH WILL BE REPLACED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 13, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.
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
1PE04072 · Loss Of Brake Lamp Illumination
Opened Oct 19, 2004 · Closed Mar 21, 2005
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights
IN ITS LETTER DATED MARCH 9, 2005, GM STATED THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REMEDY A FAULTY MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 AND 2002 CHEVROLET ASTRO AND GMC SAFARI VEHICLES; SPECIFICALLY, ALL MY 2001 VEHICLES AND EARLY MY 2002 VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN MARCH AND AUGUST 2001.SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 05V-099 FOR DETAILS.THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MAY DEVELOP AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BRAKE LAMP OR HAZARD LAMP CIRCUIT RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMPS AND HAZARD LAMPS.THIS IS DUE TO THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF THE MATERIAL AND LUBRICATION FOR THE HAZARD SWITCH CONTACTOR THAT RESULT IN INCREASED RESISTANCE IN THE HAZARD SWITCH AND STUCK HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON IN OPEN (NO CONTACT) CONDITION.DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE HAZARD SWITCH AND APPLY SPECIAL GREASE TO THE HAZARD SWITCH CONTACTOR.IF A VEHICLE HAS A STUCK HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON, DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Exterior Lighting:brake Lights
IN ITS LETTER DATED MARCH 9, 2005, GM STATED THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REMEDY A FAULTY MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 AND 2002 CHEVROLET ASTRO AND GMC SAFARI VEHICLES; SPECIFICALLY, ALL MY 2001 VEHICLES AND EARLY MY 2002 VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN MARCH AND AUGUST 2001.SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 05V-099 FOR DETAILS.THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MAY DEVELOP AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BRAKE LAMP OR HAZARD LAMP CIRCUIT RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMPS AND HAZARD LAMPS.THIS IS DUE TO THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF THE MATERIAL AND LUBRICATION FOR THE HAZARD SWITCH CONTACTOR THAT RESULT IN INCREASED RESISTANCE IN THE HAZARD SWITCH AND STUCK HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON IN OPEN (NO CONTACT) CONDITION.DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE HAZARD SWITCH AND APPLY SPECIAL GREASE TO THE HAZARD SWITCH CONTACTOR.IF A VEHICLE HAS A STUCK HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON, DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH.
Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights
IN ITS LETTER DATED MARCH 9, 2005, GM STATED THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REMEDY A FAULTY MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 AND 2002 CHEVROLET ASTRO AND GMC SAFARI VEHICLES; SPECIFICALLY, ALL MY 2001 VEHICLES AND EARLY MY 2002 VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN MARCH AND AUGUST 2001.SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 05V-099 FOR DETAILS.THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MAY DEVELOP AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BRAKE LAMP OR HAZARD LAMP CIRCUIT RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMPS AND HAZARD LAMPS.THIS IS DUE TO THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF THE MATERIAL AND LUBRICATION FOR THE HAZARD SWITCH CONTACTOR THAT RESULT IN INCREASED RESISTANCE IN THE HAZARD SWITCH AND STUCK HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON IN OPEN (NO CONTACT) CONDITION.DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE HAZARD SWITCH AND APPLY SPECIAL GREASE TO THE HAZARD SWITCH CONTACTOR.IF A VEHICLE HAS A STUCK HAZARD SLIDER BUTTON, DEALERS ARE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH.