1996 GMC 3500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 GMC 3500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system233.3%
- Brakes116.7%
- Electrical116.7%
- Engine116.7%
- Steering116.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITION FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER REPLACED AT 28000 MILES THE FUEL PUMP AND COMPUTER, BUT SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
FUEL PUMP HAS GONE OUT AND VEHICLE HAS BECOME INOPREABLE. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PUMP WAS REPLACED 14 TIMES BUT NO CHANGE. ALSO, THE TRUCK HAS NO POWER FOR STEERING OR BRAKING WHEN IT STALLS. *YH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
IN 1996 I PURCHASED NEW A GMC 3500 CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES HARD ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST PARTICULARLY IN LEFT TURNS AND AT LOW SPEEDS. BRAKING WAS NOT HARD ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE ANTISKID. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND WE TRIED THE SAME MANEUVER ON THREE OTHER SIMILAIR TRUCKS IN HIS LOT. ALL DID THE SAME THING. AFTER MANY CALLS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING "I HAD TO LIVE WITH".
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITION FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER REPLACED AT 28000 MILES THE FUEL PUMP AND COMPUTER, BUT SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITION FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER REPLACED AT 28000 MILES THE FUEL PUMP AND COMPUTER, BUT SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
IN 1996 I PURCHASED NEW A GMC 3500 CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES HARD ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST PARTICULARLY IN LEFT TURNS AND AT LOW SPEEDS. BRAKING WAS NOT HARD ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE ANTISKID. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND WE TRIED THE SAME MANEUVER ON THREE OTHER SIMILAIR TRUCKS IN HIS LOT. ALL DID THE SAME THING. AFTER MANY CALLS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING "I HAD TO LIVE WITH".
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .