RoadVitals

1996 GMC C/K Series Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
4
Latest Mar 10, 2006
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
4
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 GMC C/K Series, 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

  • Body & structure125.0%
  • Brakes125.0%
  • Transmission125.0%
  • Visibility125.0%

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

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

RE: INVESTIGATION ACTION #EA05-007, "TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES". PLEASE INCREASE VEHICLE RANGE BACK TO AT LEAST 1996. MY TAILGATE CABLES HAVE BROKEN AS WELL. *JB

NHTSA ID 10152392 · filed Mar 10, 2006

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

WHEN SLOWING DOWN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES KICK IN. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE WHEEL BEARING. THE CONNECTION GETS CORRODED. I HEARD THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ON NEWER VERSION. *JB

NHTSA ID 10149827 · filed Feb 8, 2006

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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

NHTSA ID 10010179 · filed Mar 9, 2003

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

THE NHTSA DOCUMENTED AND ISSUED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 98V150001. THIS CAMPAIGN IDENTIFED SEVERAL GM LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS & SUV'S THAT HAD SOLDER JOINTS NEAR THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR THAT COULD CRACK AND CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY. I OWN A 1996 GMC SIERRA 3/4 TON 4X4 TRUCK VIN # [XXX]. THE VEHICLE HAS 65,324 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THIS VEHICLE QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEVERE RAIN STORM. WHILE SITTING ALONG SIDE THE ROAD FOR AN HOUR THE WIPERS BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. I THOUGHT I HAD A DEFECT WIPER MOTOR AND STOP AT THE FIRST PARTS STORE TO REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR. AFTER INSTALLING THE "REBUILT" WIPER MOTOR, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. WHEN I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHEV. DEALER -CENTURY CHEV., BROOMFIELD, CO....THEY STATED THERE WERE NO "RECALLS" ON MY VEHICLE IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE.......WHICH IS TRUE BECAUSE THE NHTSA RECALL # 98V15001 COVERED ONLY GMC VEHICLES WITH VIN #[XXX] THRU [XXX]. SINCE MY VIN #[XXX] FALLS OUTSIDE THIS RANGE, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS DEFECT IN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR AND THE "WINDSHIELD WIPER PULSE CONTROL MODULE" MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY NOTIFY THE NHTSA THAT THE AFOREMENTIONED DEFECT 1) FALLS OUTSIDE THE RANGE OF VIN # SPECIFIED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 96V057000 AND THAT "DO-IT-YOURSELFERS" LIKE ME ARE RETURNING DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR WITH "WIPER PULSE CONTROL MOTORS"/MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARDS AND THEY ARE BEING "RECONDITIONED" WITHOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MOTOR CURCUIT BOARDS CAUSING THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE TO OCCUR. THERE ARE TWO ISSUES THAT I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO ADDRESS: 1) DETERMINE IF OTHER GM VEHICLE OWNERS LIKE MYSELF, THAT ARE BEYOND THE "VIN #[XXX] THRU [XXX]" , HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD" FAILURES AND 2) INSURE THAT ANY COMPANY THAT IS IN THE REBUILDING OF SAID DEFECTIVE WIPER MOTOR INCLUDE THE REPLACEMNT OF THE "CIRCUIT BOARDS" OR THE SAME PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 10088178 · filed Aug 18, 2004

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

Data on this page last refreshed .