RoadVitals

1989 GMC Safari Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints 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.
18
Latest Aug 21, 2011
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.
2
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Mar 13, 1995

What this page shows

Our database holds 18 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 GMC Safari. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–18 of 18

EngineSteering
Filed Aug 21, 2011

THE BRACKETS ON THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAVE BROKEN 3+ TIMES AND HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED, PUMP, SERPENTINE BELT, BRACKETS, FLUID, AND HOSE TO BE REPLACED. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES THE MOST RECENT WAS LAST WEEK. 08/18/2011 *TR

NHTSA ID
10420867
Incident
Aug 18, 2011
Visibility
Filed May 10, 2004

RANDOM FAILURE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. VERY SPOOKY WHEN IT HAPPENS AT NIGHT. WHEN QUESTIONED THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEM. BUT THEY KNEW JUST WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND THEY HAVE A FIX. *LA

NHTSA ID
10072366
Incident
May 9, 2004
Mileage
66,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Apr 4, 2003

FRONT VAN CAPTAINS CHAIR FRAME AND TRACK, HAS HAD TO BE REPAIR SEVERAL TIMES. SEAT LIFTS UP, DOES NOT STAY SECURED TO TRACK. *JB

NHTSA ID
10013978
Incident
Mar 15, 2003
Mileage
168,520 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Apr 14, 2000

THE ALUMINUM OR SIMILAR MATERIAL BRACKET WHICH CONNECTS THE ELECTRONICALLY-CONTROLLED DRIVER'S SEAT TO THE FLOOR GUIDES IS "RIPPED" --- NOT COMPLETELY BUT ENOUGH TO MAKE THE SEAT INSECURE AND DEFINITELY UNSAFE IN A SUDDEN STOP OR IMPACT.*AK

NHTSA ID
721472
Incident
Mar 1, 2000
Steering
Filed May 22, 1999

WITHOUT WARNING THE TIE ROD RIPPED ITSELF OUT OF THE FRAME. IF THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN TRAVELING AT NORMAL SPEED, THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY LOST THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE. ONE BODY SHOP OWNER SAID THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

NHTSA ID
706774
Incident
May 8, 1999
Electrical
Filed Jan 24, 1999
Fire reported

ON GOING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT, BUT EVEN WHEN I HAD A REBUILT ENGINE PUT IN BY MILES CHEV, MILLINGTON,TN IN JULY 97 AT 146,737 MILES ,NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT ANY ENGINE FIRES...MOST MECHANICS SAID IT WAS A "MINOR" ELECTRIAL PROBLEM...THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON WHEN IT NEEDED OIL, AND PERIODICALLY THE RED BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, EVEN THOUGH THE EMERGANCY BRAKE HAD NOT BEEN APPLIED AND THE LEVER PULLED TO DOUBLE CHECK FOR RELEASE. NO OTHER WARNINGS OF POSSIBLE FIRE...NO SMOKE OR ODORS THAT NIGHT, JUST DROVE HOME ABOUT 20 MILES IN THE RAIN, PARKED IN MY DRIVE AND ABOUT 3.5HRS LATER A MAN WALKING BY SAW IT BURNING AND HAD PEOPLE CALL 911. TUNE UP & OIL CHG. @187,314M,12/17/98. *AK

NHTSA ID
702531
Incident
Jan 18, 1999
EngineSeat belts
Filed Nov 17, 1998

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH SEAT BELTS. WHILE DRIVING THE SEAT BELT DOESN'T ADJUST, IT'S LOOSE. IT DOES NOT HOLD. THIS DEFECT COMPLIES WITH RECALL 98V150000. THE MANUFACTURER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK THE BOLT HOLDING THE ENGINE BRACKET BROKE OFF. *YH

NHTSA ID
830926
Incident
Feb 4, 1998
Seat beltsSteering
Filed Nov 1, 1998

REAR SEAT BELT FAILED UNDER HARD BRAKING. ALSO, POWER STEERING PUMP REAR BRACKET MALFUNCTIONED.

NHTSA ID
781443
Incident
Oct 23, 1998
Seat beltsSteering
Filed Jun 19, 1997
Crash reported1 injury reported

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 60 MPH VEHICLE WENT OUT OF CONTROL. DRIVER WAS EJECTED FROM SEAT BECAUSE THE LAP BELT DID NOT HOLD. FURTHERMORE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT WHEN GOING OVER 55 MPH. *AK

NHTSA ID
812141
Incident
Aug 28, 1995
Transmission
Filed Jan 28, 1997
1 injury reported

GEAR SHIFTER STUCK IN PARK POSITION. *AK

NHTSA ID
808228
Body & structure
Filed Jan 13, 1997

WHILE GETTING INTO VEHICLE DRIVER'S SIDE HANDLE BROKE OFF DOOR INTO DRIVER'S HAND, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HANDLE HAS NOT BROKEN. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
807539
Incident
Mar 21, 1996
Interior & seats
Filed Jan 3, 1997

AFTER HAVING RECALL REPAIR WORK DONE ON SEAT, THE SEAT BOLT BROKE AGAIN, CAUSING THE SEAT TO RECLINE INTO THE REAR SEAT. RECALL#93V187000. *AK

NHTSA ID
807085
Steering
Filed Nov 19, 1996

POWER STEERING PULLEY CAME APART, CAUSING SERPENTINE BELT TO BREAK

NHTSA ID
511482
Incident
Aug 18, 1996
Exterior lightingSteeringTransmission
Filed Jan 4, 1996

STEERING COLUMN BOLT THAT HOLDS THE STEERING COLUMN IN PLACE, BECOMES VERY LOOSE, CAN NOT SHIFT GEARS AND USE TURN SIGNALS. TT

NHTSA ID
977419
Incident
Jan 1, 1995
Seat belts
Filed Sep 29, 1995

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WHEN PULLED FORWARD AND BACKWARDS DOESN'T TIGHTEN UP. TT

NHTSA ID
972681
Steering
Filed Sep 5, 1995

BOLT THAT CONNECTS THE POWER STEERING UNIT TO THE MOTOR SHEARED OFF, REPLACED WITH STEEL BOLT, THEN THE BRACKET CRACKED CAUSING POWER STEERING UNIT TO COME OFF.

NHTSA ID
971583
Incident
Feb 4, 1995
Engine
Filed Apr 28, 1995

THE AUX PULLEY THAT HOLD CRANKSHAFT AND THE TIMING GEAR PULLEY BROKE TWO TIME. TT

NHTSA ID
964495
Incident
Dec 1, 1993
Seat belts
Filed Mar 13, 1995

VEHICLE REAR MIDDLE BENCH OUTSIDE SEAT BELTS RETRACTOR MECHANISM HAD BROKEN PARTS JAMMING IN A FIXED POSITION. TT

NHTSA ID
961781

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.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .