Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 GMC Safari submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
CONSUMER DISAPPOINTED IN SOME OF THE PROBLEMS HE HAD WITH THE CHASSIS AND OTHER AUXILIARY SYSTEMS. (NAR) *PH TRANSMISSION, ENGINE, AC/ HEATER, GAS GAUGE, WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR, ELECTRIC WINDOW. *CB
ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS ON CONSUMER'S TWO VANS. EACH VAN HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT'S TRANSMISSION, ALTERNATOR, MOTORS FOR DOOR AND WINDOWS, CATALYTIC CONVERTER, FUEL PUMP, OXYGEN SENSORS AND WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. *LA THE CONSUMER HAS TWO GMC SAFARI'S BOTH 1997 MODELS. THEIR VIN'S ARE [XXX] AND [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
A/C/HEATING: REAR HEAT WENT OUT AND HAD TO BE REWIRED ENGINE: THE WATER PUMP WENT OUT AND HAD TO REPLACE IT, THAT WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. BUT STILL HAS A FRONT OIL LEAK SOME WHERE IN THE FRONT. OTHER: I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. SHORTLY AFTER WARRANTY RAN OUT THE TRANSFER CASE WENT OUT SO WE HAD A USED ONE PUT IN AND IT ONLY LASTED FOUR MONTHS NOW IT SITS IN THE GARAGE THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING TO DO ABOUT THE TRANSFER CASE THEY SHOULD LAST LONGER. BRAKES: BEEN HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE ABS BRAKES SINCE WE BOUGHT IT TOOK IT IN TO A DEALER AND THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. I ENDED UP DOING THE BRAKES AND FOUND THEY HAD CRACKED PADS CAUSING THE NOISE IN THE BRAKES. FOUND OUT THAT ALL WHEEL DRIVE IS NOT WHAT IT IS MADE OUT TO BE, I HAVE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THIS 1997 GMC SAFARI ALL WHEEL DRIVE VAN.
THE THROTTLE BODY ON OUR 1997 GMC SAFARI CAME APART SENDING PIECES INTO THE ENGINE AND FAILING IN A WIDE OPEN THROTTLE CONDITION THAT WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE BY THE DRIVER. THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE DRIVER ENTERED THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR ACCELERATED THROUGH 85 MILES PER HOUR WITHOUT ANY DEPRESSION OF THE ACCELERTOR. THE DRIVER HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE TO KEEP SPEED SOMEWHAT UNDER CONTROL. THE ONLY MEANS TO CONTROL THE ENGINE WAS TO TURN IT OFF.
THE HONEYCOMB CATALYST MATERIAL IS BROKEN AND CAN BE HEARD TO BE RATTLING AROUND WITHIN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CATALYST WITHIN THE HOUSING WILL FURTHER DETERIORATE, BREAK APART, AND MIGRATE INTO THE MUFFLER. SINCE THE MUFFLER IS NOT SHIELDED AS WELL AS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, THIS PRESENTS A VERY REAL FIRE HAZARD.*AK
ENGINE HAS ROUGH IDLE/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PREVIOUSLY, DEALER PERFORMED ENGINE TUNE-UP. NEXT PROBLEM OF ROUGH ENGINE/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, STILL WAITING FROM DEALER AS TO THE CAUSE. TSB 00-06-04-003 HAS BEEN ISSUED CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM, THE QUESTION IS, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM, SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHILE TRAVELLING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS.
OIL CIRCULATION TUBE (PART # 15996928) HAS RUPTURED, CAUSING OIL TO SPILL ALL OVER ENGINE. *AK THIS FAILURE ALSO RESULTED IN ENGINE DAMAGE THAT COULD NOT BE FIXED THEREFORE THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *YH
VEHICLE WILL STOP/IT COMPLETELY DIES INTERMITTENLY WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER CLAIMS CANNOT DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEFECT.PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
VEHICLE STALLS AT A SLOW SPEED OR WHEN APPLYING ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP POSITION. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON 12 OCCASIONS, AND AT TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS. PROBLEM IS STILL UNRESOLVED. ROTORS REPAIRED/OUT OF ROUND, MASTER POWER WINDOW SWITCH FAILED, HEADLAMP SWITCH REPLACED.*AK *ML
ENGINE LEAK AND RATTLE NOISE. NLM
STARTING TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THE ENGINE PULLEY POPPED OFF WHICH EFFECTED THE BRAKES AND STEERING. *AK
VEHICLE LOST STEERING AND BRAKES (BELT DID NOT BRAKE AND FLUID OK)
POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE CAUSES THE ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE, THE ENGINE TO LOOSE POWER, GAUGES TO ACT ERRATICALLY AND THE VEHICLE TO BUCK AND VIBRATE. NLM
CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED.
EMISSION SYSTEM PROBLEM. YH
VEHICLE MAKES RATTLING NOISE. MUFFLER AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED BUT NOISE STILL EXISTS.
WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED, A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMES FROM EXHAUST SYSTEM.
INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ACCELERATING IT LOSES POWER. THE DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .