BrakesSteering
Filed Feb 24, 2004
STEERING COLUMN FAILED WHILE TURNING LEFT. DEALER STATED STEERING PUMP BROKE. AS A RESULT OF STEERING FAILURE THE POWER BRAKES BECAME INOPERATIVE. *AK *MR
- NHTSA ID
- 10055404
- Incident
- Aug 3, 2002
- Mileage
- 60,544 mi
1997 GMC Safari Steering Problems
Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Steering reportsComplaints 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.
14
Latest Feb 24, 2004
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 135 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1
What this page shows
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. 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. 14 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.
Owner reports naming steering
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
BrakesEngineSteering
Filed Jan 15, 2004
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.
- NHTSA ID
- 10070433
- Incident
- Sep 15, 2003
- Mileage
- 122,000 mi
Steering
Filed Mar 11, 2003
THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED, WHICH CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.*JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10011391
Exterior lightingSteeringVisibility
Filed Aug 29, 2001
GM CHAS A FAILURE IN THE SAFARI AND THEY DON'T CARE, IT'S A LEMON!! NO SAFETY DEFECT STATED.*AK
- NHTSA ID
- 751372
- Incident
- Aug 1, 2001
Steering
Filed Oct 25, 2000
IDLER ARMS THAT POSITION STEERING TIE ROD WERE EXTREMELY LOOSE. THIS ALLOWED LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHEN APPLYING BRAKES RAPIDLY. ALSO RESULTED IN VIOLENT SIDE-TO-SIDE SHIMMY WHEN APPLYING BRAKES OR WHEN DRIVING ON GROOVED HIGHWAY SURFACES.CLOSE INSPECTION OF IDLER ARMS REVEALED THAT BUSHINGS WERE EXTREMELY WORN. IDLER ARMS (GM PART NUMBER 26018165) HAD BEEN REGULARLY LUBRICATED, YET APPEARED DRY AND DIRTY AROUND BUSHING. REPLACEMENT PART PROCURED FROM GM DEALER (PART NUMBER 12471302) WAS A DIFFERENT DESIGN, WITH GREASE FITTING ON SIDE OF ARM, WITH AN EXTENDED BUSHING SURFACE. THIS TYPE OF PART SHOULD NORMALLY LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE IF PROPERLY MAINTAINED. MY FAILURE OCCURRED AT ABOUT 40,000 MILES. DEALER STATES THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED, YET NO RECALL OR OWNER NOTIFICATION OF PROBLEM, DESPITE OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD INHERENT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL.
- NHTSA ID
- 735074
- Incident
- Oct 15, 2000
Steering
Filed Sep 26, 2000
CONSUMER CAN'T TURN STEERING WHEEL IF BRAKE IS FULLY APPLIED. THIS IS A PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING, ESECIALLY TRYING TO PARALLEL PARK, GOING INTO REVERSE. CONSUMER TEST DROVE ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT DID THE SAME THING. DEALER SAID THAT THIS WAS DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE & NOTHING WAS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. CONSUMER WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 871524
- Incident
- Jul 15, 2000
AirbagsSteering
Filed Mar 30, 2000
Crash reported1 injury reported
THE BRAKE RESERVOIR HAD A HOLE IN IT CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE, VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG BROKE DRIVERS HAND. NLM
- NHTSA ID
- 551695
- Incident
- Nov 11, 1999
Fuel systemSteeringVisibility
Filed Mar 2, 2000
A NEW VEHICHLE SHOULD NEVER HAVE THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. GMC COULD CARE LESS ABOUT MY PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY WERE OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY FOR THEM. EACH TIME COST OVER $1,000 DOLLARS. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 719600
- Incident
- May 12, 1999
Body & structureFuel systemSteering
Filed Jan 27, 2000
MY FUEL GUAGE SHOWS FULL REGARDLESS HOW MUCH FUEL IS IN THE TANK, REAR DOOR HANDLE BROKE THIS IS THIRD GMC WITH THIS PROBLEM, SLIDING DOOR DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY,
- NHTSA ID
- 717948
- Incident
- Sep 9, 1999
BrakesSteering
Filed Jan 5, 2000
NO BRAKES, NO POWER STEERING. IS SUCH CATASTROPHIC FAILURE COMMON AT 40.832 MILES? *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 716890
- Incident
- Dec 23, 1999
BrakesSteering
Filed Aug 2, 1999
WHILE DRIVING STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, AND THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED NO BRAKING ABILITY. DRIVER HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY, VEHICLE AT THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 844009
- Incident
- Jul 31, 1999
Driver assistanceFuel systemSteering+1 more
Filed Jun 25, 1999
VEHICLE EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING PUMP LEAKING/GAS PEDAL STICKING/GAS INDICATOR ALWAYS READING FULL TANK OF GAS/ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF, AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPING WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 841157
- Incident
- Mar 1, 1999
BrakesSteering
Filed May 20, 1999
IDLER ARMS SHOULD NOT GO BAD AT 36K MILES. THE DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED HAS BEEN SOLD. THE PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED WHEN WE TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR PA STATE INSPECTION (ANNUAL). OBVIOUSLY THE IDLER ARMS DID NOT GO BAD FROM MILE 36000 TO 36900. WE ARE STILL WITHIN THE THREE YEARS AND ONLY OVER THE MILEAGE BY 900 MILES. BUT THE DEALER WE TOOK IT TO WOULD NOT COVER THE PROBLEM, AND CHARGED $525.44 TO REPLACE FRONT BRAKES AND IDLER ARMS. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 706703
Steering
Filed Aug 12, 1998
SHAFT ON HYDRUALIC STEERING PUMP FELL OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE THE POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 826623
- Incident
- Jul 31, 1998
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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 .