2003 GMC Safari 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 2003 GMC Safari, 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
- Brakes736.8%
- Engine210.5%
- Transmission210.5%
- Seat belts15.3%
- Steering15.3%
- Suspension15.3%
- Tires & wheels15.3%
- Airbags15.3%
- Visibility15.3%
- Body & structure15.3%
- Driver assistance15.3%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE BRAKE LINES IN FRONT ARE RUSTED OUT AND LEAKING CREATING A SERIOUS PROBLEM, AS THE BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING. I SEE THIS IS A RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH GMC VEHICLES. THE COST TO REPAIR IS ASTRONOMICAL. WHY ISN'T GMC RECALLING THESE VEHICLES?
. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THE INCIDENT I HAD WITH MY AUTOMOBILE: GMC SAFARI WAGON 2003. ONE DAY IN JULY THIS YEAR (2014) I APPLIED THE BRAKES OF THE ABOVE VEHICLE WHEN I WAS APPROACHING THE RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP EVEN THROUGH THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS RECENTLY WORKED ON. I INVESTIGATED THE REASON WHY IT FAILED TO STOP AND FOUND OUT THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS HEAVILY CORRODED. *TR
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
DAMPNER FAILED, PURCHASE VAN WITH THIS PROBLEM 3 MONTHS AGO AND STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE DAMPNER PART FROM GMC. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH ONLY 60 MILES ON IT. DURING THE TEST DRIVE, PRIOR TO PURCHASE, THERE WAS A HARMONIC ROAR NOISE VIBRATION COMING FROM THE REAR. *SC
VALVE BODY WAS REPLACED, THE FAN MOTOR WAS REPLACED, AND ALL OF THESE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE AGAIN. DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED WARRANTY EXPIRED.*AK
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
VALVE BODY WAS REPLACED, THE FAN MOTOR WAS REPLACED, AND ALL OF THESE PARTS WERE DEFECTIVE AGAIN. DEALER STATED THAT VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED WARRANTY EXPIRED.*AK
THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING FORWARD WHILE IN REVERSE. THE GM TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. *NLM *NLM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
PURCHASED BOOSTER SEATS FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN. A CERTIFIED INSPECTOR SHOWED US THAT ALL FOUR REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT LOCK WHEN PULLED QUICKLY INDICATING THAT THE SEATBELTS WOULD NOT RESTRAIN THE CHILD IN AN ACCIDENT (OR AN ADULT EITHER). TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. DEALER CLAIMS THE SEATBELTS LOCK WHEN YOU BRAKE HARD, BUT ARE NOT MADE FOR CHILDREN'S BOOSTER SEATS. WE ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT VEHICLES MADE AFTER 2001 HAD TO HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SEATBELTS FOR CHILD SAFETY. *JB
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
WHILE DRIVING 40MPH THE HYDRO BOOST FAILED CAUSING POWER STEERING FLUID TO LEAK AND SLIGHT LOST OF POWER STEERING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 03V328000. RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED AT DEALERSHIP. AFTER RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED CONSUMER NOTICED TIRES WERE WEARING VERY BADLY ON THE OUTSIDE, AND WERE LOSING ALL TREAD. TOOK VEHICLE TO TIRE DEALER, AND WAS INFORMED THAT TIRES WERE NOT ROTATED AFTER RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. BRIDGESTONE, P215/70R16. HAD TIRES ALIGNED AND ROTATED AFTER 11,000 MILES. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SAFARI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR HAS A VIBRATION CAUSING VIEWING DISTORTION. *MR THE DRIVERS SIDE MIRROR EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATIONS WHICH CAUSED VARIOUS DEGREES OF DISTORTION. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HAVE NAUSEA, HEAD ACHES, AND BODY TENSION. ROAD CONDITIONS, WEATHER/TEMPERATURE, AND THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE HAVE ALL EFFECTED THE MIRROR VIBRATIONS. (THE PASSENGER SIDE VIEW MIRROR WAS PERFECT) *SCC *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
CONSUMER NOTICED WHEN RAINING /OR GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH REAR OF VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STANDING WATER ON FLOOR. ALSO ON THE BACK PANEL, WHEN YOU OPEN DOOR THE LIGHT DOESN'T GO ON. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES . *AK *CB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH ENGINE IDLED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK
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 .