RoadVitals

1996 GMC Z-71

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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 Dec 30, 2003
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
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.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 GMC Z-71, most frequently naming the transmission, airbags and brakes categories. 2 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Transmission240.0%
  • Airbags120.0%
  • Brakes120.0%
  • Powertrain (other)120.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Transmission
Filed Dec 30, 2003

I HAVE A 1996 GMC 1/2 TON PICK UP Z71. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE 2ND TIME. I MADE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE FIRST TRANNY, WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AT ELHART GMC IN HOLLAND, MI. THEY KEPT TELLING ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. AT 60K TRANNY WAS TOAST. I PAID $2000 FOR A NEW TRANNY WITH A 3 YEAR/50K WARRANTY. JUST SHORT OF 3 YEARS, BUT ONLY 29K MILES LATER 2ND TRANNY FAILED. AT ELHART (FOR THE LAST TIME) THEY PUT FLUID IN IT, AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH TRANNY. NOW AT GOOD GMC IN GRAND RAPIDS, MI THEY ARE REPLACING TRANNY. MY MAIN ISSUE IS THEY TELL ME THAT THIS NEW TRANNY WILL ONLY HAVE A 12 MONTH/ 12K MILE WARRANTY. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!! PLEASE HELP!!

NHTSA ID
10051363
Incident
Dec 25, 2003
Brakes
Filed Jan 12, 2000

ABS SYSTEM KEEPS GOING OUT. DEALER UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID
854924
Incident
Jan 12, 2000
AirbagsPowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 19, 1999
Crash reported1 injury reported

AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DRIVESHAFT FELL OFF DURING A VEHICLE COLLISION. NLM

NHTSA ID
549624
Incident
Oct 16, 1999
Transmission
Filed Aug 3, 1999

2 NEW TRANS AND 2 TRANS REPAIRS-PROBLEM IS STILL NOT FIXED!! WHATS UP?? OFF ROAD VEHICLE

NHTSA ID
709543
Incident
Jul 20, 1998

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

17-NA-073

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

GMC Z-71 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2000402—
1999110028.6
1998300—
1997800—
1996Viewing400—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.