Total Complaints
6 filings
GMC 3500 · model year
1996 GMC 3500
6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996GMC3500 carries 6 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 3500 is fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (1) and electrical system (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1996 3500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040113STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
IN 1996 I PURCHASED NEW A GMC 3500 CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES HARD ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST PARTICULARLY IN LEFT TURNS AND AT LOW SPEEDS. BRAKING WAS NOT HARD ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE ANTISKID. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND WE TRIED THE SAME MANEUVER ON THREE OTHER SIMILAIR TRUCKS IN HIS LOT. ALL DID THE SAME THING. AFTER MANY CALLS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING "I HAD TO LIVE WITH".
Mileage: 50
20040113SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
IN 1996 I PURCHASED NEW A GMC 3500 CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCK. I NOTICED IMMEDIATELY THAT WHEN APPLYING BRAKES HARD ALL POWER STEERING WAS LOST PARTICULARLY IN LEFT TURNS AND AT LOW SPEEDS. BRAKING WAS NOT HARD ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE ANTISKID. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER AND WE TRIED THE SAME MANEUVER ON THREE OTHER SIMILAIR TRUCKS IN HIS LOT. ALL DID THE SAME THING. AFTER MANY CALLS IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING "I HAD TO LIVE WITH".
Mileage: 50
20031218ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITION FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER REPLACED AT 28000 MILES THE FUEL PUMP AND COMPUTER, BUT SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
Mileage: 28,000
20031218FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITION FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER REPLACED AT 28000 MILES THE FUEL PUMP AND COMPUTER, BUT SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
Mileage: 28,000
20031218ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. CONDITION FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED WHEN VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER REPLACED AT 28000 MILES THE FUEL PUMP AND COMPUTER, BUT SAME PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK
Mileage: 28,000
20020208FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL PUMP HAS GONE OUT AND VEHICLE HAS BECOME INOPREABLE. CONTACTED DEALER AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PUMP WAS REPLACED 14 TIMES BUT NO CHANGE. ALSO, THE TRUCK HAS NO POWER FOR STEERING OR BRAKING WHEN IT STALLS. *YH
Compare 1996GMC3500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 GMC 3500 have?▼
The 1996 GMC 3500 has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 GMC 3500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 GMC 3500 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1996 GMC 3500 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.