Total Complaints
5 filings
GMC C/K 3500 · model year
1996 GMC C/K 3500
5 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996GMCC/K 3500 carries 5 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1996 C/K 3500 is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 1 filings, followed by visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor (1) and power train:transfer case (4-wheel drive) (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1996 C/K 3500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
5
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20061126STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
TAILGATE CABLES CORRODE AND BREAK, JUST AS IN RECALLS OF NEWER TRUCKS! THESE CABLES HAVE BEEN BREAKING FOR YEARS, WHY WAS THE RECALL ONLY APPLICABLE TO 2000 AND NEWER TRUCKS? *JB
20061126EQUIPMENT
TAILGATE CABLES CORRODE AND BREAK, JUST AS IN RECALLS OF NEWER TRUCKS! THESE CABLES HAVE BEEN BREAKING FOR YEARS, WHY WAS THE RECALL ONLY APPLICABLE TO 2000 AND NEWER TRUCKS? *JB
20030405SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
1996 GMC 1 TON TRUCK 4X4: ABS FAILURE WITH MANY NEAR ACCIDENTS. BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. IT GETS STIFF AND GROANS AND THEN KICKS IN AFTER I GO THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. WIPER MOTOR-WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. CUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF RAIN STORMS AND I HAD SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS. FOUR WHEEL ACTUATOR FAILS WITHOUT NOTICE ON SNOWY STREETS WHEN I WANT TO ACCELERATE. *JB
Mileage: 25,000
20030405VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
1996 GMC 1 TON TRUCK 4X4: ABS FAILURE WITH MANY NEAR ACCIDENTS. BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. IT GETS STIFF AND GROANS AND THEN KICKS IN AFTER I GO THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. WIPER MOTOR-WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. CUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF RAIN STORMS AND I HAD SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS. FOUR WHEEL ACTUATOR FAILS WITHOUT NOTICE ON SNOWY STREETS WHEN I WANT TO ACCELERATE. *JB
Mileage: 25,000
20030405POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
1996 GMC 1 TON TRUCK 4X4: ABS FAILURE WITH MANY NEAR ACCIDENTS. BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. IT GETS STIFF AND GROANS AND THEN KICKS IN AFTER I GO THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. WIPER MOTOR-WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. CUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF RAIN STORMS AND I HAD SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS. FOUR WHEEL ACTUATOR FAILS WITHOUT NOTICE ON SNOWY STREETS WHEN I WANT TO ACCELERATE. *JB
Mileage: 25,000
Compare 1996GMCC/K 3500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 GMC C/K 3500 have?▼
The 1996 GMC C/K 3500 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 GMC C/K 3500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 GMC C/K 3500 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR and POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE).
Is the 1996 GMC C/K 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1996 GMC C/K 3500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.