Total Complaints
20 filings
GMC C3500 · model year
1993 GMC C3500
20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1993GMCC3500 carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 1993 C3500 is tires with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery (1) and electrical system:alternator/generator/regulator (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 1993 C3500. 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.
20
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT | 1 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19980826TIRES
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED APPROXIMATELY 12+/- FAILURES IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN WHICH THE TIRE TREAD HAS SEPERATED FROM THE CASING, IN SOME CASES CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES WERE ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT VEHICLES, OPERATED ON THE HIGHWAYS. THEY HAS APPROXIMATELY 50-75% TREAD LEFT. IN MOST INSTANCES THEY WERE BEING OPERATED IN DESERT AREAS WHERE THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURES WERE OVER 100 DEGREES.
19970109POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE LEFT REAR AXLE SEAL HAS BEEN REPLACED (4) OR (5) TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF BECAUSE OF LEAKAGE. NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *AK
19960314POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *SD
19960314VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM. *SD
19950504ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY REPLACED.
19950504ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR REPLACED TWICE.
19950504POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER FAILED.
19950504STEERING:LINKAGES
PITMAN ARM REPLACED.
19950504SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
LEFT/RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE REPLACED.
19950504STEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT
IDLER ARM REPLACED. *SKD
19950504STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
IDLER ARM SHAFT KIT REPLACED.
19950504SUSPENSION:FRONT
FRONT END MISALIGNED.
19950504TIRES
FRONT TIRES REPLACED SIX TIMES DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR.
19950504POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT
THREE UV JOINTS REPLACED.
19950504SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:SHOES/LININGS
REAR BRAKE LININGS REPLACED.
19950504SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
LEFT FRONT CALIPER REPLACED.
19950504CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
BRAKE PADS REPLACED TEN TIMES DUE TO BRAKE FAILURES, ONCE CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL/ACCIDENT.
19950504ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL FILTER REPLACED AND GREASED THIRTY TIMES.
19950504STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
STEERING GEAR BOX REPLACED.
19950504STEERING:RACK AND PINION
RACK AND PINION SEAL REPLACED.
Compare 1993GMCC3500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1993 GMC C3500 have?▼
The 1993 GMC C3500 has 20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 GMC C3500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 GMC C3500 is TIRES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR.
Is the 1993 GMC C3500 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.