Total Complaints
5 filings
GMC GMC · model year
1988 GMC GMC
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
- Complaints
- 5
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1988 GMC GMC posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- 48th pctile
- complaint volume, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1988GMCGMC 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, 2 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 1988 GMC is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control:catalytic convertor with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1988 GMC. 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
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1988 GMC GMC
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
19991203SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FEEL LIKE THEY ARE NOT WORKING RIGHT AND NOT POWER BRAKES. THE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS HAVE POOR CONNECTION, AND QUIT WORKING
19991203EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT
BRAKES FEEL LIKE THEY ARE NOT WORKING RIGHT AND NOT POWER BRAKES. THE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS HAVE POOR CONNECTION, AND QUIT WORKING
19990716FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
I BOUGHT AN AC/DELCO ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP P/N EP386 AT A CHAIN AUTO PARTS STORE, FOR MY 1988 S-10. THIS IS AN IN-TANK ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP. IT CAME WITH AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH PIGTAIL LEADS, WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO USE THE TWO BUTT SPLICE CONNECTORS ALSO SUPPLIED TO CUT THE WIRE AND SPLICE IN THE NEW CONNECTOR. THIS IS APPARENTLY IN CASE THE ORIGINAL FUEL PUMP HAS A DIFFERENT CONNECTOR. THESE TWO SPLICES WILL THEN RESIDE INSIDE THE TANK AMONGST THE GAS FUMES. I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THIS MAY BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH IMPROPERLY-CRIMPED BUTT SPLICE CONNECTORS WILL ALLOW A SPARK TO BE GENERATED. THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE BUTT SPLICE CONNECTORS APPEAR TO BE RUN-OF-THE-MILL, WITH PLASTIC INSULATION THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE GASOLINE PROOF. AS AN ENGINEER, I TEND TO WONDER WHETHER THIS HAS BEEN TESTED FOR. IF NOT, THE METAL OF THE BUTT-SPLICE CONNECTOR WOULD EVENTUALLY BE EXPOSED, AND THE TWO CONNECTORS COULD TOUCH EACH OTHER, LEADIN
19990529UNKNOWN OR OTHER
PAINT FAIDED AND CHIPPING OFF THE VEHICLE. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK
19971003FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERHEATED, CAUSING FIRE.
Compare 1988GMCGMC to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 GMC GMC have?▼
The 1988 GMC GMC has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 GMC GMC?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 GMC GMC is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
Is the 1988 GMC GMC 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.
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 1988 GMC GMC; 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.