Total Complaints
12 filings
GMC K1500 · model year
1993 GMC K1500
12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1993GMCK1500 carries 12 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 1 fire, 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 K1500 is seats with 2 filings, followed by visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 K1500. 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.
12
Complaints
2
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
2 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 |
|---|---|
| SEATS | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL:MECHANICAL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020919EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
CABLE BROKE THAT HOLDS THE SPARE TIRE TO VEHICLE UNDER CARRIAGE. THIS OCCURRED WHILE OWNER WAS ATTEMPTING TO HOOK WIRING FROM TRAILER TO TRUCK. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
20010423SEATS
HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM A STOP LIGHT WHEN DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED BACKWARDS. HAD NO PRIOR WARNING OF A PROBLEM. MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND CHECKED SEAT OUT. COULD NOT GET SEAT TO RELATCH/LOCK. PART WAS BROKEN. *AK
20010323SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
SEATBELT WILL NOT PULL OUT. YOU CAN NOT BUCKLE UP IN THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT.*AK
20000825VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL INTERMITTENTLY FAIL DURING OPERATION OR WILL NOT COME ON AT ALL DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ELECTRIC MODULE. VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 98V15000 DUE TO VIN ALTHOUGH IT HAD THE SAME DEFECT.*AK
20000122VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILING TO WORK PROPERLY. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL DUE TO VIN . *AK
19990527SEATS
CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL 96E010. DEALER REPLACED PARTS ON 3/22/96. HOWEVER, PASSENGER'S SEAT BROKE AGAIN IN THE RECLINING POSITION. DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE PARTS. *AK
19990517SUSPENSION
FRONT AXLE SEAL FIRST LEAKED AT 30,000 MILES. AGAIN BEGAN TO LEAK WITHIN 10,000 MILES. REPLACED SECOND TIME AT 50,000 MILES. AGAIN REPLACED AT 67,000 MILES. AGAIN REPLACED @ 122,000 MILES. EACH TIME SEAL WAS REPLACED, LEAK RE-OCCURRED WITHIN 1-2 MILES OF OPERATION. DIFFERENTIAL VENTS HAVE BEEN VERIFIED AS FREE AND OPEN SO THERE IS NO CASE PRESSURE. HAVE DISCOVERED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THIS FROM GM #364302
19970626CrashSERVICE BRAKES, AIR
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES IN WET WEATHER AT ABOUT 35MPH, THE VEHICLE BRAKES LOCKED UP, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *AK
19970617PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL:MECHANICAL
EMERGENCY BRAKES:DASHBOARD HANDL BECOME UNATTACHED FROM EMERGENCY BRAKE RACHET, CAUSING NO RELEASE OF EMERGENCY BRAKE. EMERGENCY BRAKE MECHANISM BOLSTER ATTACHING MECHANISM TO LEFT FIREWALL LOOSENS UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. *AK
19961127UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE OIL GAUGE IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, TOOK TO DEALER, PARTS ARE ON BACK LOG . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19960131FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
EA94-029 ACTIVE, ELECTRICAL SHORT,ALTERNATOR SHORTED WHILE DRIVING UNDER THE HOOD ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. TT
19951023CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
DURING NORMAL BRAKING CONDITION, THE BRAKE RELEASE AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, THEN ABS LIGHT COMES ON, RESULTING IN LONG STOPPING DISTANCE. TT
Compare 1993GMCK1500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1993 GMC K1500 have?▼
The 1993 GMC K1500 has 12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 GMC K1500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 GMC K1500 is SEATS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 1993 GMC K1500 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.