Total Complaints
1 filings
GMC KINGSLEY · model year
1978 GMC KINGSLEY
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1978GMCKINGSLEY carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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 1978 KINGSLEY is service brakes with 1 filings. 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 1978 KINGSLEY. 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.
1
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 | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20140924SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1978 GMC KINGSLEY MOTOR HOME (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED THAT THE CONTACT TAKE THE MOTOR HOME TO TWO SEPARATE DEALERS; HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FIRST DEALER REFERRED THE CONTACT TO A SECOND DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS NOT APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO INSTALL THE DISC UPGRADE SYSTEM WITH A DRUM KIT. THE CONTACT WAITED MORE THAN FIFTEEN MONTHS TO GET THE MOTOR HOME REPAIRED. THE MOTOR HOME WAS REPAIRED VARIOUS TIMES BY THE SECOND REPAIR SHOP, BUT THE BRAKE FAILURE RECURRED. THE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM WAS OVERHAULED AND NOT RE-INSTALLED. ON MORE THAN TWO OCCASIONS, THERE WAS AIR IN THE BRAKES AND THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE MOTOR HOME SLID FORWARD UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND DID NOT MAKE A COMPLETE STOP. THE MOTOR HOME WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MADE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO GET THE DEALER AND TH
Mileage: 38,000
Compare 1978GMCKINGSLEY to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1978 GMC KINGSLEY have?▼
The 1978 GMC KINGSLEY has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1978 GMC KINGSLEY?▼
The most-complained component for the 1978 GMC KINGSLEY is SERVICE BRAKES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1978 GMC KINGSLEY 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.