Total Complaints
8 filings
GMC P30 · model year
1997 GMC P30
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997GMCP30 carries 8 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1997 P30 is suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint with 6 filings, followed by suspension:front:control arm (1) and unknown or other (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 1997 P30. 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.
8
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 |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT | 6 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20170522UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE CALIFORNIA DMV WILL NOT GIVE MY REGISTERED VEHICLE ITS TITLE. THE DMV WOULD LIKE A COMPLIANT LETTER SAYING THE VEHICLE IS CLEARED FOR DRIVING ON UIS ROADS. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY USPS. I RECENTLY PURCHASED VEHICLE. MY NUMBER IS [XXX], MY NAME IS [XXX]. PLEASE HELP THANK YOU INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
20010717SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
POSTAL VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT. *SLC
20010717SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
POSTAL VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT. *SLC
20010717SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
LEFT UPPER BALL JOINT FAILED, THE INNER SOCKET HAD FRACTURED INTO SEVERAL PIECES ALLOWING THE BALL TO WEAR THROUGH THE SHEET METAL OUTER PART OF THE SOCKET, ALSO CAUSING WEAR TO THE INNER EDGE OF A TIRE. *SLC
20010717SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
UPPER BALL JOINT WORE THROUGH BACK SIDE OF THE JOINT HOUSING, CAUSING SEPARATION OF THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. *SLC
20010717SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
UPPER BALL JOINT EXPERIENCED WEAR AND SUDDEN FAILURE. *SLC
20010717SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT
BALL JOINT FAILED BY SEPARATING FROM THE UPPER CONTROL ARM, INITIAL FAILURE WAS LEFT SIDE, SECOND FAILURE WAS NOT SPECIFIED. *SLC
20010709SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
POSTAL VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINT. NLM
Compare 1997GMCP30 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 GMC P30 have?▼
The 1997 GMC P30 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 GMC P30?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 GMC P30 is SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1997 GMC P30 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.