Total Complaints
15 filings
GMC PICK UP · model year
1988 GMC PICK UP
15 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988GMCPICK UP carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 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 1988 PICK UP is electrical system:ignition with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (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 1988 PICK UP. 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.
15
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040505FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH VEHICLE SMOKED, AND TWO SECONDS LATER CAUGHT ON FIRE. NO INJURIES REPORTED.*AK
Mileage: 198,000
19960923ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE REPLACED 3 TIMES.
19960923POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION REPLACED 2 TIMES.
19960923SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM
BALL JOINTS REPLACED 3 TIMES.
19960923POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED.
19960923SEATS
SEAT REPLACED.
19960923SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCK UP.
19960923POWER TRAIN
SPEEDOMETER FAILED.
19960923VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CRUISE CONTROL INOPERATIVE.
19960923EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS
TAIL LIGHT REPLACED.
19960923POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL
REAR WHEEL SEAL FAILED.
19960923VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED.
19960923VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
HEATER REGULATOR REPLACED.
19951116SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILS TO LOCK. *AK
19950112ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
THE SPARK PLUG ELECTRO BROKE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE WHILE VEHICLE TRAVELING. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Compare 1988GMCPICK UP to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 GMC PICK UP have?▼
The 1988 GMC PICK UP has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 GMC PICK UP?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 GMC PICK UP is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1988 GMC PICK UP 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.