Total Complaints
16 filings
GMC Pickup · model year
1988 GMC Pickup
16 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
- 16
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1988 GMC Pickup posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- 33rd pctile
- complaint volume, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1988GMCPickup carries 16 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1988 Pickup is electrical system:ignition with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:front:buckle assembly (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1988 Pickup. 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.
16
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1988 GMC Pickup
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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 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
20000811TIRES:TREAD/BELT
PE00020; AFTERMARKET FIRESTONE ATX TIRES P22575R15 AND ABOUT 15,000 MILES ON THE TIRES. REAR DRIVER'S TIRE TREAD CAME COMPLETELY OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH.*AK DOT# HYHHAT5383. *SLC
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 1988GMCPickup to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 GMC Pickup have?▼
The 1988 GMC Pickup has 16 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 GMC Pickup?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 GMC Pickup 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 Pickup 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 Pickup; 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.