Total Complaints
12 filings
GMC PICKUP · model year
1996 GMC PICKUP
12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996GMCPICKUP 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, 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 1996 PICKUP is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 2 filings, followed by visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor (2) 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 1996 PICKUP. 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
0
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040826VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
WHILE DRIVING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAME ON AND WENT OFF ON THEIR OWN. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THE VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD TO HONOR THE RECALL. *AK *JB
20020308POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THIS IS MY SECOND ATTEMPT AT GETTING HELP OR GETTING THIS PROBLEM INVESTIGATED. PLEASE SEE WWW.THECOMPLAINTSTATION.COM FOR NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS. NO SAFETY DEFECTS LISTED WITHIN SUMMARY. *AK
20010827VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
TALKED WITH GM CUSTOMER CARE ABOUT RCALL #98043 EXACT PROBLEM I AM HAVING. SAID MY VIN WAS NOT COVERED EVEN THOUGH SAME PROBLEM APPEARS IN MY VEHICLE. SAFETY ISSUE AS WIPERS ARE INTERMITTENT DURING USE. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE ISSUE OR PROVIDE GM DISTRICT MANAGER NAMES OR PROVIDE ANY FURTHER ESCALATION ON THIS ISSUE.*AK
20010823VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
WINDSHIELD WIPERS GO ON AND OFF AT WILL.*AK
20010126SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
DEFECTIVE BRAKE HOSE COLLAPSED, CAUSING RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER TO LOCK UP AND WEAR OUT. GMC HAS A REDISIGNED BRAKE HOSE WHICH DEALER REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES. *AK BRAKES WERE GRINDING, SCREECHING AND CHATTERING. R/FRONT CALLPER LOCED UP. *YH
20010126SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
DEFECTIVE BRAKE HOSE COLLAPSED, CAUSING RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER TO LOCK UP AND WEAR OUT. GMC HAS A REDISIGNED BRAKE HOSE WHICH DEALER REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES. *AK BRAKES WERE GRINDING, SCREECHING AND CHATTERING. R/FRONT CALLPER LOCED UP. *YH
20010126SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
DEFECTIVE BRAKE HOSE COLLAPSED, CAUSING RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER TO LOCK UP AND WEAR OUT. GMC HAS A REDISIGNED BRAKE HOSE WHICH DEALER REPLACED ON BOTH SIDES. *AK BRAKES WERE GRINDING, SCREECHING AND CHATTERING. R/FRONT CALLPER LOCED UP. *YH
20000306STEERING:COLUMN
WIRE FOR LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS BROKEN AT TERMINAL BLOCK IN STEERING COLUMN, CAUSING LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. OTHER WIRES DAMAGED, NOT YET BROKEN. TILTING OF STEERING WHEEL CAUSES WIRE BUNDLE TO FLEX, AND WEAR OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
20000306ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
WIRE FOR LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS BROKEN AT TERMINAL BLOCK IN STEERING COLUMN, CAUSING LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. OTHER WIRES DAMAGED, NOT YET BROKEN. TILTING OF STEERING WHEEL CAUSES WIRE BUNDLE TO FLEX, AND WEAR OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *ML
19990217CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE BRAKES ACTIVATE. THE BRAKE PADS BURNED OUT AND THE ROTORS/CALIPERS ARE DEFECTIVE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED THREE TIMES, ONCE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19990217CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE BRAKES ACTIVATE. THE BRAKE PADS BURNED OUT AND THE ROTORS/CALIPERS ARE DEFECTIVE. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED THREE TIMES, ONCE RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
19980713ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE IDLES AT HIGH RMP AFTER THROTTLE IS RELEASED.
Compare 1996GMCPICKUP to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 GMC PICKUP have?▼
The 1996 GMC PICKUP has 12 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 GMC PICKUP?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 GMC PICKUP is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1996 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.
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.