Total Complaints
8 filings
GMC SAFARI · model year
1988 GMC SAFARI
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988GMCSAFARI 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 1988 SAFARI is latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch with 1 filings, followed by structure (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (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 SAFARI. 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 |
|---|---|
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 1 |
| STRUCTURE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20030605STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
THE BOLTS ON THE POWER STEERING BOX SNAPPED OFF. *JB
20030605SEAT BELTS:FRONT
THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WERE INOPERATIVE. *JB
19971022STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
STEERING WHEEL: DRIVING ALONG AND BUSHINGS FELL OUT OF TILT STEERING WHEEL COUPLING, AND STEERING WHEEL DROPPED IN CONSUMERS LAP. *AK *JB
19970821SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
RECALL REPAIRS DONE ON BROKEN SEAT BOLT, BUT DEALER CHARGED CONSUMER.
19970403SEAT BELTS
(7) OF (8) SEAT BELTS WILL NOT LOCK. BELT IS VERY LOOSE, ALLOWING ALOT OF MOVEMENT AND (1) 0F (8) SEAT BELT BUCKLES DOES NOT LATCH. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
19951128ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED, OIL RINGS HAVE BROKEN, CAUSING OIL LEAK. TT
19951102LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
THE DOOR LOCKS IN THE REAR DOORS BROKE, UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS FROM INSIDE. TT BOLTS SNAP OFF FROM THE MOTOR THE ONES HOLDING THE POWER STEERING BOX. THE BELT COMES OFF BECAUSE THE BRACKET BREAKES. *YH
19951102STRUCTURE
THE DOOR LOCKS IN THE REAR DOORS BROKE, UNABLE TO OPEN DOORS FROM INSIDE. TT BOLTS SNAP OFF FROM THE MOTOR THE ONES HOLDING THE POWER STEERING BOX. THE BELT COMES OFF BECAUSE THE BRACKET BREAKES. *YH
Compare 1988GMCSAFARI to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 GMC SAFARI have?▼
The 1988 GMC SAFARI has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 GMC SAFARI?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 GMC SAFARI is LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1988 GMC SAFARI 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.