GMC SAFARI · model year

2004 GMC SAFARI

8 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004GMCSAFARI 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 2004 SAFARI is suspension with 1 filings, followed by steering: steering wheel/handle bar (1) and suspension:rear (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. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2004 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

Total Complaints

8 filings

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

ComponentCount
SUSPENSION1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
SUSPENSION:REAR1
POWER TRAIN1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC1

Recalls (2)

06E02600023/03/2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE D

06E04300019/05/2006

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CE

Recent Complaints

20111220SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SAFARI AWD. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP WHEN THE ABS ACTIVATED ABNORMALLY AND CAUSED THE BRAKES TO PULSATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HUBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000. UPDATED 03/23/12 *BF UPDATED 04/09/12

Mileage: 180,000

20111220SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SAFARI AWD. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3-5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP WHEN THE ABS ACTIVATED ABNORMALLY AND CAUSED THE BRAKES TO PULSATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HUBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000. UPDATED 03/23/12 *BF UPDATED 04/09/12

Mileage: 180,000

20090428FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SAFARI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VACUUM HOSE FAILED IN HER VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE RUBBING AGAINST THE FUEL LINE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REPAIR FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE WOULD COST BETWEEN $800-$1,000. SHE WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE THE DEFECT APPEARED TO BE WEAKENING THE FUEL LINE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE ISSUE AND REFERRED HER TO NHTSA. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 134,000.

Mileage: 134,000

20090428EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 GMC SAFARI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VACUUM HOSE FAILED IN HER VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE RUBBING AGAINST THE FUEL LINE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REPAIR FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING LINE WOULD COST BETWEEN $800-$1,000. SHE WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE THE DEFECT APPEARED TO BE WEAKENING THE FUEL LINE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE ISSUE AND REFERRED HER TO NHTSA. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 134,000.

Mileage: 134,000

20080826SUSPENSION:REAR

THE REAR END WAS MAKING A NOISE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE CAR DEALER CHECKED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CARRIER BEARINGS AND THE RING & PINION (FACTORY DEFECT). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAKING THIS NOISE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED AND THE WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER REPAIRS. THE COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE 1500.00 DOLLARS. WE HAVE SENT IT TO THE DEALER ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND THEY SAY THE WARRANTY REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

Mileage: 17,000

20080826POWER TRAIN

THE REAR END WAS MAKING A NOISE AND WAS TAKEN TO THE CAR DEALER CHECKED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE CARRIER BEARINGS AND THE RING & PINION (FACTORY DEFECT). THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAKING THIS NOISE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED AND THE WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER REPAIRS. THE COST IS ESTIMATED TO BE 1500.00 DOLLARS. WE HAVE SENT IT TO THE DEALER ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND THEY SAY THE WARRANTY REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

Mileage: 17,000

20060615STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

STEERING WHEEL OF 2004 GMC SAFARI IS RAPIDLY DECAYING. NO CLEANING CHEMICALS HAVE BEEN USED ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I WORK IN AN OFFICE, SO THERE ARE NO EXTRAORDINARY CHEMICALS ON MY HANDS. *NM

Mileage: 6,000

20040825SUSPENSION

WHILE PARALLEL PARKING VEHICLE TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT WITHIN TWO-CAR LENGTHS. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS. DEALER CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE, DID A COMPLETE WHEEL ALIGNMENT, AND ROTATED THE TIRES. BUT, PROBLEM STILL RECURRED. *AK

Mileage: 12

Compare 2004GMCSAFARI to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 GMC SAFARI have?
The 2004 GMC SAFARI has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2004 GMC SAFARI?
Yes, the 2004 GMC SAFARI has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 GMC SAFARI?
The most-complained component for the 2004 GMC SAFARI is SUSPENSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR and SUSPENSION:REAR.
Is the 2004 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.