Total Complaints
3 filings
GMC SAFARI (GMC) · model year
1997 GMC SAFARI (GMC)
3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997GMCSAFARI (GMC) carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 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 1997 SAFARI (GMC) is fuel system, gasoline:delivery with 1 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and air bags:frontal (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 1997 SAFARI (GMC). 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.
3
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20090325CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
SON WAS DRIVING MY GMC SAFARI VAN; SWERVED TO AVOID HITTING A CAR AND HIT A TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
Mileage: 140,000
20080331ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
IT STARTED WITH THE HORN WORKING ONLY OCCASIONALLY, THEN IT STOPPED COMPLETELY. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE WIPERS AND WIPER FLUID STOPPED WORKING. *TR
20071214FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING. SEVERAL TIMES THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE WHILE SHE WAS PASSING A TRACTOR-TRAILER MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. VAN WOULD NORMALLY RESTART, BUT HAD TO BE TOWED 3 TIMES. DEALER IN FLORIDA FAILED TO REPAIR AFTER 10 DAYS AND TWO ATTEMPTS. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO REPAIRED IT IN 4 HOURS! PROBLEM WAS A MELTED FUEL PUMP WIRING HARNESS. *TR
Mileage: 78,000
Compare 1997GMCSAFARI (GMC) to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 GMC SAFARI (GMC) have?▼
The 1997 GMC SAFARI (GMC) has 3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 GMC SAFARI (GMC)?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 GMC SAFARI (GMC) is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 1997 GMC SAFARI (GMC) 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.