GMC V SERIES · model year

1988 GMC V SERIES

36 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

The 1988GMCV SERIES carries 36 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1988 V SERIES is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum with 6 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (6) and visibility:power window devices and controls (6). 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 V SERIES. 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.

36
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

36 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
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM6
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY6
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS6
SEATS6
SUSPENSION6
SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER6

Recent Complaints

19980519SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT ON INITIAL BRAKING. MOST SEVERE ON SNOW AND ICE. OWNER REPLACED AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

19980519FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT ON INITIAL BRAKING. MOST SEVERE ON SNOW AND ICE. OWNER REPLACED AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

19980519VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT ON INITIAL BRAKING. MOST SEVERE ON SNOW AND ICE. OWNER REPLACED AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

19980519SEATS

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT ON INITIAL BRAKING. MOST SEVERE ON SNOW AND ICE. OWNER REPLACED AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

19980519SUSPENSION

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT ON INITIAL BRAKING. MOST SEVERE ON SNOW AND ICE. OWNER REPLACED AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

19980519SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT ON INITIAL BRAKING. MOST SEVERE ON SNOW AND ICE. OWNER REPLACED AN INOPERATIVE RIGHT REAR BRAKE ADJUSTING MECHANISM.

19980519SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

NO BAFFLES IN THE FUEL TANK. CANNOT FILL TANK WITH SPECIFIED 31 PLUS GALLONS. DIFFICULT TO PUT 27 GALLONS IN.

19980519FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

NO BAFFLES IN THE FUEL TANK. CANNOT FILL TANK WITH SPECIFIED 31 PLUS GALLONS. DIFFICULT TO PUT 27 GALLONS IN.

19980519VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

NO BAFFLES IN THE FUEL TANK. CANNOT FILL TANK WITH SPECIFIED 31 PLUS GALLONS. DIFFICULT TO PUT 27 GALLONS IN.

19980519SEATS

NO BAFFLES IN THE FUEL TANK. CANNOT FILL TANK WITH SPECIFIED 31 PLUS GALLONS. DIFFICULT TO PUT 27 GALLONS IN.

19980519SUSPENSION

NO BAFFLES IN THE FUEL TANK. CANNOT FILL TANK WITH SPECIFIED 31 PLUS GALLONS. DIFFICULT TO PUT 27 GALLONS IN.

19980519SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER

NO BAFFLES IN THE FUEL TANK. CANNOT FILL TANK WITH SPECIFIED 31 PLUS GALLONS. DIFFICULT TO PUT 27 GALLONS IN.

19980519SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

REAR WINDOW WOULD PERIODICALLY CEASE GOING UP OR DOWN AND WOULD BLOW THE FUSE. CONTACT POINT HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.

19980519FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

REAR WINDOW WOULD PERIODICALLY CEASE GOING UP OR DOWN AND WOULD BLOW THE FUSE. CONTACT POINT HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.

19980519VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

REAR WINDOW WOULD PERIODICALLY CEASE GOING UP OR DOWN AND WOULD BLOW THE FUSE. CONTACT POINT HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.

19980519SEATS

REAR WINDOW WOULD PERIODICALLY CEASE GOING UP OR DOWN AND WOULD BLOW THE FUSE. CONTACT POINT HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.

19980519SUSPENSION

REAR WINDOW WOULD PERIODICALLY CEASE GOING UP OR DOWN AND WOULD BLOW THE FUSE. CONTACT POINT HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.

19980519SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER

REAR WINDOW WOULD PERIODICALLY CEASE GOING UP OR DOWN AND WOULD BLOW THE FUSE. CONTACT POINT HAD BROKEN OFF AND WAS CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT.

19980519SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM

VEHICLE HAS A "X" SHAPE TEAR INSTEEL FLOOR PAN UNDER BOTH DRIVER SEAT REAR MOUNTS. FLOOR FLEXED ON BUMPSAND WELDS WERE STARTING TO LOOSEN.

19980519FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

VEHICLE HAS A "X" SHAPE TEAR INSTEEL FLOOR PAN UNDER BOTH DRIVER SEAT REAR MOUNTS. FLOOR FLEXED ON BUMPSAND WELDS WERE STARTING TO LOOSEN.

Compare 1988GMCV SERIES to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1988 GMC V SERIES have?
The 1988 GMC V SERIES has 36 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 GMC V SERIES?
The most-complained component for the 1988 GMC V SERIES is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY and VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS.
Is the 1988 GMC V SERIES 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 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 V SERIES; 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.