Total Complaints
36 filings
GMC V SERIES · model year
1988 GMC V SERIES
36 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category 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). 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 V SERIES. 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.
36
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 6 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 6 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 6 |
| SEATS | 6 |
| SUSPENSION | 6 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SHOCK ABSORBER | 6 |
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 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.