2003 GMC Safari Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: September 25, 2015 · Filed: October 5, 2015

THE BRAKE LINES IN FRONT ARE RUSTED OUT AND LEAKING CREATING A SERIOUS PROBLEM, AS THE BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING. I SEE THIS IS A RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM WITH GMC VEHICLES. THE COST TO REPAIR IS ASTRONOMICAL. WHY ISN'T GMC RECALLING THESE VEHICLES?

Incident: July 8, 2014 · Filed: September 28, 2014

. I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THE INCIDENT I HAD WITH MY AUTOMOBILE: GMC SAFARI WAGON 2003. ONE DAY IN JULY THIS YEAR (2014) I APPLIED THE BRAKES OF THE ABOVE VEHICLE WHEN I WAS APPROACHING THE RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP EVEN THROUGH THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS RECENTLY WORKED ON. I INVESTIGATED THE REASON WHY IT FAILED TO STOP AND FOUND OUT THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS HEAVILY CORRODED. *TR

Incident: March 16, 2013 · Filed: March 25, 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SAFARI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, HE CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

Incident: July 15, 2009 · Filed: July 17, 2009

OUR 2003 GMC SAFARI HAS HAD THE BRAKES SPONTANEOUSLY FAIL WHILE WE WERE DRIVING IT AT LEAST SIX TIMES (EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS OR SO) FOR THE PAST YEAR. EACH TIME, THE PEDAL JUST DROPPED TO THE FLOOR, THE "BRAKE" LIGHT CAME ON, AND WE HAVE HAD TO PRACTICALLY STAND ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET IT TO FINALLY ROLL TO A STOP. FORTUNATELY IT HAS BEEN AT SLOW SPEEDS EACH TIME AND WE HAVE NOT CAUSED ANY ACCIDENTS YET. WE HAVE BEEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS REPEATEDLY AND SPENT OVER $1000.00 FOR VARIOUS BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS THAT ARE NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM. WE THINK IT IS EITHER A BOOSTER OR SENSOR ISSUE, BUT THE DEALERSHIPS WILL NOT LISTEN TO US AND GMC'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE HAS NOT BEEN HELPFUL EITHER. WE ARE TERRIFIED OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE BUT CAN'T AFFORD A NEW ONE AT THIS TIME. *TR

Incident: April 16, 2007 · Filed: April 19, 2007

PURCHASED BOOSTER SEATS FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN. A CERTIFIED INSPECTOR SHOWED US THAT ALL FOUR REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT LOCK WHEN PULLED QUICKLY INDICATING THAT THE SEATBELTS WOULD NOT RESTRAIN THE CHILD IN AN ACCIDENT (OR AN ADULT EITHER). TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER. DEALER CLAIMS THE SEATBELTS LOCK WHEN YOU BRAKE HARD, BUT ARE NOT MADE FOR CHILDREN'S BOOSTER SEATS. WE ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT VEHICLES MADE AFTER 2001 HAD TO HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SEATBELTS FOR CHILD SAFETY. *JB

Incident: March 26, 2007 · Filed: April 17, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 GMC SAFARI. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. HE LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THE CLAMP THAT HELD THE BRAKE LINE WAS ON FIRE. THE CONTACT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE, AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. HE CHANGED THE BRAKE LINE HOSE, AND DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT A MILE AT 35 MPH. THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE FAILING WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE TO THE DRIVE POSITION. HE LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND REALIZED THAT THE BRAKE LINE WAS HOT AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO HIS RESIDENCE AND INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,924 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,800.*AK

Incident: February 9, 2006 · Filed: February 22, 2006

CORROSION HAS BUILT UP ON THE ABS SENSORS CAUSING THEM TO ACTIVATE AT LOW SPEEDS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKES DON'T LOCK UP AND AT LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 4 MPH) THAT MEANS THE VEHICLE TAKES AN EXTRA FEW FEET TO STOP. ON ONE OCCASION I ALMOST HIT A PERSON AND TWO OTHER TIMES A PARKED CAR IN A PARKING LOT BECAUSE THE CAR DIDN'T STOP. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT SO THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE CAN'T FIX IT. THERE IS A GM RECALL (#05068) FOR OTHER LIKE MODELS OF GM CARS BUT NOT MINE. SO MY PROBLEM IS THE DEALER CAN'T FIX IT WITHOUT A RECALL AND GM WON'T ISSUE A RECALL BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS. *JB

Incident: April 10, 2005 · Filed: September 2, 2005

I OWN A 2003 GMC SAFARI WHICH I PURCHASED IN UTAH. EARLIER THIS YEAR I EXPERIENCE A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS BAKING SYSTEM WHERE THE ABS WOULD ENGAGE AT LOW SPEEDS, INCREASING MY STOPPING DISTANCE GREATLY. I CONTACTED GM AS THIS SEEMED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT IN TO A LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE BRAKES AND NOTED THAT THE SENSOR WAS BAD AND BILLED ME FOR A REPAIR. I SEE NOW THAT GM HAS ISSUE A RECALL, ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT COVER MY STATE OR VEHICLE MODEL, I WAS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT THESE OTHER VEHICLES HAVE WITH THE ABS FAILURE. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE MORE WIDELY INVESTIGATED AS IT SEEMS TO BE A LARGER PROBLEM THEN THEY WANT TO ADMIT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY PRODUCTS USED ON ICY STREETS WHICH THE VAN OPERATED ON IN UTAH BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. PS-THE DEALERSHIP DESTROYED THE FAULTY PART EVEN THOUGH I ASKED TO SEE IT - THEY STATED THAT THIS WAS THERE POLICY. *NM

Incident: August 19, 2005 · Filed: August 30, 2005

AT IRREGULAR TIMES WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS (~10 MPH), ON DRY CLEAN PAVEMENT, AND UNDER LIGHT TO MODERATE BRAKING, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGES AND EXTENDS THE STOPPING DISTANCE OF THE VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR OTHER VEHICLES IN OTHER STATES, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE PROBLEM EXTENDS TO MORE YEAR MODELS AND OVER A WIDER AREA. IN ADDITION, GM HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #02-05-25-006A COVERING MORE VEHICLES THAN WERE IN THE INITIAL RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE. IT SEEMS THAT IF A TSB WAS RELEASED, THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE PROBLEM IS ON MUCH WIDER SCALE THAN THE RECALL INDICATES. *NM

Incident: December 7, 2004 · Filed: January 31, 2005

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK