1990 GMC Safari problems & reliability
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 GMC Safari. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 15 | 43% |
| Structure | 6 | 17% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 11% |
| Seats | 4 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 6% |
| Steering | 2 | 6% |
| Suspension | 2 | 6% |
| Visibility | 2 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Consumer discovered that the power driver seat would rock back and forth when the vehicle accelerated too quickly, consumer thought that a mounting bolt was loose, he then tilted the seat back and inspected the front mounting bolt to the seat platform connection and the consumer saw that when the seat back was pushed…”
Seats · filed Apr 26, 2002
“Consumer was driving along and made a stop; then, put vehicle in reverse and it made a loud noise, later she was told that idle arm had fallen off.*ak vehicle also would vibrate while driving at 65 mph. Steering column loose and needed to be tightened. *slc”
Steering · filed Aug 3, 2001
“Consumer have received recall notice 93v187000 for frontal seats. Rear seats are the same type of seats with a different package. But, manufacturer refused to replace the parts as stated in the recall for the rear seats. *ak the front and the rear seats are reclining seat for this van unlike other vans. *yh”
Seats · filed Sep 20, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- INSTRUMENT PANEL/DASH ELECTRICAL FIRE
Preliminary Evaluation PE97025 · opened Jun 12, 1997 · closed Nov 26, 1997
- SEAT BACK BOLT BREAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA92022 · opened Jun 24, 1992 · closed Nov 19, 1993 · led to recall 93V187000
- BRAKE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA91028 · opened Jun 10, 1991 · closed Jun 30, 1992
- BRAKE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE91052 · opened Feb 22, 1991 · closed Jun 10, 1991
Technical service bulletins
6 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 GMC Safari.
General motors: on all 1988-2009 full size chevrolet/gmc pickups, utilities and vans, the brake pedal will move down or self apply during full lock turns or near full lock turns. Chevrolet astro and gmc safari vans…
PIT-3665-A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2010
Diagnosis of cracked or broken transmission case. *tt 2006 and prior cars and light duty trucks. *tt
020730024A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2005
Window regulator motor does not fit. *tt
01667 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Diagnostic information for intermittent transmission downshift, slip, busy/cycling tcc or noisy cooling fan. *tt
990730016A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2002
COLD ENGINE KNOCK. *TW
376105 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1995
Transmission extention seal leaks. *tw
467108 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1994
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 GMC Safari in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 GMC Safari?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.