1999 GMC Safari problems & reliability
61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 GMC Safari, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 GMC Safari vehicles were involved in 3 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 19 | 31% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 18 | 30% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 10% |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 3 | 5% |
| Steering | 3 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 5% |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 19 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl*the contact owns a 1999 gmc safari. Since the vehicle was purchased in may of 2005, the steering idler arm has been replaced four times. As a result, the vehicle has lost steering ability. The contact has put 30,000 miles on the vehicle in two years. The mechanic stated that the idler arms have failed and need to…”
Steering · filed Jun 14, 2007
“Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 5 mph, the vehicle's abs sensor unit failed on three separate occasions. The service dealer replaced the abs sensor unit three times, but the problem persisted.”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Nov 3, 2006
“1999 gmc safari transmission failure. See gm tsb #00-07-30-002 dated 11/2000. 1st-2nd late shift, reverse, 2nd, & 4th gear caused immediate failure. All required transmission service performed by dealer on this vehicle. Root cause is the known sun gear shell failure in the gm 4l60e automatic transmission. Vehicle has…”
Power Train · filed Oct 1, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
81 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 GMC Safari. The 10 most recent:
This technical bulletin provides information and a solution to a condition of Brake Pedal Moves or Self Applies at Full Turns.
23-NA-144 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2023
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2023
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2020
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
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
The 1999 GMC Safari has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1999 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.