1994 GMC 1500

Routine

Owners filed 29 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the visibility › windshield wiper/washer › motor. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor5
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer5
000
Seats3
000
Steering › Steering Wheel/Handle Bar2
100
Wheels › Lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs1
000
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Switch/Wiring1
000
Tires › Tread/Belt1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Jun 19, 20175 milesNM

MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK IVED TRIED EVERY THING TO FIX THEM AND I CANT SEEMED TO FIND THE PROBLEM I WAS WONDERING IF THE WIREING OR BRAKE SWITCH WERE RECALLS

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Oct 7, 2004CO

1994 GMC SIERRA PICKUP ([XXX]) GM HAS 2 RECALLS FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR PROBLEMS ON 1994 AND NEWER PICKUPS AND SUVS (RECALL 98043 AND SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT 02054A). MY VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM NOTED IN THE RECALLS: INTERMITTENT WIPER OPERATION RESULTING FROM CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE WIPER MOTOR CONTROL'S PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AT ITS CONNECTION TO THE WIRING HARNESS. BUT, BECAUSE MY VIN DOES NOT MATCH THOSE IN THE RECALL, I AM LEFT TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM ON MY OWN. I HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH THIS FOR A FEW YEARS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR MONEY TO FIX IT. AND, MY BRIEF INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS NUMEROUS OTHER GM OWNERS IN THE SAME SITUATION ... THE SAME PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN THE RECALL BUT LEFT IN THE COLD BY GM BECAUSE OF VIN NUMBER EXCLUSIONS. MY CALL TO GM REVEALED THAT THE RECALL WAS LIMITED TO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AT CERTAIN PLANTS, BECAUSE ONLY THOSE PLANTS USED PARTS FROM "DEFECTIVE BATCHES." THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM (BAD SOLDER JOINTS) SEEMS TO ME A DESIGN ISSUE (FAILURE TO MITIGATE VIBRATION, TOO RIGID A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WIRING CONNECTOR AND PCB?), NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT (BAD BATCH OF MATERIAL, IMPROPERLY SOLDERED JOINT?). SAME SYMPTOMS RESULTING FROM THE SAME FAILURE ON THE SAME PART WITH THE SAME PART NUMBER? WHEN I PRESSED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. ON THIS QUESTION (VIN NUMBER AND PARTS BATCH ARE IRRELEVANT IF IT IS A DESIGN FLAW, WHICH I THINK IT IS), I GOT THE PROVERBIAL RUN-AROUND. AND, MY WIPERS STILL DON'T WORK. *NM UPDATED

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Aug 20, 2004122,000 milesVA

WINDSHIELD WIPERS RUN INTERMITTENTLY SEVERELY LIMITIING VISIBILITY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. GMC NOTIFIED ME THAT MY VEHICLE VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THE WIPER MOTOR REPLACEMENT RECALL EVEN THOUGH I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Jun 8, 2004OK

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN THE RAIN WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Mar 17, 2004145,000 milesFL

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENLY. A RECALL WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Dec 7, 2003100,000 milesIL

WIPERS ON MY 1994 GMC PICK-UP DO NOT WORK AT ALL TIMES WHEN REQUIRED. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ROUTINELY FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. GMC ACKNOWLEDGED OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE; HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR RECALL ORDERS, MY CONTACT WITH GMC PRODUCED NEGATIVE RESULTS. *LA

Electrical System › Ignition
Filed Jul 29, 2003NH

CONSUMER STATES HE IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH HIS GMC 1500 ONCE HE PUTS THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND STARTS THE VEHICLE. WHEN IT IS TIME TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF HE CANNOT CUT IT OFF. IT IS HARD TO ENGAGE THE THE SWIFT LEVEL TO PARK AND REMOVE THE KEY. HE IS KILLING THE STARTER. CONSUMER HAS WORKED ON TRUCKS FOR A LONG TIME AND HAS NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Seats
Filed Mar 4, 2003AL

A FAULTY BOLT CAUSED THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO BREAK. WHEN THE BOLT BROKE IT WAS HARD TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD *NLM

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Switch/Wiring
Filed Feb 18, 2003NM

WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNTIONED STOPED WORKING. HAS BEEN UNRELIABLE SINCE THEN.

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Aug 14, 2002NC

WHILE DRIVING 65MPH IN RAIN WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING.*AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Aug 14, 2002NC

BRAKE LIGHT WILL NOT WORK. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND REPAIRED/ REPLACED FUSES. BRAKE LIGHT STILL NOT WORKING.*AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Jul 24, 2002MS

WHILE DRIVING 35MPH IN THE RAIN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS JUST SHUT OFF, CAUSING DRIVER TO BRAKE. DRIVER HAS NO CONFIDENCE IN WIPER OPERATION. *AK THIS PART WAS RECALLED #98V150, HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMITTENTLY WORK. *JG

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc
Filed Nov 9, 2001IL

BRAKES WILLNOT HOLD WHEN THEY GET HOT, PEDAL IS SOFT AND GOES AL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER STATED THIS CONVERSION VAN FRONT BRAKE PADS ONLY LASTS 14000 THIS IS THE 4TH SET OF BRAKE PADS.*SLC

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Jun 1, 2001CO

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN IN USE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. HAD TAKEN TO DEALER, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC NO TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR WIPERS. VEHICLE AT DEALER'S. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Nov 30, 2000PA

BRAKE PROBLEM STARTED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE. DEALER ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIX PROBLEM. FRONT BRAKES DO ALL THE BRAKING, REAR BRAKES ARE IN NEW CONDITION AFTER 90000 MILES. *AK THE DRIVELINE EXPERIENCES A CLUNK. THE TRIP SETTER IS FAULTY, CONSUMER IS WAITING FOR DEALER TO REPLACED THE DASH/GAUGE ASSEMBLY. *SLC

Tires › Tread/Belt
Filed Oct 1, 2000CA

THE TREAD SEPARATED OFF TWO NEW UNIROYAL LAREDO P235/75R15M+S TIRES WITHIN ONE MONTH AFTER THEY WERE INSTALLED ON THE GMC PICKUP. *AK (DOT NUMBER: APHLF3U343 TIRESIZE: P235/75R15)

Seat Belts
Filed Jul 11, 2000VA

DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AUTOMATIC SEATBELTS WILL NOT RELEASE. THEY ARE STUCK OR JAMMED. CONSUMER IS NOT ABLE TO FASTEN SEATBELTS. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPAIRED THE DRIVERS SIDE. BUT, PASSENGER'S SIDE STILL IS NOT USABLE.*AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Jul 6, 2000SC

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR JUST QUIT WORKING, CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE CLEARLY.*AK

Power Train › Manual TransmissionCrash
Filed Jun 14, 2000KY

VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE OF GARAGE, AND IT ROLLED OUT OF THE GARAGE INTO A TREE. CONSUMER STATED THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAPPENED. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Carburetor System
Filed Feb 8, 2000MO

INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED, CAUSING GASOLINE TO SEAP THROUGH. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

20 of 29 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1994
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20000100Routine
19990100Routine
19980100Routine
19970100Routine
199624000Routine
1994 — this page29000Routine
19908010Routine

Compare every 1500 year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.