1996 GMC 1500

Routine

Owners filed 24 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/Washer4
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip3
100
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor2
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission2
000
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly2
000
Electrical System › Wiring2
000
Suspension › Front › Shock Absorber1
000
Structure › Body › Door1
000
Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist System1
000
Steering1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Sep 8, 200572,000 milesMI

BRAKE SYSTEM OPERATED NORMALLY FOR SOME TIME AND THEN AT OR AROUND 2/14/2005 I BEGUN TO EXPERIENCE IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS AT SLOW SPEED STOPPING THE ABS WOULD ENGAGE AND OVER RIDE THE NORMAL BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSING MUCH LONGER STOPPING DISTANCES. IT CAUSED AT LEAST 10 NEAR COLLISIONS WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, AND SEVERAL TIMES I SWERVED OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID CONTACT. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, I DISABLED THE ABS SYSTEM BY REMOVING THE ABS FUSE, THIS WAS SUGGESTED BY A LOCAL TIRE AND REPAIR SHOP. *JB

Steering
Filed May 16, 200577,781 milesFL

DT: CONSUMER BOUGHT A VEHICLE "AS IS", AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I DROVE IT, 3 HOURS AFTER I BOUGHT IT, THE RADIATOR BLEW. THE GARAGE THAT SERVICED THE VEHICLE SAID THE BALL JOINTS WERE READY TO FALL APART. THE STEERING WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND THE REAR END MADE A HUMMING NOISE. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE LIGHT AND AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. HE SAID THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE ROAD. THE SELLER WILL NOT REPAIR OR REIMBURSE FOR ANY OF THE DEFECTS. *TT

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Mar 14, 2005MN

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONT COLLISION AT 60 MPH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER WILL NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Sep 30, 2004NJ

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND HAD THEM REPAIRED. HE THEN SHOWED THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. HE WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT ON RECALL, AND ADVISED CONSUMER TO CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. CONSUMER THEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. CONSUMER FELT SINCE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE NOT WORKING DURING RAINY TIMES IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. ALSO, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A CRACKED SOLDER JOINT ON THE CONTROL BOARD. CONSUMER INSISTED ON BEING REIMBURSED. *AK

Electronic Stability Control › Automatic (asc)
Filed Aug 25, 2004NE

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL WANDERED FROM SIDE TO SIDE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. FOLLOWING THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE POWER SENSOR SWITCH , AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 5, 2004CA

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE JERKED. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSON FAILED. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Sep 10, 2003VT

WHEN TRYING TO APPLY THE BRAKES BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Jul 12, 200380,000 milesAR

WIRING CONNECTOR ON TILT WHEEL WILL WEAR CAUSING LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. REPAIR ONCE BUT PROBLEM IS BACK COULD CAUSE FIRE. 1996 GMC PICKUP EXTENDED CAB. *AK

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed May 14, 2003NC

WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WORKED SPORADICALLY. *JB

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Apr 8, 2003TN

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *JB

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Jan 10, 200350,195 milesFL

GMC SIERRA TRUCK WINDSHIELD WIPERS ONLY WORK SOMETIMES. WILL STOP FOR NO REASON OR WILL NOT STOP AT ALL. NO WASHER WORKING. GMC GAVE RECALL #98043 AND SERVICE REQUEST #1-55077659. DEALER REFUSED TO FIX, SAID IT WAS NOT A RECALL. DRIVING AS-IS FOR NOW. GMC WILL NOT RESPOND. MODEL YEAR 1996

Suspension › Front › Shock Absorber
Filed Dec 10, 2002FL

CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 30MPH THE ABS FAILED CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDTIONAL INFORMATION. TS

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed Dec 5, 2002FL

THE SENDING UNIT SHORTAGE OUT WITH 15 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAIN IN THE TANK WHILE DRIVING ALSO CAUSE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME . FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer
Filed Nov 8, 2002CA

WHILE TRAVELING IN THE RAIN THE WIPERS STARTED OUT WORKING AND THEN SUDDENLY STOPPED. CONSUMER STATES' FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Jul 25, 2002LA

THE ENGINE STALLS WHILE DRIVING, AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE VEHICLE CAN BE RESTARTED, THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE A SHORTED WIRE TO THE ELECTRICAL IN-TANK FUEL PUMP WHICH BURNED THE PLASTIC HOLDER, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE CAUSED A VEHICLE FIRE. NLM

Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor
Filed Aug 7, 2001GA

MY VEHICLE VIN EXCLUDED IT FROM SAFETY RECALL TSB 98043. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED WAS EXACTLY THE SAME FAULT AS IDENTIFY IN TSB 98043. THE REPAIR WAS THE SAME. I BELIEVE A FAULTY WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY WAS INSTALLED IN MY TRUCK AT THE FACTORY. I BELIEVE THE SCOPE OF SAFETY RECALL WAS TOO NARROW AS MY AND OTHER VEHICLES YET IDENTIFIED HAVE DEFECTIVE CIRCUIT BOARDS IN THEIR WINDSHIELD WIPER ASSEMBLY. HAVING YOUR WINDSHILD WIPERS STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A THUNDERSTORM IS STRESSFUL AND COULD BE DEADLY.*AK

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist System
Filed Mar 29, 2001KS

INTERMITTENTLY, STEERING WOULD PULL WHILE TURNING. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK WHILE DRIVING AROUND CURVES IN ROADWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH, THE STEERING ASSIST BECOMES VERY INTERMITTENT, THIS RESULTS IN A SWERVING AS STEERING BECOMES EASY AND THEN HARD, CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. *JB

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump
Filed Jul 31, 2000AR

DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH MAY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. COMMON PROBLEM. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly
Filed May 12, 2000MI

BRACKET THAT HOLDS FUEL TANK WIRES INSIDE AND CONNECTS THEM TO THE FUEL PUMP PLUG FRAYED. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER HE WAS RIDING IN A POTENTIAL BOMB. *AK

Structure › Body › Door
Filed Feb 23, 2000MN

DRIVER'S DOOR INSIDE HANDLE BROKE. TO EXIT VEHICLE, WINDOW HAS TO BE ROLLED DOWN SO THAT DRIVER CAN GRAB THE OUTSIDE HANDLE TO GET OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

20 of 24 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1994
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20000100Routine
19990100Routine
19980100Routine
19970100Routine
1996 — this page24000Routine
199429000Routine
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.