1994 GMC Safari Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe two problems: anti-lock brakes that behave unexpectedly during hard stops, and windshield wipers that stop or work intermittently, most often in rain. Front torsion bars snapping on all-wheel-drive vans is also a repeated theme, usually at higher mileage, along with occasional electrical and engine-cooling complaints.

1. 1
   Brakes

   ABS engages but stopping distance feels long

   • 35 complaints (29%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 8.1 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2002

   Many complaints describe the anti-lock system activating with a grinding noise or pedal pulsation while the van keeps rolling, or a pedal that goes to the floor, especially on wet, snowy or icy pavement and during hard stops. Some owners say the brakes later worked normally, while a few report collisions. Several state the dealer could not reproduce or identify the cause, and some note the vehicle was not covered by an ABS control unit recall that applied to other years. Complaints span the model's life; where mileage is given it ranges from roughly 58,000 to 123,000 miles, often in wet or wintry conditions.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for any brake service history, and test the brakes firmly on a wet or loose surface at low speed to see how the pedal and ABS behave.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving at 45 MPH a car stopp;ed in front of me and I hit the brakes hard to stop and the anti-locks kicked in and I slammed into the first car wich hit another and the another. I think I had time to stop without hitting the cars if the brakes would have locked up any, but all they did was cause a hard pulsation of the brake pedal and little if any stopping power at all. This is not the first time they have acted up but the first time with a car in front of me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #710862, filed 1999-09

   “Two different times I have came to a stop light and the brakes did not work. The brake pedal would pump back at my foot, but would not stop the wheels. It almost caused an accident both times.”

   NHTSA complaint #716360, filed 1999-12
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop or quit intermittently

   • 24 complaints (20%)
   • median 74,000 mi at 9.6 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1995–2005

   Owners describe wipers that stop mid-stroke, run at the wrong speed, or fail to come on at all, sometimes requiring the vehicle to be shut off and restarted before they work again. Several say this happened during heavy rain and forced them to pull over. Complaints note that wiper motor and module replacements were sometimes performed, and some owners report dealers telling them their van was outside the scope of a wiper recall that covered other model years. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 10,000 to 165,000 miles, most often in rain.

   What to check: Turn the wipers on through all speed settings and the intermittent mode, and ask whether the wiper motor or control module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a problem with the windshield wipers on my 1994' Gmc Safari. According to NHTSA, this is a known problem and yet the recall only covers from 95 and up models. If the problem was know to occur on the 1994 models, why doesn't the recall cover them? There have been several occassions in the last 6 months when my wipers have failed and nearly cause me to be involved in an accident. I have had to pull over on the side of the road multiple times until they decided to work again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10030712, filed 2003-08, 155,000 miles

   “The windshield wipers tend to fail unexpectedly. The problem is intermittent, but becoming progressively more frequent. My research has found that this problem has been reported on other Gmc vehicles of about the same year of manufacture. Gm recall # 98043, from 1998, apparently covers 1994,1995 and 1996 model year chevrolet and Gmc trucks and SUV's in the s/t and c/k series. I contacted Gmc customer service and was informed that my vehicle (a 1994 Gmc Safari) is not covered in the recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #766211, filed 2002-08
3. 3
   Suspension

   Front torsion bar breaks

   • 14 complaints (12%)
   • median 148,100 mi at 11.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2005

   Owners describe a loud bang and the front of the van dropping onto the wheel when a torsion bar snaps, sometimes while parked, sometimes at low speed. Several mention loss of steering control or a hard time bringing the van to a stop, and a few say the vehicle had to be towed. Complaints frequently note that replacement requires a revised bar and hardware for both sides rather than a single bar, and one describes rust collecting at the rear mounting collar. Mostly reported at higher mileage, roughly 115,000 to 165,000 miles, and often on all-wheel-drive vans.

   What to check: Look for a sagging front corner or uneven ride height and ask whether either torsion bar has been replaced with the updated part.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The van was going down the i25 north of denver when the left front torsion bar snapped. I have driven many race cars and brining the van to a stop was the hardest I have ever done. By driving skills, luck and the good lord I am here today to write this complaint. Does general motors need to wait for a family to die before they will step up to the plate. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10093339, filed 2004-09, 148,100 miles

   “I was traveling at approximately 25 MPH when I passed a slight dip in the road and there was a very loud bang resembling an explosion and the front drivers side of the vehicle slammed to the ground. The drivers side torsion bar snapped! It was very fortunate the timing of the incident happened when it did, as we had just left the mass turnpike and were traveling at speeds of 65 MPH. …”

   NHTSA complaint #723559, filed 2000-06
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   EGR valve failures on the fuel-injected engine

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   A few owners describe repeated EGR valve replacement, with one reporting four to five replacements over several years and a notice limited to vehicles under a mileage and age threshold that the van had already passed. Others report rough running, stalling and a temperature gauge that climbed before the engine cut off and later restarted once cooled. Reported from the mid-1990s onward; the EGR complaints include a case just past 100,000 miles, and the overheating stalls occurred while driving.

   What to check: Ask for service records on the EGR valve and fuel pump, and check that the temperature gauge reads normally after a long drive.

   An excerpt from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Egr failure since sept 1994 to 1999 spoke with jerry evans on numerous times in regards to problem was told business under new ownership now and could no longer be helped!!!! ( DOT number: n/a tire size: 15 )”

   NHTSA complaint #717742, filed 2000-01

Buying note. Check the wipers, brakes and front suspension carefully, since those are the areas owners most often describe, and ask for records showing whether torsion bars or the wiper motor and module have already been replaced. A pre-purchase inspection that includes a wet-road brake test is worth the cost on a van of this age.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.