1995 GMC Safari Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year describe two recurring themes: anti-lock brake behavior on wet or rough pavement (pedal to the floor, early or locked-up braking, pulling to one side) and front torsion bars snapping while the van is parked, which drops the front end onto the tires. Wiper and heater-control electrical complaints are also common, and many reports come in on high-mileage vans used for daily driving.

1. 1
   Brakes

   ABS braking problems: long stopping, lockup, pulling

   • 49 complaints (25%)
   • median 107,500 mi at 8.3 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1995–2004

   Complaints describe the brake pedal traveling to the floor under ABS braking, extended stopping distances on wet pavement, and brakes that grab, lock up or pull to the right at normal speeds. Several owners say the ABS engaged on rough or slippery surfaces when braking lightly. Dealers often could not reproduce the problem, and some owners report repeated pad and system replacements without a lasting fix. Reported at a wide range of miles, most often when braking on wet, slippery or rough pavement; several vans were well past 100,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test the brakes on wet pavement and rough surfaces at moderate speed and note any pedal sinking, lockup or pull; ask for brake and ABS service records. A service bulletin describes a brake pedal condition during near-full-lock turns on these vans.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Brakes make loud noise and lock up on wet pavement.drivers airbag did not work in 2 crashes.windsheild wipers go off or on when they feel like it; went off once in a driving rain storm in heavy traffic.dash lights wont work.key wont work on driver door.passenger door handle on outside broke.I had another Gmc Safari van before this one and both outside door handles broke.”

   NHTSA complaint #10030561, filed 2003-08, 80,000 miles

   “When brakes are applied the vehicle pulls to the right and the steering wheel will slip out of consumer's hand. The brakes have been replaced at least five times, and the vehicle still gives the consumer problems. Dealer has been contacted.”

   NHTSA complaint #829912, filed 1998-11
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front torsion bar breaks, front end drops

   • 28 complaints (14%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 9.1 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1999–2007

   Owners report the front torsion bar snapping, usually while the van is parked, which drops the front corner onto the tire. Several say the dealer noted a redesigned bar is required and that both sides and the welded adjuster must be replaced; one owner also described unstable handling after a bar replacement. Mostly reported between roughly 66,000 and 156,000 miles, frequently with the van parked and sometimes after exposure to road salt.

   Recall 95V175000

   What to check: Inspect both front torsion bars and their adjusters for cracks or heavy corrosion, and ask whether either bar or the adjuster hardware has been replaced. A recall addresses lower control arm bolt torque on the front suspension.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When right front torsion bar on all wheel drive minivan was replaced two years ago, van began exhibiting unstable, extremely sensitive, and dangerous handling characteristics at highway speeds. Replacement of tires, two sets of shock absorbers, and multiple realignments at my expense did not solve this problem. If I had needed to make an emergency evasive maneuver under these conditions, my van would very likely have rolled over. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10066426, filed 2004-04, 75,000 miles

   “While my wife and 5 small children were in our 1995 Gmc awd Safari van, the torsion bar broke and the front end of the van dropped to the ground. Fortunatly this happened in town and no one was hurt. When the wrecker arrived, the driver said, this is the second one this week. When I asked the Gmc dealer about it, they also said they were aware of the problem. If this would have happened at highway speeds, serious injury could have occured. Gmc customer service was less then concerned.”

   NHTSA complaint #748983, filed 2001-07
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop or work intermittently

   • 26 complaints (13%)
   • median 73,072 mi at 8.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2004

   Complaints describe wipers that stop mid-stroke, fail to turn on, or keep running after being switched off, sometimes in heavy rain. Owners report wiper motor, delay board and controller repairs; some note their van was not covered by a wiper motor recall that applied to other models. Reported throughout the model year's life with no clear mileage pattern; several complaints involve rain or snow driving.

   Recall 03V159000

   What to check: Run the wipers through every speed and delay setting, including a stop-and-restart, and ask whether the wiper motor or controller has been replaced. A recall covers wiper motor solder joints on certain vehicles.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The wipers have an int. Problem. It sounds just like the one in bulletin # 98v150000. I see there that it covers the trucks and not the vans. Also the a\c clutch has some diagonal bands on the front, they broke away from the center and opened up like flail knives and cut every belt, hose, and wire near the clutch until one of the bands broke off and went flying around under the hood causing alot of dammage and a big mess. My a\c has never worked right since. …”

   NHTSA complaint #715529, filed 1999-12

   “Plume of smoke comes out of control panel were the heater switch is. The area around the switch gets real hot. As for the windshield wipers they stay on when I shut them off. Then it takes a few minutes for them to turn off. The air-conditioner sometimes gets cold and other times it bairly gets cold. The sliding door gets stuck.”

   NHTSA complaint #705964, filed 1999-04
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Coolant leaks at freeze plugs and heater switch heat

   • 15 complaints (8%)
   • median 103,000 mi at 11.3 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2008

   Complaints describe leaking or corroded freeze plugs and coolant loss, with one owner attributing the corrosion to the coolant type used. Separate reports describe smoke and a burning smell from the heater fan switch area when the vent settings are used, along with engine stalling traced to an exhaust gas recirculation valve. Freeze plug reports appeared past 100,000 miles; heater switch and stalling reports came at varied mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check for coolant residue or crust around the engine block and freeze plugs, and test the heater fan on each speed while watching for smoke or a burning smell.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 95 Gmc Safari that was equiped with dexcool coolant. I have replaced all the freezeout plugs, that have been eaten away by the coolant. There are several law suits but none of them include Safari or astro vans. Are there any lawsuits that include vans.”

   NHTSA complaint #10245691, filed 2008-10, 112,000 miles

   “When the tempature leaver used to select hot or cold air flow is parallel with the leaver that controls the vacuum doors for the defrost/heater/vent is alingned with the vent setting, puffs of white smoke come out of the heater fan toggle speed switch area and a order of burning wire or plastic coating is pungent within the driver and front passanger area of the vehicle. When the levers are adjusted to other locations, the burning smell goes away. …”

   NHTSA complaint #720497, filed 2000-03

Buying note. Have a mechanic inspect the front torsion bars, brake and ABS function on wet pavement, and the wiper and heater electricals before buying. Service records showing torsion bar, brake and wiper repairs are worth asking for 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.