VehicleVerdict

1996 GMC Safari visibility & wipers problems

The 1996 GMC Safari has 36 visibility & wipers complaints filed with NHTSA — 18% of the year's total, and roughly flat versus the prior model year.

36

Visibility & Wipers complaints

18%

Share of year

0

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Visibility & Wipers complaints by year

Safari visibility & wipers complaints by model year44 complaints1989: 1 complaints1990: 2 complaints1991: 3 complaints1993: 3 complaints1994: 30 complaints1995: 44 complaints1996: 36 complaints1997: 34 complaints1998: 11 complaints1999: 2 complaints2000: 2 complaints2001: 4 complaints2002: 3 complaints2003: 1 complaints
Safari visibility & wipers complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

03V159000Visibility & WipersApril 28, 2003 · 1,755,876 units

Defect

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL.

Consequence

IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.

What owners report

WIPER SWITCH DISCONNECTS WHEN TURNED "ON". GMC SERVICE MANAGER BELIEVES THERE WERE RECALLS FOR THIS DEFECT BUT UNABLE TO FIND FOR GMC VEHICLE; BELIEVES THERE WAS RECALL FOR SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER GMC - CHEVROLET ASTROL MODELS. REPORTS THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF SIMILAR DEFECTS SEEN AND TO WAIT UNTIL…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Visibility & Wipers · August 10, 1998

Common questions

How many visibility & wipers complaints does the 1996 GMC Safari have?

NHTSA has 36 complaints about the 1996 GMC Safari visibility & wipers — 18% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 1996 GMC Safari visibility & wipers?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the visibility & wipers: 03V159000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.