1986 GMC Safari SLE review from North America

Air conditioner freon leaked out. Retrofitted to R-134a and it works again.

Differential started making noise shortly after purchase. Turns out the nut holding the drive shaft in place was loose.

Power steering pump has failed twice.

Multi-function lever (turn signals, high beams, wipers, cruise) is trash. Turning on one feature often causes another to turn on as well. I've never seen a GM car that didn't have this problem, though.

Seats are wearing badly.

Engine knocks, smokes, hesitates, stalls sometimes. Has done this many times in the past--usually an electrical problem.

At least two fuel pumps went out.

Alternator needed replacing around 85000 miles.

Power door locks and windows have problems. The wiring to the doors is brittle and keeps breaking.

Factory radio broke a long time ago. To make it work you had to hit the dashboard, hard. We finally replaced it.

We've had this car for 12 years, and although it now has a lot of problems, it didn't really start out that way.

The car is not a sports car, or a sports utility vehicle. But it does a good job of getting the kids to school and the family on vacations. We have towed our trailer many miles with this car.

The car is nearing the end of its life and as such it has a lot of problems. But over the course of its long life it has generally been a reliable, good vehicle.