The car was returned to the manufacturer because it didn't conform to warranty. The right front wheel leaked, and was corrected by regrinding, and by tire and valve-stem replacement, to no avail. Still drops to about 13 pounds in about 10,000 miles of driving. The tachometer shorted, as is apparently common in GM vehicles, and bounced around like crazy. Only replacing the entire cluster would cure the problem, I was told. My O2 sensors went after all of a week owning the car.
Worst of all was at about 75,000 miles, the entire rear differential assembly turned to garbage. Removing the plate saw several cups of dust and particulate matter come tinkling out of the case. The differential, the axles, the transfer case (remotely activated, so located next to the differential), all had to be replaced at TREMENDOUS expense.
In the course of repairing the complicated automated system, the repair somehow caused damage to the transmission, as awful sounds started coming from it, but I was assured that the transmission sounds had always been there. Being a professional musician, I know my sounds, and this was simply not true.
Mechanically, this car has been difficult since day one.
Perhaps the most compounding factor aside from the mechanical difficulties of the vehicle has been the dealership. Upon having a GMC specialist evaluate and appraise my vehicle for trade-in, we discovered that the ENTIRE vehicle had been repainted. Carfax revealed that I had been essentially cheated in a big way, and I went over this car with a fine-toothed comb before I purchased it. My local "certified GM dealer" is a scam artist after all.
That aside, purely focusing on the Jimmy, my SLT was the top-of-the-line for GMC SUV's in its day. Comfort-wise, the vehicle is outstanding with fully-articulating leather buckets and a very simple, easy-to-use set of controls. Outstanding cargo-space, great towing power, and fairly decent handling were accompanied by a very nice 4WD system. The braking on this car was very substandard in my opinion.
This vehicle performed at a very low level in terms of reliability and mechanics. I would not buy a GMC again, I'm afraid.
Okay, first off I have a 96 Jimmy SLT and I am the only owner it has ever had. I have 105,309 miles on it and I haven't had a single one of these problems. My comment is a question, where the heck do you get your info from?
I understand what you mean. Even though I have a 1997 Jimmy, my problems have not ever stopped. A new transmission, three alternators, a new radiator due to the "state of the art" Dexa-cool coolant that GM put in, instead of normal engine coolant. It broke down long before the estimated life of the coolant and became a solid sludge that clogged my entire system. Then there is the water pump, then the two brake repairs because the vacuum was lost on the system, then the burning out of the wiper moter that nearly caused me to wreck during a rainstorm, This car has been nothing but a piece of crap from the start. I would never tell anyone to purchase a GMC and I will never buy another GMC!
All of you people are stupid. The dealership has sold you melons. I have a 98' GMC JIMMY "SLT", and have over 135 Kms on it. And all I had to do was basic maintainence. That's it. It is a great truck. It has gobs of power. It is great. If you people knew how to maintain it, then you wouldn't have a problem with your Truck. I am even towing my K5 blazer, over 2500 lbs. All I had to do was add a tranny cooler (RAD for transmission). It is great. And, I am planning to raise it 9" by the end of 2002.
I have a 1997 GMC Jimmy with 85,000 miles. Since owning the vehicle I have had to replace the alternator 3 times, put a new A/C compressor in it and have always had problems with the electrical system i.e. the speedometer sticks and know my power locks and power seats have failed. I have maintained the vehicle according to the manufacturers maintenance schedule. While I have found the car to be very comfortable with exceptional towing power, I don't know that I would every buy another or recommend it to a friend.
I agree with the other person. I have a 2001 Blazer 2door, 2wd and a 2000 Jimmy SLE 4X4 4 door. I have never had a single problem like these people are talking about!! I do my own maintenace and use pure synthetics only. I have 37,000 miles on my 2000 Jimmy with 4 wheel driver and I am still on the original brake pads and rotors!! front and rear yes! all original and I have 4 wheel drive and 37,000 miles. You people couldnt take care of a vehicle if it ran you over and spewed oil on you. Get real and stop whining, you must learn to be responsible. Now get along children!
I have a 1995 "GMC" Jimmy. If you go to The "NHTSA" website, you will find over 10,000 complaints for the 1995 and 1996 models. Since the day I had the SUV I have had problems especially with the brakes. I replaced the elec. fuel pump (which has to be replaced again), wiring harness for power seats, Cruise control (which just went out again) rear window wiper motor, the catalytic converter (which took out the muffler), some kind of computer thing for the brakes (3 recalls on the brakes - total 11 recalls all together) and other things right after the warranty ran out. "GMC's" response, "Sorry you are out of warranty". My response, "I will buy a Toyota"
Just because our older versions of GMC's Jimmy have had issues doesn't mean we're stupid, or we don't maintain our vehicles properly. I, too, have had major issues with my stupid truck. I'm ready to drop it in GM's president's driveway and let him deal with it himself.
The coolant issue mentioned in another comment is the same problem I have been fighting with since this past summer. The coolant gunked up and clogged the entire system. Instead of paying $1200 to replace my radiator and heater core, (the heater core had just been replaced less than a year and a half earlier for $600 after blowing and spewing coolant all over the floor inside the passenger compartment on the passenger side, 650 miles from home), now they wanted me to pay for it again? On a system that supposedly requires no maintenance for 100,000 miles - it sure cost me. I ended up paying a private mechanic $600 to blow the system out, replace the clogged thermostat and a hose, and treat the radiator to an acid bath. It apparently has worked fine for the time being. I had to have the heater core blown out 3 more times since the repair, all within the first month and a half, but since the last time the heater core seems to be fine now. But my water pump started to fail and I had that replaced last week.
My windshield wipers also failed, sometimes they would work and mostly they would not. Turned out to be a relatively inexpensive module opposed to the actual motor. The motor was fine.
I also had the upper and lower ball joints go bad, and was quoted $1200 again by the dealer for their replacement. I asked them if I was going to die if I didn't fix it, as I didn't have the money to do it - and they said no. 2 months later a recall came out for the lower (or the upper - can't remember), but if I wanted to have the free alignment done as part of the recall I had to pay for the other half myself - another $600.
Add to that the alternator, the air conditioning, the brakes, the rubber bumpers (cushion the body from the frame) the serpentine belt that fell off because the bearing melted on the tensioner, the torsion bars, and most recently the oil cooler lines and 1 of 2 other oil leaks being repaired. Now - 600 miles away from home I lost oil pressure completely - still have oil - but no pressure - I'm wondering what it could possibly be this time. I'm just thrilled with the motel bill, tow bill, and U-Haul truck and auto transport rental to get the blasted thing back to civilization. I guess I get to find out tomorrow whether that knocking noise is the end of my nightmare, or another chapter in the continuing saga.
I wish I could say this even lists it all - but I know I had at least 3 other problems I can't remember what they even were off hand. I don't think I've gone 4 months in a row without something breaking in a year and a half. And it all has cost me an arm and a leg to fix. After my last repair bill I was up to about $5000 in repairs in 3 1/2 years. It's about to go higher - how much higher depends on whether the engine is shot, or it's something as simple as an oil pump. If I didn't still owe so much money on the thing I would have trashed it by now.
Hi there:
I have a 1991 GMC Jimmy and my rearend when out can ayone send me a video of how to fix it. duanecampbell@juno.com is my email address. I would appreciate all the help I can get, I wold like one that shows step by step how to fix the differential gears and suhc, I am looking for someone eho can fix it for me, I will pay them what I can, I am not a mechanic, I really need the help and I cannot pay what they want up town, Please email me if you can help I am in Michigan.
My 1996 GMC Jimmy SLE has been a nightmare to say the least. I bought it used with 35,000 miles on it and ever since I hit 50,000 miles, I have had nothing but major trouble. I cannot seem to go longer than 3 months without a major repair. I have had the following problems: bad battery (twice), alternator, brakes (twice), transmission clutch, bad radiator, which lead to getting an entirely new engine ($4000), entire transmission went two months after that ($2000), water pump, ignition coils, catalytic converter, a/c condenser and compressor, bad windshield wipers, power seat went bad, and there is probably more that I am not thinking of. In the past 18 months, I have spent over $10,000 in repairs. I think GM should be served with a class action lawsuit for selling these nightmare vehicles!!
My ex-husband has a 1996 GMC Jimmy and we had the problem with the oxygen sensors almost immediately after purchasing the car. The car now has almost 70K miles on it and it looks like the alternator has gone on it. Other than that, we have had no complaints.
Hi to all those with problems. I bought a used 1997 GM Jimmy just last September and have had to pay over $5,000 to fix it. The only thing my warranty covered was having the transmission rebuilt and not everything else that had to be done along with it. The first thing to go was the Transmission, then the Front Wheel Drive, then the Catalytic Converter and now the Alternator. My vehicle has almost 90,000 miles on it and it has put me behind on other bills and problems at work. My job requires me to have a vehicle and this one does not cut the mustard. So I feel the pain of many others and their Jimmy's.
Winter
North Pole, Alaska.
I have a '96 GMC Jimmy that I bought used about 5 years ago with 30K miles on it. Now I have 130K miles on it, but it has been a constant repair case. I have replaced the alternator, battery, belt tensioner, brakes twice, transfer case overhauled ($850), oil lines replaced, rear wiper motor is burned out, just replaced the driver side motor mount, the Dex-Cool radiator fluid is garbage and have flushed and replaced twice, O2 sensor replaced. I also have constant oil and transmission leaks and the GMC dealerships just try to get big $$$ for any work they do.
GMC is supposed to be Professional Grade which is why I bought it. They should give me a truck to test, but I am very hesitant on buying another GMC.
I bought a new 1996 Jimmy and like so many others, I am beginning to believe it is gone past being a lemon and went straight to being lemonade to be shared by anyone who has ever owned one.
I have replaced air conditioner compressors, serpentine belts, brakes, radio wiring harness, O2 sensors, fuel tank parts, radiator, water pumps, and other things that I have just plain forgotten about.
My biggest concern is the radiator at this time. It has gotten so much gunk in it that it is no longer heating. I have repalced the thermostat twice, radiator after being boiled out, water pump twice in the past two years, flushed the system several times and it still has problems. Is there anything else that anyone can tell me to do other than put the thing out of its and mine misery.
No more GMC for me in my lifetime. This is the 4th one I have owned and all had problems.
Toyota, here I come.
I bought my 1996 GMC Jimmy 3 years ago with 60,000 miles. It now has 90,000 miles. I never had a major problem besides the wear and tear. Everything works perfect. I love this truck!
Hey everybody.
I just wanted to say I just bought a 96' Jimmy SLT and I am afraid now after reading these comments that I made a big mistake and I wish I would have read this prior to purchasing it.