Comments: 1-15, 16-17
Fuel delivery system developed problems when the van was 1 year old, required multiple visits to dealer to diagnose and repair.
EGR valve failed (factory recall, but mine failed after the recall mileage limit, so I had to pay $400 for the repair).
Rear axle leaked and went dry, had to be replaced.
Brake system failed several times, dealer replaced the master cylinder under warranty but the system still leaks fluid.
Front brake rotor and pads were replaced when rotor prematurely destroyed itself for some reason (anti-lock brakes).
Shock absorbers wore out at 30,000 miles.
Vehicle has been recalled several times by GM for various factory defects.
Hood release cable broke.
Vehicle had to be towed to the dealer several times.
Vehicle has broken down, resulting in cancelled vacations, trips, etc.
A lemon. The confined engine space makes it difficult to work on the engine (apparently), so mechanics have decided to simply leave parts off when they put the car back together (I guess it's easier that way). I have noticed various missing clips, fasteners, and brackets after the vehicle has been serviced. GM engineering at its worse.
I agree with you. It is a lemon. My 1993 is nothing but trouble too.
I would also agree this van is a lemon. I have had to replace both head gaskets after 60,000 K's, front shocks after 110,00 K's and twice have had to replace the front end parts (idler arms, drag links). The blower fan has been replaced as well as the wiper motor. Finally after 180,000 K's the motor went despite regular oil changes. I do all the work myself and under the hood is a nightmare. Never again!
I have a 98' safari that has been nothing but trouble. I've had it less than three years and have dealt with these problems.
1. Had to have new catalytic converter
2. Had to have a new alternator
3. Had to have new window motors
4. Needed front brakes and rotors turned
at 25,000 miles
5. ABS is acting up
6. a/c just cratered
7. Fuel pump is fixing to go
8. Had a front-end problem that cost me two weeks of rental cars, 5 new tires on the right front, several wheel alignments and re alignments, a 4 wheel alignment before the dealer finally changed out some front-end parts to correct the problem.
9. the rear lid struts failed
10. the rear a/c swith melted down.
11. the selector switch (for a/c, defrost etc.. is out.
12. the dash vents won't work
the trade in value must be compared to an edsel, it will probably be in a junk yard by the time it's paid off.
1993 Safari.
One car to avoid. My son owned this one, after having a pollution valve replaced, a conn rod came out the side of the oil pan.
So I pulled the engine out (stay away from that job) and replaced the crankshaft and piston/rod.
Went two miles and she quit. Bad fuel pump inside the gas tank.
Neighbor drained all the fuel manually into many containers. Put in the wrong fuel pump and had to do the same job all over.
Now it's running but "missing". No way a home mechanic can fix that.
Slow down for a turn and the engine is liable to quit - with loss of power steering. Exciting.
Took it to a dealer, for $700 plus he replaced the injector system and got rid of all but a minor "miss".
Ran it a few more weeks, when all the oil just flowed out of the transmission. Took it to a transmission place to have a rebuilt transmission installed for $400. Ah ha, he says, you have the ELECTRONIC transmission, that will cost you $1700.
Left window switch failed, which caused the battery to run down overnight, until I replaced the switch.
Broke a heater hose and lost the coolant without knowing it because the temperature gauge had failed long ago.
Tonight I drove 3 miles to a local store and the engine was just smoking due to another yet undefined cooling problem. Enough said.
I've had horrible problems with my 1995 GMC Safari.
1. The EGR valve has been replaced twice.
2. The Alternator has been replaced twice.
3. The Air Conditioning Compressor has been replaced once.
4. The Anti-Lock brakes kick in after I go over a small bump and apply the brakes. GMC has a service bulletin on this but claims it only applied to vehicles built in Flint. Typical problem: Trying to stop after crossing RR Tracks or gravel bits caused Anti-Lock brakes to engage when car is not sliding. Nearly run into rear of car in front.
5. Windshield wiper motor does not work many times unless you get out, open hood, and beat on motor (or pull wiper blade manually). Again GMC has a recall, but will not fix because they say problem only exists on SUV and Pickup models.
6. Brakes wear out very prematurely.
I am making a web page for this van's problems. If you choose to allow it in my comment, the URL is http://bsrg.org/CrappyGMCSafari.
Including comments about years other than 1995 in the 1995 section is wrong, unfair to those reading, and provides incorrect results for the 1995 GMC Safari review. They should ONLY be placed in their age group. To do anything else compromises YOUR integrity AND that of the survey. It then becomes just a bitch session for those who desperately need somebody, anybody to agree with them.
I have a 1992 Safari. I bought it about 2 years ago and so far I had to replace a gas line, a muffler and get the AC recharged. Other than that I have not had any trouble with it. This van replaced a 1986 Dodge Caravan and I would not get rid of it. My father liked it soo much that he bought a 1998 Astro. the only bad thing that I have to say about it is that it has a problem called "fish bite".. This is when your going at highway speed and it seems to be jerking. Common thing with GM vans and trucks. I must comment on the other comments listed above- alternators go on most vehicles (some quicker than others) brake pads/shoes/rotors/drums (self inflicted in most cases) AC units (look at the ford line)
I purchased a used, low mileage, 1993 Safari AWD. It has been a money pit from the get go. So far I have replaced the brakes, starter motor, catalytic converter, exhaust, wiper motor and have had the A/C repaired as well as new tires and alignment done to solve a mysterious wear problem. I have also had to replace various parts that fall off occasionally during use. All this during my first year of ownership. This thing is THE lemon of mini-vans. One touch I really "love" is that instead of using screws, they decided upon the liberal use of rivets. It makes DIY repairs "Oh, so much more fun!" Next time, it's anything, but a GMC.
The one redeeming feature that I can say is that the AWD worked very well when we had a snow/ice storm. It easily took us up and down our hilly streets, while 2WD cars were all over and off the road.
My father owned a '92 Safari 4x4 and has used it as a primary work vehicle for several years. He drives about 2000 miles/month hauling liquid chlorine (very heavy), pool heaters, pumps, filters, bags of concrete and his tools. At 120K the tranny went in the middle of Nevada. Apparently if it is hot outside and if everyone in the van is using air conditioning the tranny doesn't get adequate cooling (tranny radiator too small). At the dealership the mechanic noted that many people only get about 75K out of their AWD trannys and that my dad was lucky to get what he got out of the thing. The tranny replacement was $2500 and included a new over-sized tranny radiator. While it was in the shop my dad decided to have the rubber engine valve seals replaced ($500). Since then there have been no problems, 250K miles and it is still getting around. This doesn't seem like too bad of a track record for a work van that is under strenuous use. Either all you folks got lemons or you are just griping about paying for regular maintenance.
I own a '93 astro with almost 250,000 miles and have not had any problems that I would not expect from a vehicle of that age and mileage. Yes I've had to replace the wiper motor, starter motor, alternator, blower motor, and numerous sensors. The only large repairs made were the trans.@170,000 miles. and the fuel pressure regulator@200,000 miles. Of course brakes & tires go without saying. Yes the engine is a nightmare to work on due to space constraints, but I think you guys are expecting a lot from vehicles as old as you have.
1995 Safari Wiper Motor Repair is easy! I had the same intermittent wiper problems discussed here. Take the cover off of the motor box to expose the control circuit board. Unplug the board from the motor, and you will see cracked solder joints on the large motor connection terminals on the board. Just re-solder them, and your problem will go away!
I also had my torsion bars replaced at 46,000 miles when one broke. The dealer would not replace just one side because there was a design change and both needed to be changed together, yet it is not a recall. It was obvious the bar failed from a rust initiated strain-age crack. The service manager commented that there were five Safari's in for the same problem in the last few weeks.
I have a 1995 GM Safari Van I have not had a lot of problems with it until last week when I was driving it and the left torsion bar cracked. This is a potentially fatal situation. Had I been on the freeway or had my daughter who is a relatively inexperienced driver been driving this would have been a disaster. As I was driving the left side of the van dropped several inches causing the loss of control of the vehicle. I feel that this is a potentially fatal design flaw and possibly poor grade steel used in the torsion bars and needs to be addressed by GM. This is not normal wear and tear on a vehicle. I would be interested in corresponding with anyone else who has experienced this problem. Please contact me at glungal@telus.net.
Since purchasing a 1994 Chevy AWD Astrovan I have spent $7400.00 in both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and the van only has 95,000 miles.
The scheduled and unscheduled maintenancerepairs to my 1986 Toyota Corolla with 249,000 miles was less than $3000.00.
Never again! Chevy Astrovans are poorly designed.
I have a 1984 Safari Van. It currently has 120.000 miles on it and has been an exceptional means of transportation with only one serious problem. Over the most recent period of about 40000 mile the van on occasion has decided to quit running, a dangerous thing at Highway Speeds. The first three times this happened I manuevered the van safely to the side of the road, turned the key off and restarted the engine. Good for another 10000 miles. The last time this happened after 8 hours of driving I could not restart the engine. I had it towed to a dealer 300 miles from home and guess what the next day. Yep Started right up and no fix. I am now afraid to leave town. Can anyone out there help??
Gentlemen from what I have read it appears to me most of you should be looking for new honest mechanics as it appears you are buying unneeded parts. As for the wiper motor in the 95 astro or safari same vehicle is covered under the recall as mine was replaced and if you can show a receipt for a replacement gm will reimburse you for it.