Transmission failed at 3400 miles. Slow and unacceptable response by GM service center.

At only 3400 miles (two zeroes) the transmission on my 2004 Safari SLT quit just 20 yard after going over a train track. It has been in the shop for over 1 week now and GM just decided to drop the transmission to see what failed. They refused my request for a new transmission until they decide which repair is more cost effective for GM. This is my 2nd Safari, but it will be my last.

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1995 Safari RWD.

smooth riding, easy to handle on hwy.

to many defects / unpridictable on trips

In the 12000 mile in my possession I have had my safari van returned back to the dealer 5 times for service failure to the electrical wiring, transmission locking up in gear, engine failing to cut off even when key is removed from key slot, door window going up and down on thier own, radio turning on or off when on steps on the brake pedal, rear lights stop and brake lights failing completely, (fuse burning out) hazard light switch burning out, wiring system under dash board over heating (melting)bearaing wires. dealer refusing to take vehicle back or exchanging vehicle forcing solution thru lemon law or law suit.

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4 gmc models vehicle in 20 years

Cool stlying and appearance. Unique in its size catagory somewhere between a mini van and a full size van.

Poor brakes for a van size vehicle. Just adequate power from the engine.

First of all I would like to point out the error in the horsepower description. The 6 cylinder 4.3 liter engine is rated at 190 horsepower not 160. Secondly the weight of this van is about 4500 lbs not 6000 lbs.

Decent mileage for 6k lbs. vehicle far exceeds full size vans (about 19 MPG) Starcraft interior is primo and holds up well to wear (get the accord seats w/ leather) Nice red color Metton boards help greatly with old-sters getting into high floor. Dutch door is the only way to go visibility and usefullness massively improved.

Windshields break / chip from time to time. front suspension is loose and clonks. door locks stick sometimes. Some uneven idling. Slider doesn't fit seal well needs aligned. Seals whistle in high winds. transmission shifts sloppy sometimes. Bumpers fragile. Cleaning center of windshield difficult

Starcraft conversion hi top w/ everything. Get the conversion if your into luxury. Car is superlative people hauler with lots of power. GMC service is worst in the business.

Very strong, reliable, great powertrain. Easy to pull heavy boat. Tons of room, rides nice.

Gas mileage sucks. Small stuff breaks and is cheap, like door locks. Brakes very expensive to service $500-$800 due to integrated rotors.

Is a nice van if you are pulling something. Also with both windows down, and both the AC in front and back running full blast, no loss of power. Gets same gas mileage at 45 or 85mph (15-18). Get a rental return and save thousands.

Towing capacity, fluid steering, gas milage,rear passenger comfortability.

interior integrity, front leg room space.

Van has pretty good horsepower and handles great in bad weather(ie.,snow,sleet,rain). Small repairs are needed randomly. Windshield wiper motor, window motor. Tune-ups are a pain. My main reason for writing is Front Torsion bars that broke in half without worning. Torsion bars only get weak in off-road conditions. I've never taken this van off-road and only used it in normal driving conditions. This repair costed a good amount of money($760). The mechanic told me GM recommended replacing the torsion bar with a longer bar. This tells me they knew this was an existing problem. This is also a safety hazard.

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Chevy Tahoo, Chevy S-10 Blazer

AWD absolutely flawless in snow. This big piece of box metal rips out of the snow, even with the crap Tiger Paw tires.This is a mans van, trucklike, with the refinements of a car.

Absolutely junk plastic interior. GMC must use regrind plastic for the interior, because sometimes it breaks or carcks when you look at it.

I have had two Safari's and they have been nothing but fantastic. These brute foce vans are tough and reliable.

Great engine, fuel economy, ridability is good.

Headlight covers, plastic covers that they make, do not last. Someone needs to make a change , this is consider a defect to me.

This vehicle is a good vehicle overall, I enjoy my van. It is very spacious and rides smooth. The headlight problem is another story, my headlight covers has faaalen off twice in a years period. GMC donot want to replace them for any reasons. Not even the technicians can say why the headlamp covers keep falling off. I don't feel I should have to pay $180.00 to replace a headlamp cover that just keep falling off and the dealership cannot prove that it will stay on.

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My husband owns a 92 Cadillac Deville and has no problems with any headlight covers falling off, occasionally.

This vehicle gave a decent overall ride because of the type of seats and roominess in the two rear seats.The sound system was really rich sounding and the rear controllers were very convenient.The rear air/heat was exceptional.The antilock brakes were very good in snow and rain as was the limited slip differential.I also liked the computerized trip monitor which showed gas consumption,milage and speeds.

Several problems arose in this vehicle in the two years I owned it.The paint peeled on the bumper(not covered under warranty).The muffler heat shield rattled and was replaced,the catalytic converter baffles broke loose(rattled)was replaced,rear tires had excessive sidewall runout(replaced),two doors were misaligned at the factory(reset at dealership)passenger doorlock actuator failed(replaced at dealer) rear brakes had to be turned down at 3 months(high spot on discs),water leaks around passenger and rear dutch door gaskets allowing alot of water to run inside vehicle,widesheer noise around passenger door was irritating on windy days,seatbelt latch spring broke on driver's side(replaced),tires came from factory unbalanced.Several other problems that are minor and too numerous to name in the space provided.Trade-in value(near half price)!!!

This is by far the worst vehicle I ever owned.Several problems from the factory that should have been caught in the quality assurance check (pre-delivery).The dealership was un-cooperative with loaner cars during the seventeen times in eighteen months this vehicle was in the shop.The factory even sent a regional representative and a lawyer from Albany to Syracuse to contest the lemon-law arbitration against this vehicle.So much for customer service.Totally a bad taste from a large U.S. based company that supposedly strives for "absolutely satisfied" customers.This vehicle was not all bad though and I should point that out in the strengths below so please read all this review.This vehicle gave me such a bad taste I decided never to buy GMC again.Sorry ,but that's my experience.

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I have owned several vehicles over the years, One Chevy and Three Ford trucks,Oldsmobile,Pontiac Grand Prix,Cutlass Supreme,Ford Taurus,2003 Nissan Pathfinder all new and all loaded with similar optio

Good towing power, excellent room although pass floor could be bigger. I really didn't find seat removal that bad but it is a 2 man job. Gas mileage not bad for the size(17 city 21 hiway). I feel like I got more than my money's worth!

Stock brake pads stink, oem tires(205's)are too small for a vehicle this size. The factory paint job really was my biggest complaint(peeled twice) first time under warranty, second time I painted it myself.

I found this site and was reading how somw are 'trashing' these vans. I bought mine off the showroom floor in Feb '93 and have since put 171000 miles on it with very little trouble at all. I have a new Safari SLE coming this week and I hope that I'll enjoy it as much. This '93 had only the idler arm quirks show up in the first 100k and after I figured out to run carbon metallic brake pads I haven't had any more wear problems. My daughter was carted around town to gymnastics, chorus and the like for years and I had to rescue my wife only once(flat tire). At 105k the water pump blew out(not unusual)and I ended up replacing some sensors at about 150k(map,tps,O2). The only time I felt like burning this thing was when the fuel line rubbed a hole in the brown lead from the distributor. When looking back at all the trips to the mountains this van has made and all the boats,camper,and motorcycles this van has hauled up and down the road, I have to say that my family has enjoyed it. For those of you who still have one 245/60R15 tires wear a lot better! I'm looking forward to the arrival of the Safari.

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First van I've owned but ten years in the saddle and 171000 miles speaks for itself.