2003 GMC Safari
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Have the VIN?
Vehicles › GMC › Safari › 2003
These records cover every 2003 GMC Safari. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2003 GMC Safari. Newest first.
Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n g3727, with date codes x52911 through x60801 sequentially or x600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing manufactured from october 18, 2005, through march 21, 2006, sold for use on the vehicles listed above and on certain school buses. (to see the school bus engine sizes…
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition may cause an inadequate seal at the connection, potentially leading to a fuel leak. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
Remedy
Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. the recall began on october 18, 2006. owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (option 1).
Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Remedy
Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. the recall began on april 3, 2006. owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988.
Certain minivans have an interference condition between the lower ball joint rubber boot and the steering knuckle (both left/right sides), which could result in cutting of the boot that IS intended to seal the ball joint. if the lower ball joint boot were cut, contamination from the road (salt, dirt, water, etc.) could enter the ball socket area of the…
Risk and remedy
Risk
The steering knuckle could separate from the lower control arm, dropping down the affected corner of the vehicle. the coil spring would push the control arm down into contact with the ground, creating a drag that would slow the vehicle. the driver could have difficulty in maintaining the directional control of the vehicle. in addition, the affected wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle if forces resulting from the wheel's dragging action were sufficient to fracture the tie rod end and upper ball joint connections. separation of the wheel assembly would also sever that wheel's hydraulic brake hose, resulting in lost braking performance from the front brake system. vehicle stopping distance would increase, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the steering knuckles. owner notification IS expected to begin on april 8, 2004. owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or GMC at 1-866-996-9463.
Owner complaints
18 complaints1 involved a crash1 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Service brakes
The brake lines in front are rusted out and leaking creating a serious problem, as the brakes are not working. I see this IS a re-occurring problem with GMC vehicles. the cost to repair IS astronomical. why isn't GMC recalling these vehicles?
- Service brakes
. I would like to report the incident I had with my automobile: GMC safari wagon 2003. One day in july this year (2014) I applied the brakes of the above vehicle when I was approaching the red traffic light. the vehicle did not stop even through the brake system was recently worked on. I investigated the reason why it failed to stop and found out that the brake line was heavily corroded. *tr
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2003 GMC safari. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, he crashed head-on into another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries reported. A police report was not filed. The failure and current mileage was 126,000.
- Service brakes, hydraulic
Our 2003 GMC safari has had the brakes spontaneously fail while we were driving it at least six times (every couple of months or so) for the past year. each time, the pedal just dropped to the floor, the "brake" light came on, and we have had to practically stand on the brake pedal to get it to…
Our 2003 GMC safari has had the brakes spontaneously fail while we were driving it at least six times (every couple of months or so) for the past year. each time, the pedal just dropped to the floor, the "brake" light came on, and we have had to practically stand on the brake pedal to get it to finally roll to a stop. fortunately it has been at slow speeds each time and we have not caused any accidents yet. we have been to two different dealerships repeatedly and spent over $1000.00 for various brake system components that are not fixing the problem. we think it IS either a booster or sensor issue, but the dealerships will not listen to us and gmc's customer service line has not been helpful either. we are terrified of driving this vehicle but can't afford a new one at this time. *Tr
- Seat belts › Rear/other
Purchased booster seats for our grandchildren. a certified inspector showed us that all four rear seat belts do not lock when pulled quickly indicating that the seatbelts would not restrain the child in an accident (or an adult either). took the vehicle back to the dealer. dealer claims the…
Purchased booster seats for our grandchildren. a certified inspector showed us that all four rear seat belts do not lock when pulled quickly indicating that the seatbelts would not restrain the child in an accident (or an adult either). took the vehicle back to the dealer. dealer claims the seatbelts lock when you brake hard, but are not made for children's booster seats. we are under the impression that vehicles made after 2001 had to have the appropriate seatbelts for child safety. *jb
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 GMC safari. the vehicle was parked and the contact smelled something burning. he lifted the hood and noticed the clamp that held the brake line was on fire. the contact extinguished the fire, and the vehicle was towed to his residence. he changed the brake line hose…
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 GMC safari. the vehicle was parked and the contact smelled something burning. he lifted the hood and noticed the clamp that held the brake line was on fire. the contact extinguished the fire, and the vehicle was towed to his residence. he changed the brake line hose, and drove the vehicle for about a mile at 35 mph. the contact parked the vehicle, and noticed that the brakes were failing when he attempted to shift the vehicle to the drive position. he looked under the hood and realized that the brake line was hot again. the vehicle was towed back to his residence and inspected by a mechanic. the cause of failure has not been determined. the current mileage was 40,924 , and failure mileage was 40,800.*ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Corrosion has built up on the ABS sensors causing them to activate at low speeds. When this happens the brakes don't lock up and at low speeds (less than 4 mph) that means the vehicle takes an extra few feet to stop. On one occasion I almost hit a person and two other times a parked car in a…
Corrosion has built up on the ABS sensors causing them to activate at low speeds. When this happens the brakes don't lock up and at low speeds (less than 4 mph) that means the vehicle takes an extra few feet to stop. On one occasion I almost hit a person and two other times a parked car in a parking lot because the car didn't stop. The problem IS intermittent so the dealer could not duplicate the problem and therefore can't fix it. There IS a gm recall (#05068) for other like models of gm cars but not mine. So my problem IS the dealer can't fix it without a recall and gm won't issue a recall because there hasn't been enough complaints. *jb
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
I own a 2003 GMC safari which I purchased in utah. Earlier this year I experience a problem with the ABS baking system where the ABS would engage at low speeds, increasing my stopping distance greatly. I contacted gm as this seemed to be a safety issue and was told to take it in to a local gm…
I own a 2003 GMC safari which I purchased in utah. Earlier this year I experience a problem with the ABS baking system where the ABS would engage at low speeds, increasing my stopping distance greatly. I contacted gm as this seemed to be a safety issue and was told to take it in to a local gm dealership. The dealership inspected the brakes and noted that the sensor was bad and billed me for a repair. I see now that gm has issue a recall, although it does not cover my state or vehicle model, I was experiencing the exact problem that these other vehicles have with the ABS failure. I think this needs to be more widely investigated as it seems to be a larger problem then they want to admit. I understand that the problem IS caused by products used on icy streets which the van operated on in utah before I bought it. ps-the dealership destroyed the faulty part even though I asked to see it - they stated that this was there policy. *nm
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
At irregular times when driving at slow speeds (~10 mph), on dry clean pavement, and under light to moderate braking, the anti-lock braking system engages and extends the stopping distance of the vehicle. I understand that a recall was issued for other vehicles in other states, but obviously the…
At irregular times when driving at slow speeds (~10 mph), on dry clean pavement, and under light to moderate braking, the anti-lock braking system engages and extends the stopping distance of the vehicle. I understand that a recall was issued for other vehicles in other states, but obviously the problem extends to more year models and over a wider area. in addition, gm has issued a technical service bulletin #02-05-25-006a covering more vehicles than were in the initial recall for this failure. it seems that if a tsb was released, they are aware that the problem IS on much wider scale than the recall indicates. *nm
- Suspension › Front
While driving at any speed steering wheel vibrated. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *Ak
- Engine and engine cooling
Dampner failed, purchase van with this problem 3 months ago and still have not received the dampner part from GMC. *bf the vehicle was purchased with only 60 miles on it. during the test drive, prior to purchase, there was a harmonic roar noise vibration coming from the rear. *sc
- Tires › Tread/belt
Consumer received recall 03v328000. Recall repairs were performed at dealership. After recall repairs were performed consumer noticed tires were wearing very badly on the outside, and were losing all tread. Took vehicle to tire dealer, and was informed that tires were not rotated after recall repairs were performed. Bridgestone, p215/70r16. Had tires aligned and rotated after 11,000 miles. *ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Fan · Power train › Automatic transmission
Valve body was replaced, the fan motor was replaced, and all of these parts were defective again. dealer stated that vehicle needed a new transmission. the manufacturer stated warranty expired.*ak
- Vehicle speed control
While driving at 25 mph engine idled, causing the driver to put the vehicle in neutral. Consumer contacted dealer on three separate occasions, but the problem still occurs. *Ak
- Visibility › Rearview mirrors/devices › Exterior
Driver's side mirror has a vibration causing viewing distortion. *mr the drivers side mirror experienced severe vibrations which caused various degrees of distortion. this problem caused the consumer to have nausea, head aches, and body tension. road conditions, weather/temperature, and the speed of the vehicle have all effected the mirror vibrations. (the passenger side view mirror was perfect) *scc *jb
- Structure › Body
Consumer noticed when raining /or going through a car wash rear of vehicle would have standing water on floor. Also on the back panel, when you open door the light doesn't go on. The vehicle has been in the shop four times . *Ak *cb
- Power train › Automatic transmission
The transmission did not respond quickly enough to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward while in reverse. the gm technician stated that this IS not a problem. *nlm *nlm
- Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Power steering fluid
While driving 40mph the hydro boost failed causing power steering fluid to leak and slight lost of power steering. Please provide any additional information. ts
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11009156This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.
- 11007744This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and vent temperature.
- 11007743This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and vent temperature.
- 11007208This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician should not use the information that is provided by the antilock braking system tire size selection.
- 11006621Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is completed in parallel instead of the technician needing to update one module at a time. This allows a more streamlined approach for dealers and customers.
- 11006421GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions during removal and to package the core properly for return.
- 11004761This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 11004557This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 11002312This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414, E4423, E4491, E4492, or E6961 and resolution information.
- 11000576This Warranty Administration bulletin provides retail and wholesale service personnel with the policies/procedures and the warranty transaction submission procedures that support the Personal Property Damage process.
- 10252735This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement fasteners with conductive finish.
- 10252163XM Audio Traffic And Travel Link Availability And Operation.
- 10251890This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.
- 10250775This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil Cooler Lines and Oil Tank if the engine was replaced where large amounts of debris has flowed throughout the oiling system.
- 10249980This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vibration complaints that are one of the most challenging complaints to accurately diagnose and repair. Technician will need to use Pico Oscilloscope Diagnostic Kit to effectively diagnosis vehicles. Technician should drive the vehicle will using the Pico Oscilloscope to record data. After the data is recorded it should be reviewed to determine the root cause of the concern. If a repair attempt made the concern better but not eliminated or had no affect at all, and are requesting assistance from General Motors Technical Assistance Center record another Pico file and save it to the computer. After the new Pico Oscilloscope data has been saved email the data to General Motors Technical Assistance Center in the subject line include ?Vibration? ?Business Associate Code? and the last 8 of the Vehicle Identification Number.
- 10249590This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as a Product Allegation Resolution (PAR) claim.
- 10249579This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
- 10249011This informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Headlamp, Tail Lamp, License Lamp or Fog/Driving Lamp Damage.
- 10248444Vehicle Recalls
- 10247780This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and vent temperature.
- 10247681Information On Requests To Add OnStar Bluetooth Option.
- 10247552This service bulletin provides information on Concerns or Questions Regarding Installation of Dealer Installed Accessories.
- 10246952Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246951Programming And Activation Of Replacement OnStar Modules.
- 10246631Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- 10245951Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls And Turn By Turn Inoperative In The United States.
- 10245950Canadian Customers Unable To Place Calls In The United States
- 10244274This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
- 10244214This informational bulletin provides information for the IPC odometer programming method quick reference guide.
- 10244201This service bulletin provides information for dealers on how to submit a product information report (PIR) (Canada Only).
- 10242843The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is normal for the delay.
- 10242298This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308 and/or P050D
- 10242262This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist service personnel as a guideline to perform necessary engine repairs and prevent unnecessary engine replacement.
- 10242252This technical bulletin provides information and a solution to a condition of Brake Pedal Moves or Self Applies at Full Turns.
- 10240793This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to call General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further assistance.
- 10237671This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
- 10236164This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308 and/or P050D
- 10235802This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue.
- 10235799This service bulletin provides information about the Hunter wheel Road Force balancers that should be utilized for all repairs requiring balance and Road Force measurement.
- 10235713This bulletin provides information on Warranty Administration Required Operating Procedures - 8 Points (U.S. Only).
Every GMC Safari model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.