1996 GMC Safari Review
Price Estimate: $1,616 - $2,567

Selling or Trading-In?
Know what your car is worth while you shop for your next vehicle.
By entering your License Plate or VIN, you'll get a more accurate appraisal that may raise your car's value.
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What’s new
An all-new interior debuts with dual airbags, more leg- and foot room, and a host of other features. Important among them are the availability of dual-integrated child seats and a child-proof lock on the right-side sliding door. Under-seat heat ducts help warm the rear passengers, and new audio systems include a radio that can be tuned independently by rear-seat passengers without disturbing the listening pleasure, or program, that the front occupants are enjoying.
For sale near Avon, CT
1 listings
- Photos not available$3,999
- 152,090 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, personal use only
- Southern Oregon Auto Sales (2,528 mi away)
Close
Located in Medford, OR
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
Listing Information:
VIN: 1GKDM19W0TB537080
Stock: 101096
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 03-07-2025
Vehicle overview
Choosing between an Astro and a Safari is more a matter of image than necessity. Do you want to see Chevrolet's badge every time you approach? Or would it be viscerally satisfying to face those bold "GMC" block letters, with their implication of long-haul trucking--or even rough living. Climbing aboard either one demands a high step upward, enhancing the impression of entering a truck, not a car.
Tangible differences between the two are modest--a fact that's true of most Chevrolet and GMC cousins. Once you've decided that a rear-drive (or all-wheel-drive) General Motors midsize van is the rational choice, you'll likely be satisfied with either one.
Because of their traditional-type full-frame construction and rear-drive layout, Safaris (and Astros) are most adept at heavy hauling and burly trailer-towing. Not everyone will relish the truck-like ride over harsh surfaces, but it's not bad at all when the highway smoothes out. Don't expect top-notch fuel mileage, though.
Front ends earned a facelift last year. This year, the interior is all-new. Dual airbags are housed in an artfully styled dashboard complete with analog gauges and improved switchgear. Integrated child safety seats are available for the center bench seat, and the sliding door gets a child safety lock. Rear seat heat ducts direct warm air to freezing rear passengers, improved storage compartments, and new audio systems make the Safari far more livable, and modern, than before.
One slick feature sure to be appreciated by the parents of teenagers is the middle radio option. The driver and front passenger can listen to Casey Kasem up front, or nothing at all, while Junior blasts the local alternative music station into his eardrums via a set of headphone jacks that plugs into a separate radio unit in the center row. This option alone is worth the savings in family therapy, don't you think?
GM's improved 4300 Vortec V6 is now standard, sending 190 horsepower to an electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. Long-life engine coolant and 100,000-mile spark plugs are new this year.
Safaris come in three trim levels. The FE2 touring suspension option has stiffer shocks, a rear stabilizer bar, and grabby Goodyear rubber for a firmer, controlled ride. Eight-passenger seating is now standard in Safaris with SLE or SLT trim, and available in the base (SLX) rendition. Whether rear-drive or running full-time all-wheel drive, Safaris serve the muscular tasks that a front-drive minivan just cannot handle--yet convey a family in a fashion that won't produce pangs of pain.
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in Connecticut
$239/mo for Safari SLE
Safari SLE
vs
$210/mo
Avg. Large Minivan
Reliability
The 1996 GMC Safari has 6 recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.
Recalls
6 recalls foundChecking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.
If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).
- Recall Number:
- 99V009000
- Manufacturer Recall Number:
- 98071
- Manufactured from:
- 1996-05-01 to 1997-09-30
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 2090
- Defect Description:
- VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH INTEGRATED DUAL CHILD SEATS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE MISSING A SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CLUTCH SPRING AND/OR PAWL SPRING IN THE CHILD SEAT. IF THE CLUTCH SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT WOULD LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE USED. IF THE PAWL SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT WOULD CONTINUALLY PLAY OUT AND WOULD NOT LOCK.
- Defect Consequence:
- THESE CONDITIONS COULD INCREASE THE OCCUPANT'S RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SEAT BELTS ON THE CHILD SEATS, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE CHILD SEAT.
- Recall Number:
- 97V057000
- Manufactured from:
- 1995-07-01 to 1996-06-30
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 18972
- Defect Description:
- THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE RIGHT-HAND REAR BUCKET SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Defect Consequence:
- IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE VEHICLE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND PERSONAL INJURY COULD RESULT.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTOR ON THE REAR SEAT CUSHION FRAME.
- Recall Number:
- 06E043000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 88303
- Defect Description:
- 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, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.
- Defect Consequence:
- 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.
- Corrective Action:
- 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).
- Recall Number:
- 06E026000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 61944
- Defect Description:
- 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.
- Defect Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Corrective Action:
- 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.
- Recall Number:
- 03V159000
- Manufacturer Recall Number:
- 03023
- Manufactured from:
- 1995-03-01 to 1996-06-30
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 1755876
- Defect Description:
- ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL.
- Defect Consequence:
- IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.
- Recall Number:
- 01V123000
- Manufacturer Recall Number:
- 01036
- Manufactured from:
- 1995-07-01 to 1999-02-28
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 461851
- Defect Description:
- VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE "FASTEN SAFETY-BELT" AUDIBLE WARNING OCCASIONALLY MAY NOT COME ON OR MAY TERMINATE IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
- Defect Consequence:
- THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW ALARM MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 27, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
GMC Safari Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Great Minivan
4.5 out of 5 starsSouthern Moon, 07/12/2002
1995 GMC Safari SLT 3dr Minivan
My wife and I bought a '95 Safari used
in May of '97 with 80,000 miles on it.
Knowing how much we drive and knowing
that we don't hurt our vehicles with
highway miles, we decided to buy it. I
can't possibly explain here what a
wonderful minivan it's been. No
electrical trouble (like some say), no
drivetrain trouble, no engine trouble,
solid as a rock. We've done … regular
routine maintenance type things but if
ever you wanted to read about a
satisfied GM product customer, I'm
him. Gas mileage 20+, set of tires
every 65-75K, brakes twice lifetime,
oil/air filter every 4K- that's about
all you do.
Third Review on this Safari in 3 Years
4.5 out of 5 starsSouthern Moon, 11/14/2005
1995 GMC Safari SLT 3dr Minivan
Two previous reviews by me. 07/12/02 and 07/24/03. Again now 11/14/05. Tripped 300K a while back. Almost 304,000 today. The best vehicle we've ever owned. Strong, strong engine still. NO OIL USE. Reliable to the max. No trouble except some flaking paint but even that's not bad. Last spark plugs changed about 150,000 miles ago. NEVER HAD A TUNE UP in 8-1/2 years. I tried to … sell this Safari at 239K at a giveaway price but nobody bit- not that I blame them but it's still in great shape mechanically and still looks good too. We bought a GMC Suburban based on how this GMC had been but it's not as reliable as the Safari and the Suburban with about 100K does need oil at changing time.
Love Our Van
4.38 out of 5 starsSteve W., 06/18/2002
1994 GMC Safari SLE 3dr Ext Minivan
What a great vehicle! Bigger than a
minivan but not as big and lumbering as
a fullsize. Ours now has right at
150,000 miles and we've had very few
problems. Had to replace the AC
compressor at 62K miles, and other than
that, have just performed regular
maintenance. This is the second Safari
we've owned and both have been trouble-
free. When the time comes to replace …
ours, I know we'll be buying another
Safari.
Old but good
3.75 out of 5 starsbob, 08/31/2005
1994 GMC Safari SLE 3dr Ext Minivan
I bought this van in 1995. At first I did not like it due to the fact the brakes were very hard, like truck brakes, and the rear end made a whinning noise at most speeds. Over the course of 11 years the only problems I had were, the computer and the light switch needed fixed. The alternator lasted 110,000 miles,water pump lasted 100,00 miles. I am now on my third set of brakes. Overall … the van has been more reliable than some of the new cars I have bought. I wish all the autos were as good as this one.I am now pushing 155,000 miles. I drive it 140 miles a day. I love this van except the gas mileage. Does not drive well in winter.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 1996 GMC Safari, so we've included reviews for other years of the Safari since its last redesign.
1996 Safari Highlights
SLE
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 16 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $239/month |
rear wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger3 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalPoor
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
Related Used 1996 GMC Safari info
Vehicle reviews of used models
- Honda HR V 2020 Review
- Porsche 718 Cayman 2021 Review
- Lexus LC 500H 2020 Review
- BMW X3 M 2020 Review
- Genesis G80 2020 Review
- Kia Niro Plug In Hybrid 2021 Review
- Lexus LC 500 2021 Review
Shop used vehicles in your area
Popular new car reviews and ratings
Research other models of
- New GMC S-15
- GMC Acadia 2024
- 2024 Sierra 1500
- 2024 GMC Suburban
- New GMC Yukon
- 2024 GMC Terrain
- 2025 GMC HUMMER EV SUV
- 2024 GMC Sierra 1500
- GMC Sierra 3500HD 2025
- 2025 GMC Sierra 2500HD
Other models
- Used BMW Ix in New Brunswick, NJ 2026
- Used Lincoln Zephyr in Boone, NC 2006
- Used Mercedes-Benz Eqs-Suv in Braintree, MA 2025
- Used Buick Regal in Batavia, IL 2017
- Used BMW M4-CS in Memphis, TN 2025
- Used Mclaren 765LT in Hoboken, NJ 2021
- Used Nissan Ariya in Clayton, NC 2025
- Used Infiniti G37-Sedan in Springfield, IL 2010
- New GMC Hummer-Ev-Suv for Sale in Gwynn Oak, MD
- Used Dodge Hornet in Coventry, RI 2025