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1996 Gmc Jimmy Recalls & Complaints

8

open safety recalls on record

Critical

605 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.56 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical96V234000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT, AND THERE IS A FUEL LEAK, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL SHIELDING OF THE FUEL TANK. THIS WILL BE ADDED WITHOUT REMOVING OR DISASSEMBLING THE FUEL SYSTEM.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 4-DOOR, 4-WHEEL DRIVE AND ALL-WHEEL DRIVE MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. DURING DEVELOPMENT TESTING, THE PROP SHAFT CONTACTED THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK ALLOWING FUEL LEAKAGE. THIS LEAKAGE WAS IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT PERMITTED BY FMVSS 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY."

Serious01V200000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint

THIS CAN RESULT IN IMPAIRED STEERING OR STEERING LOSS, OR A PARTIAL OR COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH UPPER BALL JOINTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 4, 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, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537.

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN, AND IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. FAILURE OF AN UPPER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY COULD OCCUR DUE TO CORROSION.

Serious03V159000

Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer

IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR DURING BAD WEATHER, DRIVER VISIBILITY WOULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

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.

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.

Serious01I018000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint

THIS COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.

Remedy & full details

GM HAS DECIDED TO CONDUCT A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE UPPER BALL JOINTS ON AFFECTED VEHICLES. THIS SPECIAL POLICY IS FOR A PERIOD OF 8 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST, FROM THE DATE THE VHEICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF OWNERSHIP. THE UPPER BALL JOINT REPLACEMENT, DUE TO SEPARATION, WILL BE MADE AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER DURING THIS PERIOD. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-862-4389, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537, CONCERNING THIS PROGRAM.

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: 1996-1997 4-WHEEL DRIVE CHEVROLET BLAZER, GMC JIMMY, AND OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. SOME OWNERS HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE UPPER BALL JOINTS THAT HAVE SEPARATED. GM IS PROVIDING A SPECIAL POLICY TO THESE OWNERS TO COVER UPPER BALL JOINT REPLACEMENT IF THE CUSTOMER FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR THE CHASSIS LUBRICATION AND THE VEHICLE STILL REQUIRED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE UPPER BALL JOINTS DUE TO SEPARATION.

Serious97V096001

Seat Belts

IF A SEPARATION OCCURRED AND THERE WERE SECONDARY CRASH EVENTS OR VEHICLE ROLLOVER, THERE WOULD BE NO BELT RESTRAINT OF THE OCCUPANT AND INCREASED INJURIES COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE RECLINER MECHANISM.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 60/40 FRONT BENCH SEATS AND EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL LOCKING RECLINER BUCKET SEATS. THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE DRIVER'S AND/OR PASSENGER'S SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A FRONTAL IMPACT.

Serious99V193000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

IF THIS OCCURRED AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE WAS REQUIRED, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE OR REPAIR THE 4-WHEEL/2-WHEEL DRIVE SWITCH.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1989 THROUGH AUGUST 1996. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS THE SWITCH WHICH SIGNALS THE ABS SYSTEM WHETHER THE VEHICLE IS IN 2-WHEEL OR 4-WHEEL DRIVE CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING ABS STOPS WHILE IN THE TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MODE.

Serious98V150001

Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer

THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN INOPERATIVE WIPERS, REDUCING A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, AND raises the risk of A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, 2 AND 4-WHEEL DRIVE. SOLDER JOINTS NEAR THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR CAN CRACK CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY.

Serious99I006000

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

THESE VEHICLES CAN EXPERIENCE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES DURING ABS STOPS ON CERTAIN MULTIPLE SURFACES, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE COMPUTER PROGRAM WHICH OPERATES THE ABS UNIT ON SOME VEHICLES, OR REPLACE THE COMPUTER ON OTHERS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ABS ON THESE SURFACES.

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, OR MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH 3-SENSOR ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) EBC4 UNITS.

Complaint volume

605 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

67Crashes
9Fires
40Injuries
2Deaths

Across 605 complaints. Severity Index 0.56.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Service Brakes, Hydraulic…129 · 21%Visibility · Windshield W…35 · 6%Visibility · Windshield W…28 · 5%Suspension · Front · Cont…17 · 3%Engine And Engine Cooling…16 · 3%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…14Air Bags · Frontal13Engine And Engine Cooling…13
  1. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 129 reports
  2. Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor — 35 reports
  3. Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer — 28 reports
  4. Suspension:Front:Control Arm — 17 reports
  5. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 16 reports
  6. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components — 14 reports
  7. Air Bags:Frontal — 13 reports
  8. Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Radiator Assembly — 13 reports
  9. Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint — 13 reports
  10. Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Upper Ball Joint — 12 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (8) · 1996 · 1997 (5) · 1998 (2) · 1999 · 2000 (4) · 2001 (3) · 2003 (1) · 2004 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.