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1988 GMC K3500Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1 owner complaint about the 1988 GMC K3500, most often about the seat belts. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints10 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem1Seat belts

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 4, 2013. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1988 GMC K3500 has problems

1 complaint grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Seat belts10
Visibility/wiper10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

1988 GMC K3500 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 93V-016 · Feb 1, 1993 · 1,702,880 vehicles

Risk. THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with GMC.

Best & worst years

1988 vs. every other K3500 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the K3500 median. How we score

'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1988 GMC K3500, and the recalls they led to.

  1. POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCEEA88035 · closed Oct 31, 1990
    No recall
  2. FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITYEA92041 · closed Mar 9, 1995
    No recall
  3. REAR BRK LIGHTS STAY ONPE88019 · closed Mar 31, 1988
    No recall
  4. POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCEPE88044 · closed Jul 18, 1988
    No recall
In owners' words

What K3500 owners report

Recent seat belts complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

JUST BOUGHT THIS TRUCK & AM HAVING ISSUES WITH THE SEAT BELTS. THE SHOULDER STRAP DOES NOT STAY IN SECURE POSITION & DOES NOT WORK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OR PASSENGER SIDE. WAS TOLD THIS WAS & IS A COMMON PROBLEM & SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN A SAFETY RECALL. & I WANT TO HAVE SAFE WORKING SEAT BELTS WHEN WE…
Complaint 10554748 · Dec 4, 2013

Own a 1988 K3500?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.