U.S. public vehicle records

Gmc C15 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

40 owner complaints analyzed

29 distinct recall campaigns

82,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1972 to 1996 model years. Data updated: 2026-10-01 (October 1, 2026). 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Seats is the most frequently named component, appearing in 10 of 40 complaints (25.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	6	15.0%
Transmission and shifting	4	10.0%
Steering behavior	3	7.5%
Engine operation	2	5.0%
Electrical and battery issues	1	2.5%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Seats

Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner

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

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator

Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly

Vehicle Speed Control

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Seats	10
Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner	5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	4
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	3
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar	3
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	2
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly	2
Vehicle Speed Control	2

Seats: 10; Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner: 5; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 4; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 3; Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar: 3; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 2; Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 39 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

1995

1996

1997

1999

2000

2004

1995: 17; 1996: 17; 1997: 3; 1999: 1; 2000: 1; 2004: 1

Pattern summary

Seats leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 4 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 965104 · 1995-05-10 (May 10, 1995)

THREE TIME DURING EMERGENCY BRAKE STOP, BRAKE FAILED, POSSIBLE BOOSTER FAILURE. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 965104 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 968973 · 1995-07-18 (July 18, 1995)

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE, LOSS OF BRAKING SYSTEM. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 968973 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 507611 · 1996-08-16 (August 16, 1996)

TRANSMISSION FAILS TO SHIFT PROPERLY WHILE TOWING TRAILER, ALSO STICKS IN OVERDRIVE.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 507611 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 984473 · 1996-05-14 (May 14, 1996)

THE TRANSMISSION CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING. AND PULLING A TRAILER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 984473 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 967676 · 1995-06-26 (June 26, 1995)

THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE WHILE DRIVING IN BETWEEN IMPACT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 967676 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 981383 · 1996-03-29 (March 29, 1996)

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO KEEP TURNING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 981383 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 980977 · 1996-03-20 (March 20, 1996)

THE VEHICLE AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR TWO HOURS JUST STALLED AND LOST ALL POWER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 980977 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 965014 · 1995-05-09 (May 9, 1995)

MANUAL TRANSMISSION 5 SPEED , CLUTCH JUMPS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 965014 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 973576 · 1995-10-18 (October 18, 1995)

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, POSSIBLE CAUSED BY ELECTRICAL WIRING FAILURE. TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 973576 at NHTSA ↗

Compare model years

Recalls by model year

All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.

From yearThrough year

Recall campaigns

Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.

1982

1985

1986

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1982: 2; 1985: 1; 1986: 2; 1988: 4; 1989: 1; 1990: 2; 1991: 0; 1992: 2; 1993: 2; 1994: 8; 1995: 6; 1996: 5

First model yearSecond model year

Year-by-year records

Gmc C15 model-year comparison
Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Change in recalls
1972	0	1	Not available
1978	1	1	Not available
1982	0	2	Not available
1985	0	1	Not available
1986	0	2	+1
1988	1	4	Not available
1989	1	1	-3
1990	2	2	+1
1991	1	0	-2
1992	6	2	+2
1993	7	2	0
1994	7	8	+6
1995	10	6	-2
1996	4	5	-1

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

40 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.

2.5%Usable mileage1 / 40 records

87.5%Valid incident date35 / 40 records

100.0%Valid filing date40 / 40 records

87.5%Ordered incident and filing dates35 / 40 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	1982	1985	1986	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
Seats	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	116.7% ODI 968945 THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT JUST BROKE OFF. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT Look up ODI 968945 at NHTSA ↗	342.9% ODI 864286 RECALL # 95V246000 INTERIOR SYSTEMS: SEATS, DEALER DOES NOT HAVE PART TO CORRECT RECALL CAMPAIGN. OWNER IS REQUESTING A NEW SEAT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK Look up ODI 864286 at NHTSA ↗	457.1% ODI 852778 THE SEATBACK ON PASSENGER'S SIDE HAS BROKEN AGAIN. SEATBACK WAS CORRECTED ONCE UNDER RECALL 96E010000 IN 1997. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE SEATBACK HAS BROKEN. THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAS BROKEN ONCE. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK Look up ODI 852778 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	250.0% ODI 810526 RECALL #97V037000, WHEN CONTACTING DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR RECALL WORK, DEALER STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS RESCINDED. DEALER WAITING TO HEAR FROM MANUFACTURER, SON'S FINGER WAS CUT BY MECHANISM. VEHICLE WAS FINALLY FIXED ON 04/30/97. *AK Look up ODI 810526 at NHTSA ↗
Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	116.7% ODI 979812 DRIVER BUCKET SEAT BACK COLLAPSED INTERMITTENTLY. FRAME NOT OF SUFFICENT STRENGTH. Look up ODI 979812 at NHTSA ↗	228.6% ODI 965883 BOLT THAT SECURES DRIVERS SEAT BACK BROKE. TT Look up ODI 965883 at NHTSA ↗	114.3% ODI 976162 SEAT FRAME BROKE WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE SEAT BACK TO COLLAPSE. TT Look up ODI 976162 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	125.0% ODI 811505 OWNER STATES WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBACK WILL FALL. OWNER NOTES THAT DEALRES KEEP REPAIRING PROBLEM WITH THE SAME PARTS, BUT PROBLEM RETURNS. *AK Look up ODI 811505 at NHTSA ↗
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	330.0% ODI 975406 ABS BRAKES FAILED WHILE PULLING IN DRIVEWAY-HIT ANOTHER AUTO BUT NO INJURIES. TT Look up ODI 975406 at NHTSA ↗	125.0% ODI 983950 WHEN BRAKING, VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT WHICH CAUSES A LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. *AK Look up ODI 983950 at NHTSA ↗
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 984473 THE TRANSMISSION CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING. AND PULLING A TRAILER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK Look up ODI 984473 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	116.7% ODI 975414 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. TT Look up ODI 975414 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	116.7% ODI 967676 THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE WHILE DRIVING IN BETWEEN IMPACT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT Look up ODI 967676 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	114.3% ODI 981383 WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO KEEP TURNING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK Look up ODI 981383 at NHTSA ↗	110.0% ODI 968766 WHILE DRIVING, STEERING WHEEL BECAME INOPERATIVE DUE TO BOLT MISSING OF FALLEN OUT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK Look up ODI 968766 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	150.0% ODI 985520 THE ALTERNATOR FAILED WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSED A FIRE. AK NLM Look up ODI 985520 at NHTSA ↗	1100.0% ODI 986282 ENGINE FIRE, SUSPECTED TO HAVE STARTED WITH ALTERNATOR. *AK Look up ODI 986282 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	1100.0% ODI 986198 THE SEATBELT BUCKLE FOR THE MIDDLE AND DRIVER WILL NOT LATCH.PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK Look up ODI 986198 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	110.0% ODI 981146 THE RECALL LETTER STATES THAT THE WORK BE DONE IN 5DAYS. THEY PICKED UP THE TRUC 7 DAYS LATER AND THE RECALL PART WAS NOT FIXED. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK Look up ODI 981146 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Vehicle Speed Control	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	0Unavailable No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	00.0% No examples available for this selection.	220.0% ODI 985877 WENT TO DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THEY DON'T HVE ANYTHING ON THE RECALL AND WOULD NOT REMEDY IT. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK Look up ODI 985877 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
No usable records for this analysis.

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2024-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-03	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-05	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-06	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-07	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-09	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-10 (partial)	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

1995: 10 complaints · 1996: 4 complaints

Equal observation windows
Model year	Through age 0	Through age 1	Through age 2
1995	6	10	10
1996	1	4	4

Date coverage across each selected cohort

Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year	Incident dates used	Filing date fallbacks	Excluded dates
1995	8	2	0
1996	2	2	0

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Seats	Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner	Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	Power Train:Automatic Transmission	Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar	Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly	Vehicle Speed Control
Seats	—	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner	0	—	0	0	0	0	0	0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	0
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	0	0	0	—	0	0	0	0
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar	0	0	0	0	—	0	0	0
Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator	0	0	0	0	0	—	0	0
Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly	0	0	0	0	0	0	—	0
Vehicle Speed Control	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

3 patterns with matching reports.

Brake response concerns

2 mentions · 5.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 965104

THREE TIME DURING EMERGENCY BRAKE STOP, BRAKE FAILED, POSSIBLE BOOSTER FAILURE. TT

Look up ODI 965104 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 975406

ABS BRAKES FAILED WHILE PULLING IN DRIVEWAY-HIT ANOTHER AUTO BUT NO INJURIES. TT

Look up ODI 975406 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

Stalling or loss of power

2 mentions · 5.0% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 980977

THE VEHICLE AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR TWO HOURS JUST STALLED AND LOST ALL POWER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Look up ODI 980977 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 965014

MANUAL TRANSMISSION 5 SPEED , CLUTCH JUMPS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. TT

Look up ODI 965014 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b

Steering assistance concerns

1 mentions · 2.5% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 981383

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO KEEP TURNING. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

Look up ODI 981383 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(power steer\w*|steering assist\w*|steering lock\w*|steering wheel lock\w*)\b