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1988 GMC K3500

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 1 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Seat Belts. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Visibility/wiper complaints

1 reports
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Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2013
Seat BeltsVisibility/wiper

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 DO GET TO DRIVE THIS TRUCK & NOT…

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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 DO GET TO DRIVE THIS TRUCK & NOT SURE WHAT TO DO? THEN THE WIPER MODULE PULSE BOARD IS THE OTHER ISSUE. HAVE REPLACED ALL OTHER PARTS EXCEPT THIS ONE & CAN NOT FIND THE SAME PART THAT WAS ORIG ON THIS TRUCK & ALL OTHERS WE HAVE SEARCHED & BOUGHT DOES NOT FIT. NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE TO REPLACE/MODIFY THE WHOLE BOARD/WIRING ETC. ALSO HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAS & IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH ALOT OF 1988 THRU 2003 MODELS OF GMC & CHEVY. ANY HELP OR ANSWERS OR SUGGESTIONS OR INFO WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK-YOU! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10554748

Official recalls

1

93V016000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Feb 1, 1993

UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.

Consequence & remedy

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

Remedy: INSTALL A LONGER TRANSMISSION VENT HOSE ROUTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

4

EA92041 · Fuel System Integrity

Opened Dec 8, 1992 · Closed Mar 9, 1995

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly

There is no summary currently available

EA88035 · Poor Brake Performance

Opened Jul 18, 1988 · Closed Oct 31, 1990

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SUMMARY: COMPLAINTS ALLEGE POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE INCLUDING EXCESSIVE STOPPING DISTANCE, INABILITY TO LOCK FRONT WHEELS, OR PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OF A NEW DESIGN FOR THESE MODELS. POSSIBLE INSUFICIENT POWER ASSIST ON SOME VEHICLES. ALL TRUCKS ARE EQUIPPED WITH REAR ANTI-LOCK BRAKES.

PE88044 · Poor Braking Performance

Opened Apr 11, 1988 · Closed Jul 18, 1988

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SUMMARY: COMPLAINTS ALLEGE POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR OF A NEW DESIGN FOR THESE MODELS. POSSIBLE INSUFICIENT POWER ASSIS ON SOME MODELS. ALL TRUCKS ARE EQUIPPED WITH REAR ANTI-LOCK BRAKES

PE88019 · Rear Brk Lights Stay On

Opened Jan 19, 1988 · Closed Mar 31, 1988

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:ON SOME 1988 C/K MODEL TRUCKSTHE BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO STAY ON AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS BEENRELEASED.IN A MAJORITY OF CASES, THE STOPLAMP SWITCH BEING MISADJUSTEDHAS BEEN THE CAUSE.OTHER POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE (A) BINDING AT THE EYELET OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER ROD AND ITS ATTACHMENT PIN AND (B) PEDAL MOUNTINGBUSHINGS NOT BEING PROPERLY LUBRICATED.GM BELIEVES THAT IF THE VEHICLEIS EITHER ACCELERATING OR TRAVELING AT A CONSTANT SPEED, AND THE STOP LAMPSREMAIN ON, A FOLLOWING DRIVER WOULD LIKELY FOLLOW AT A GREATER DISTANCEBECAUSE OF UNCERTAINTY OF THE ACTIONS OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM.GMCONCLUDES THAT THIS IS TRUE BECAUSE THERE ARE NO REPORTED ACCIDENTS WHEREIT IS ALLEGED THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON.TO THE CONTRARY, BRAKE LIGHTSWHICH ARE ALWAYS ON APPEAR ARE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM NORMAL TAILIGHTOPERATION AND THEREFORE FAIL TO SIGNAL BRAKING/DECELERATION WHICH IS THEONLY FUNCTION OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS.APPARENT INFANT MORTALITY SUPPORTS THEPOSITION THAT NO DEFECT TREND IS DEVELOPING.ALTHOUGH THE ALLEGED DEFECTMAY OCCUR AT ANY GIVEN TIME (IT DOES HOWEVER APPEAR TO OCCUR AT ANY GIVENTIME EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE), ONCE THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STUCK INTHE ON POSITION, THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON UNTIL THE BATTERY GOES DEAD OR THECONDITION IS OTHERWISE DETECTED AND CORRECTED.THE ALLEGED DEFECT AFFECTSONLY THE EARLY PRODUCTION 1988 MODEL VEHICLES AND GM HAS ISSUED A SERVICEBULLETIN ADVISING SERVICE PERSONNEL OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ALLEGEDDEFECT AND HOW TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. #======