Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Lots of life left - 1998 GMC Safari
  By Jeff - October 25 - 7:02 pm

  2nd owner of this AWD and I now have 120,000 miles on it. Took it to Colorado Springs (from Pa.) this summer and had no problems. Van got between 18 and 20 MPG going 70-80 MPH but would get 24.5 going 55. In cColorado Springs it got 16.5 MPG. Only problems I ever had with van was a water pump at 115,000. It has been a good Van. Outstanding AWD in the snow. Better than my 4X4 truck. 4.3 cyl. probably the best 6 cyl. on market but could get better MPG.

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  I like it - 1999 GMC Safari
  By Bill - September 16 - 8:59 am

  Good strong minivan. It has great towing capacity. The kids arent cramped like in the smaller mini vans. Very safe and built tough.

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  Lemon in Disguise - 2001 GMC Safari
  By Vince - August 27 - 8:38 am

  On the outside, the Safari/Astro appear to be nice vehicles. I had the following problems despite having the vehicle serviced regularly at my dealer: Rear heater broke. Replaced Dutch Door weatherstripping & carpet because of leaks/mold. Replaced power lock actuators. Faulty AC vacuum diaphram. Replaced rear AC, rear heater & rear wiper switches because they were no longer backlit. Mass air flow sensor. Transmission died at 60K in the middle of a US highway. Serpentine belt. GM did the right thing by discontinuing the Astro/Safari because they were lemons in disguise.

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  Solid Van - 1999 GMC Safari
  By FLEX - March 20 - 1:39 pm

  I bought my 99 with 145k mi and added another 50k.Great for long trips and in-town kid hauling.Only mech prob has been a/c. Engine/Tran are strong at 195k mi. Interior is very resiliant. Looks new. Paint/Body is still good. Nice having big V6 w/ rwd for towing. Also, it can handle a heavy load. built on truck chasis not car so it sits high and good for unimproved roads. dutch doors are great. I think stiffer shocks would help. Front leg room is a bit constrained.

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  Third Review on this Safari in 3 Years - 1995 GMC Safari
  By Southern Moon - November 14 - 5:11 pm

  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 weve ever owned. Strong, strong engine still. NO OIL USE. Reliable to the max. No trouble except some flaking paint but even thats 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 its still in great shape mechanically and still looks good too. We bought a GMC Suburban based on how this GMC had been but its not as reliable as the Safari and the Suburban with about 100K does need oil at changing time.

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  Third Astro or Safari/love them all - 2003 GMC Safari
  By lobo55 - October 30 - 5:40 pm

  Since I realize that they are built on a truck body, I have no disappointments with the ride. They are quality built and can tow my large Coleman pop-up camper anywhere in the country, including the Rocky mountains. My other two had well over 200,000 miles with very little maintenance and I am confident that this one will be just as satisfying

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  Lots of room and a good tow vehicle - 2000 GMC Safari
  By Darren - September 2 - 3:21 am

  We bought the van new and had it for 5 years. It always had enough power and plenty of room for our family of 5. We camp a lot and tow a boat. It did have an annoying habit of little things breaking. Power window motors, power seat motors, etc. Also, being so big, expect to spend alot more than the average amount on brakes and shocks. Overall, expensive in gas and maintenance but always big and powerfun enough.

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  Old but good - 1994 GMC Safari
  By bob - August 31 - 2:27 am

  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.

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  Versatile, But Unreliable - 2001 GMC Safari
  By Joe V. - August 23 - 2:33 am

  The Safari is arguably the most versatile vehicle on the market. No other vehicle can carry cargo, 8 passengers and occasionally tow a trailer. I did all of the above with my Safari and it was great. Unfortunately, the Safari was not as reliable as I expected. During the 4 years I owned it, I had to replace the transmission, power lock actuators, vacuum diaphram, rear heat control, dashboard switches, mass air flow sensor, exhaust system and give it a complete tune-up. I also had the interior carpet replaced along with the weatherstripping because water leaked in from the dutch doors. I was so disappointed in the quality of the Safari that i traded it in and bought a 2005 Ford E-150

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  Good family car - 1999 GMC Safari
  By Dave - August 9 - 9:54 pm

  We bought this van used a few years ago, and have done nothing but drive it hard all the time. My wife uses it daily with 3 kids. We have taken many very long trips and it is very roomy and comfortable. Only problem has been an alternator(easy to replace myself). Also the front brakes wear faster than some other cars, but not too bad. Over all we really love this van(kinda square looking though!) I cant think of anything new I could buy that can do all this does so well!