Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Safari van - 1999 GMC Safari
  By safariowner - April 24 - 1:59 pm

  I have owned Safaris since 1986, have been reliable vehicles. Good gas mileage for the 1999 unit, no problems except for A/C repair at 65,000 mi and brakes and front idler arms every 35,000 mi.

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  Best mileage for a vehicle this size - 2000 GMC Safari
  By minneapolismarc - March 31 - 11:11 am

  No vehicle that can tow 6000 pounds gets better MPG than this van. I bought the 2 wheel (not AWD) version for the mileage. I drive 75 on the freeway with the cruise on and with the city stop and go I get 19.5 mpg on every tank. Less of course if I tow my boat. I work as a mechanic and did not even bother to inspect the van for more than 10 minutes as the original owner had the maint. paperwork. The only things I have had to do is replace the metal strip that holds on the lower trim between the front and rear wheels cost $125. Plastic line cracked under the hood for heater fan selector- free fix and common problem. Oil cooler lines seep but who cares it is common + cheap fix if you do.

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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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  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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  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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  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!

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  Practical good Van - 2005 GMC Safari
  By PoppaRick - July 25 - 5:27 pm

  The Safari is a good practical van with AWD capabilities.Not fancy, but able to handle three kids and their sports stuff plus friends. Snow, and spring mud are not enough to stop it delivering service to our family.

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  Not too bad! - 2000 GMC Safari
  By pacey - May 10 - 8:40 pm

  This is our 1st van. It is comfortable, handles well and easily sits 7 average sized adults. The rear AC is a must in south Florida. We use it to tote scuba divers and their gear as well as a personal vehicle. Some of the interior features need to be beefed up to stand normal wear and tear--The hand grip on the pax side dash-the covers on the hinges of the rear seats-the vent covers on the rear AC outlets and the covers on the seatbelt floor attachments.