The 1988 GMC C1500 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 1,702,880 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
UNANTICIPATED HEAT IN THE TRANSMISSION CAN FORCE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID OUT OF THE VENT TUBE.
THE VENTED TRANSMISSION FLUID CAN CATCH FIRE IF EXPOSEDTO A SOURCE OF IGNITION.
INSTALL A LONGER TRANSMISSION VENT HOSE ROUTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“On december 4, 1999, while fueling the truck flames started coming out of the fill spout area resulting in total destruction of the truck and substantial damage to the gas station. Upon investigation by the los angeles county fire investigator it was determined to be an accidental electrical fire.”
“Pitman and idler control arms failed.”
“Missing spare tire from the mounting underneath the truck. Tt”
“Abs brake lights stay on after brake pedal is depressed & released. Also, seats have no head rest. Can cause a whiplash effect if vehicle is hit from behind. Been to dealer for brakes, but will not install headrest. *ak”
“Abs brake lights stay on after brake pedal is depressed & released. Also, seats have no head rest. Can cause a whiplash effect if vehicle is hit from behind. Been to dealer for brakes, but will not install headrest. *ak”
“While driving at approx. 35mph, suddenly the passenger front wheel detached from axle, no prior warning, due to lower ball joint failure. Tt”
“Consumer's wiring harness is melting, the wiring and the brakes and tail lights are burning out. This has happened three times in nine years. *ak”
“Consumer's wiring harness is melting, the wiring and the brakes and tail lights are burning out. This has happened three times in nine years. *ak”
There is no summary currently available
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…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1988 GMC C1500 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.