1994 GMC C15 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
8 safety recalls list the 1994 GMC C15, and owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
8 safety recalls for the 1994 GMC C15
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Switch (exterior lighting)
Vehicle description: pickup trucks, crew cabs, utility trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles were built with the polarity of the wiring for the zero adjust brake switch reversed from what was specified on the switch drawing. With the reversed polarity, the contacts in the brake switch can wear out prematurely. The brake…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake switch and reverse the wiring.
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Seats
The seat recliner to seat frame attaching bolts on these vehicle could loosen, fatigue and fracture, allowing the seat back to suddenly recline.
Remedy: Dealers will remove all foam and/or fabric sandwiched between the recliner assembly and the seat frame, install washers between the seat recliner and the seat frame at each attachment point, and install new attaching…
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Seat belts: front
If both the lap-belt and shoulder-belt energy management loops on the front seat belt assemblies release at or near the same time, acceleration forces can cause the buckle release mechanism to activate and allow the buckle to separate from the latch.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the stitching that creates the energy management loop in the shoulder belt(s).
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Seat belts: front
These vehicles were built with front seat belt systems with no energy management loops and may not meet the head injury criteria requirements of FMVSS no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the retractor portion of the seat belt assembly(s) with one having the newly designed energy-management twin-loop system.
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Windshield (visibility)
The windshields were installed with incorrect windshield opening pinch-weld-flange primer. This primer will not properly etch the painted surface of the flange, allowing the windshield to separate from the vehicle during a collision. This does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 212, "windshield mounting."
Remedy: Dealers will remove the windshield and reinstall it using the correct primer.
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Suspension: lower arm
Trucks were assembled with the left-hand lower control arm to frame rear nut tightened below the specified torque. Low torque on this nut may allow the attachment bolt to loosed and subsequently fatigue and break. The bolt breakage can cause the left hand control arm to separate from the frame.
Remedy: Dealers will tighten the left-hand lower control arm to frame rear nut to the proper torque specification.
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Seats
The seats have been assembled without bolts that connect the upper slave hinge to the seat back frame, or without bolts that connect the seat to the seat adjuster. In either case, the vehicles fail to conform to fnvss no. 207, "seating systems."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect seats for missing bolts and install bolts if required.
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Pedals and linkages (service brakes)
The brake pedal push rod retainer is missing, mispositioned or not properly seated.
Remedy: Inspect vehicles to assure the brake pedal push rod retainer is present and fully seated in its correct position.
7 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1994 GMC C15 have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 1 injury and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 82,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 1996 with 3 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“While driving during rainy weather front windshield wipers failed. *ak”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 12, 2004 · Visibility
“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. Manuf”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, November 10, 1999 · Seats
Compare GMC C15 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every GMC C15 model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 GMC C15 | 1 | 0 |
| 1978 GMC C15 | 1 | 1 |
| 1982 GMC C15 | 2 | 0 |
| 1985 GMC C15 | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 GMC C15 | 2 | 0 |
| 1988 GMC C15 | 4 | 1 |
| 1989 GMC C15 | 1 | 1 |
| 1990 GMC C15 | 2 | 2 |
| 1991 GMC C15 | 0 | 1 |
| 1992 GMC C15 | 2 | 6 |
| 1993 GMC C15 | 2 | 7 |
| 1994 GMC C15 | 8 | 7 |
| 1995 GMC C15 | 6 | 10 |
| 1996 GMC C15 | 5 | 4 |
Checking a specific 1994 GMC C15
How do I know if my 1994 GMC C15 has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 8 campaigns currently list the 1994 GMC C15; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised GMC dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 93V152000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other GMC models
- Sierra 15008,930 complaints
- Acadia5,569 complaints
- Yukon4,989 complaints
- Sierra3,937 complaints
- Terrain3,124 complaints
- Jimmy2,720 complaints
- Envoy2,459 complaints
- Yukon XL2,417 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.