Summary
The GMC P Series has 18 recalls spanning the 1975 to 1993 production run, with the most serious being a 1993 model year steering defect where a loose or missing intermediate steering shaft fastener can cause the shaft to separate and leave the driver with no steering control. The 1989 model year has a separate issue on P3 vehicles with automatic transmissions where the shift lever can fail to seat fully in park, allowing the transmission to slip into reverse without the driver lifting the lever. Going back to 1985, that model year carries the heaviest concentration of issues. Front steel wheels on P3-42 chassis can develop circumferential cracks that cause the rim to separate from the disc, and a separate weld defect on other wheel configurations can cause the rim to split from the disc in similar fashion. The left-hand lower control arm on G3 and P3 vehicles can crack and eventually let the suspension end separate without warning. On P30 and P35 vehicles with i-beam front axles and 16-inch wheels, the tie rod end can contact the inner tire wall during cornering and braking, wearing a groove into the tire until it fails. Body support framing on P6 vehicles can rub through nearby brake lines, resulting in partial brake system failure and longer stopping distances.
On 1983 P20 and P30 models, the three-piece fuel filler hose can pull apart in a rear collision and release fuel beyond safe limits. The 1982 model year has a fan blade assembly that can fatigue and break at the hub while the engine runs, sending a blade fragment into the engine compartment. The 1980 P30 with an 11,000-pound rear axle has brake hoses that can rub against the axle housing, wear through, and lose rear braking entirely. The 1979 P10, P20, and P30 vehicles with Gruman Olson bodies can have an engine cover that protrudes into the footwell, making it harder to move from the accelerator to the brake pedal. The 1978 model year on similarly equipped Gruman Olson-bodied vehicles has a driver's seat belt anchor bolt that can loosen over time and fail to hold the occupant in a crash. Going back to 1975, dual rear wheel versions can have a wheel side ring that does not seat correctly on the rim, and front lower control arm ball joints can separate from their sockets and cause the front suspension to collapse.