Complaints by model year
Each bar is one model year. Highlighted: 1995. The most recent years are still collecting complaints.
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026
New York safety inspections
Share of first inspections failed on safety, by model year. Older cars fail more as miles build up, so compare each year with the average car of the same year. Best against its own year: 2003.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections, initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Year by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | 0 |
| 2004 Safari | 5 | 0 |
| 2003 Safari | 18 | 1 |
| 2002 Safari | 25 | 1 |
| 2001 Safari | 39 | 1 |
| 2000 Safari | 68 | 0 |
| 1999 Safari | 61 | 1 |
| 1998 Safari | 89 | 3 |
| 1997 Safari | 135 | 4 |
| 1996 Safari | 139 | 4 |
| 1995 SafariMost complaints | 195 | 3 |
| 1994 Safari | 119 | 1 |
| 1993 | 61 | 0 |
| 1992 Safari | 59 | 1 |
| 1991 Safari | 39 | 3 |
| 1990 Safari | 35 | 4 |
| 1989 Safari | 18 | 3 |
| 1988 Safari | 7 | 2 |
| 1987 Safari | 11 | 1 |
| 1986 Safari | 7 | 1 |
| 1985 | 1 | 2 |
A model year gets its own page when it has enough data for at least three sections
Most common problems
- Service brakes, hydraulic311
- Visibility159
- Suspension123
- Engine and engine cooling92
- Electrical system89
- Power train88
- Steering86
- Structure65
NHTSA ODI complaints, all model years
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 34 Safari vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died, and 28 people died inside them. These are counts, not crash rates: a model with more cars on the road shows up more often, and people killed outside the vehicle are not counted here.
| Model year | Vehicles in fatal crashes | Deaths in the vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 1 | 1 |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | 3 | 2 |
| 2001 | 4 | 3 |
| 2000 | 5 | 4 |
| 1999 | 3 | 3 |
| 1998 | 1 | 1 |
| 1997 | 6 | 6 |
| 1996 | 1 | 2 |
| 1995 | 2 | 1 |
| 1994 | 5 | 3 |
| 1985 | 1 | 1 |
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain) · how we count
Fuel consumption by year
Official Canadian test results for 11 model years, best variant per year. Combined consumption ranges from 13.6–15.1 L/100 km.
| Year | Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Safari Passenger · Van: Passenger · Regular gasoline | 16.3 | 12.0 | 14.4 |
| 2004 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 16.9 | 12.7 | 15.0 |
| 2003 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 17.4 | 12.3 | 15.1 |
| 2002 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 16.3 | 12.1 | 14.4 |
| 2001 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 15.4 | 11.4 | 13.6 |
| 2000 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 16.2 | 12.7 | 14.6 |
| 1999 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 16.1 | 12.2 | 14.3 |
| 1998 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 16.7 | 12.9 | 15.0 |
| 1997 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 16.0 | 11.7 | 14.0 |
| 1996 | Safari Cargo · Van: Cargo · Regular gasoline | 16.3 | 12.3 | 14.5 |
| 1995 | Safari Cargo # · Van: Cargo · Premium gasoline | 16.8 | 12.2 | 14.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
In New Zealand
11 Safari cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports.
| Model year | Registered | Sold new in NZ | Used imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 1995 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 1993 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1992 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Recalls
15 campaigns cover the Safari; the latest 12 are below.
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MAY DEVELOP AN OPEN CIRCUIT CONDITION IN THE STOP LAMP OR HAZARD LAMP CIRCUIT THAT RESULTS IN THE STOP LAMPS AND HAZARD LAMPS BEING INOPERATIVE.
CERTAIN MINIVANS HAVE AN INTERFERENCE CONDITION BETWEEN THE LOWER BALL JOINT RUBBER BOOT AND THE STEERING KNUCKLE (BOTH LEFT/RIGHT SIDES), WHICH COULD RESULT IN CUTTING OF THE BOOT THAT IS INTENDED TO SEAL THE BALL JOINT. IF THE LOWER BALL JOINT BOOT WERE CUT, CONTAMINATION FROM THE ROAD (SALT, DIRT, WATER, ETC.) COULD ENTER THE BALL SOCKET AREA OF THE BALL JOINT CAUSING THE JOINT TO WEAR OUT TOO QUICKLY.
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT ALL.
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS, AND PICKUP TRUCKS MAY DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE "FASTEN SAFETY-BELT" AUDIBLE WARNING OCCASIONALLY MAY NOT COME ON OR MAY TERMINATE IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH INTEGRATED DUAL CHILD SEATS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE MISSING A SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CLUTCH SPRING AND/OR PAWL SPRING IN THE CHILD SEAT. IF THE CLUTCH SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT WOULD LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE USED. IF THE PAWL SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT WOULD CONTINUALLY PLAY OUT AND WOULD NOT LOCK.
THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE RIGHT-HAND REAR BUCKET SEAT CAN SEPARATE DURING A VEHICLE CRASH.
THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH THE LEFT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM-TO-FRAME REAR NUT NOT TIGHTENED TO THE SPECIFIED TORQUE.
THE FUEL LINES ATTACHED TO THE FUEL TANK WERE NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED.
THE MANUFACTURER'S CERTIFICATION LABEL AND/OR THE DRIVER AIR BAG ADVISORY LABEL MAY BE MISSING FROM THE VEHICLES, WHICH DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF 49 CFR 567.
THE RECLINER MECHANISM AND THE SEAT FRAME MAY HAVE FOAM AND/OR VINYL BETWEEN THEM, CREATING A "SOFT" JOINT. THIS "SOFT" JOINT RESULTS IN LOWER THAN SPECIFIED BOLT TORQUE WHICH LEADS TO JOINT LOOSENESS, CAUSING BOLT FATIGUE AND EVENTUAL BOLT FAILURE.
SEVERE CORROSION DUE TO ROAD SALT AT THE JOINT OF THE STAMPED STEEL CENTER SECTION AND THE CAST OUTER SECTION CAN CAUSE THE SECTIONS TO SEPARATE.
NHTSA recalls