One problem related to brake master cylinder has been reported for the 1997 GMC Safari. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
This van belongs to my mother. My sister was driving the day of the accident. She is 60 yrs of age and a very good driver. Her description: "just pulling away from one light & coming up to another. Wasn't going more than 20 mph. Step on the brakes & they weren't there. " the accident caused about $500 in damage to the Honda auto that was struck, and similar light damage to the bumper of the Safari. I inspected system and found no leaks, and concluded that master cylinder may be failing, so I replaced it. After that repair, had excellent pedal. I borrowed the van a few days later, and while driving it, I experienced the same no brake condition 3 times, once which left the front end out into an intersection (luckily, no collision). I recognized that the anti-lock braking system was erroneously keeping the front brakes from applying, and that was what caused the no brake condition. A gm mechanic advised me to pull the abs fuse. I did so, and now the van has great brakes, every time. I have done the same to another family vehicle also equipped with this dangerous system; I'm not waiting until it causes another accident. This condition screams for your attention. No one was hurt by this particular failure incident (except financially), but it is just a matter of time before someone ends up gliding into a busy intersection, or over a crosswalk, and does cause a death or two. Please have all these dangerous abs vehicles recalled, and have these safety features-turned-safety hazards defeated, before someone does become a victim.