Selling an old Pontiac Safari wagon
Owners have filed only 5 complaints with NHTSA about the Pontiac Safari, and our pull of NHTSA's data lists no recall campaigns for it. That count is as of October 10, 2026. The harder question with a Safari is often which one you own.
- Model years in EPA data
- 1987-1989 (Safari Wagon)
- EPA class
- Midsize-Large Station Wagons
- Complaints to NHTSA
- 5
- Year with the most complaints
- 1987 (4)
- Recall campaigns
- 0 listed
- Safari wagons at Pontiac (Wikipedia)
- 1955-1989
If the wagon has stopped running or isn't worth fixing, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.
Which Safari is in your driveway?
Wikipedia lists four vehicles that carried the name in the late 1980s:
- The full-size Safari wagon. Pontiac's wagon line ran from 1955 to 1989. Wikipedia says Pontiac dropped it after 1989, the first GM division to end the B-body. EPA's Safari Wagon years, 1987 to 1989, match that end.
- The 6000 Safari, 1987-1991. In 1987 the 6000 LE wagon was renamed the 6000 Safari. The car in the photo above is one of these. See our Pontiac 6000 page.
- The Sunbird Safari, 1987-1988. The renamed Sunbird wagon, never offered with woodgrain trim.
- The GMC Safari, 1985-2005. A mid-size van, not a Pontiac at all.
The name is on the car, but the title and registration usually say the model more precisely. Check them before you ask for an offer.
What the five complaints say
Five complaints is too few to show a pattern. Each component on the list is named just once: hydraulic service brakes, electrical system, steering, visibility and vehicle speed control. One of the five involved a fire. None report a crash, an injury or a death.
| Year | Complaints | Fires | Recall campaigns | Named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 1 | 0 | 0 | hydraulic service brakes |
| 1987 | 4 | 1 | 0 | electrical, steering, visibility among them |
| 1988-1989 | 0 | 0 | 0 | none filed |
NHTSA files one complaint under 1986, a year EPA doesn't list for the Safari Wagon. A count this low reflects how few owners wrote in. It says little about how the wagons held up.
Is it worth fixing?
With no recall campaigns in our pull and almost no complaint data, the call rests on the wagon itself. Three questions help:
- Has it been parked for years? Sitting for years covers what to expect.
- Is it a half-done project? Our old project car guide weighs finishing it against selling it.
- Would parting it out pay more? Part it out or sell it whole compares the work and the risk.
Selling the wagon whole
- Find the VIN and say which Safari it is: full-size, 6000 or Sunbird.
- Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
- Describe where it's parked and if it rolls. A long wagon in a tight backyard is useful for the driver to know.
- Leave the woodgrain panels, roof rack and wheels on. Tell us if anything is already off.
- Our driver will ask to see your Safari title and a photo ID. After you sell covers plates and insurance by state.
Questions people ask
- Is the GMC Safari van the same as the Pontiac Safari?
- No. Wikipedia says the GMC Safari was a mid-size van, a counterpart of the Chevrolet Astro, sold from 1985 to 2005. The Pontiac Safari was a station wagon. GM used the name at both divisions from 1987 to 1989.
- Does the Pontiac Safari have any recalls?
- Our pull of NHTSA's data lists no recall campaigns under the Pontiac Safari. If your wagon is a 6000 Safari, look at our Pontiac 6000 page as well, and check NHTSA's recall site.
- Will you buy a Safari wagon that doesn't run?
- Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us which Safari you have and where it's parked.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.