Your vehicle report
1998 GMC Jimmy
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 238
- Received Mar 1998 to Apr 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail56 complaints · 24% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Ignition key sticks or will not turn13 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed12 complaints · 5.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #98V053000Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle equipped with 4-WHEEL drive or all-wheel-drive. One or both of the attaching nuts for the right-hand lower control arm are under torqued. This can allow the attachment bolt to loosen and subsequent break resulting in separation of the lower control arm from the frame.
- Recall #97V218000Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. A fatigue fracture of the rear axle right-hand brake pipe can occur causing a slow brake fluid leak resulting in a soft brake pedal. If the brake pipe breaks, the driver would experience a sudden drop in the brake pedal, the instrument panel brake light would illuminate, and there would be a loss of rear brake performance.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 18 crashes, 3 fires, 15 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Head gasket leaks coolant into engine
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
- Ignition key sticks or will not turn
- Instrument cluster or speedometer fails
- Turn signals work intermittently or fail
1 more problem
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed
- Ball joints wear out and fail
- Wheel bearings fail prematurely
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 7 |
| 1999 | 32 |
| 2000 | 17 |
| 2001 | 33 |
| 2002 | 31 |
| 2003 | 52 |
| 2004 | 29 |
| 2005 | 19 |
| 2006 | 7 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 238 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 56 | 24% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 13 | 5.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 12 | 5.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 11 | 4.6% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 7 | 2.9% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 7 | 2.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 2.5% | – | NHTSA recall #97V218000 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 6 | 2.5% | – | |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 5 | 2.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 4 | 1.7% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 1.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #98V053000March 9, 199872 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicle equipped with 4-WHEEL drive or all-wheel-drive. One or both of the attaching nuts for the right-hand lower control arm are under torqued. This Can allow the attachment bolt to loosen and subsequent break resulting in separation of the lower control arm from the frame.
This condition Can result in a loss of vehicle control.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and retighten the right-hand lower control arm nuts to the proper torque specification.
NHTSA recall #97V218000November 24, 199719,716 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. A fatigue fracture of the rear axle right-hand brake pipe Can occur causing a slow brake fluid leak resulting in a soft brake pedal. If the brake pipe breaks, the driver would experience a sudden drop in the brake pedal, the instrument panel brake light would illuminate, and there would be a loss of rear brake performance.
Partial loss of braking at a time when minimum stopping distance was required could result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pipe.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 GMC Jimmy.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN