Your vehicle report
1998 GMC Safari
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
- 89
- Received Mar 1998 to Feb 2014
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail6 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract6 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates6 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V093000Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
- Recall #01V123000Vehicle 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.
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: 9 crashes, 1 fire, 3 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 10 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
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
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 | 4 |
| 1999 | 26 |
| 2000 | 10 |
| 2001 | 15 |
| 2002 | 9 |
| 2003 | 13 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 89 |
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 | 6 | 6.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 6.7% | – | NHTSA recall #99V009000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 6 | 6.7% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 4.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 3 | 3.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 3.4% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 3.4% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 3 | 3.4% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 3.4% | – |
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 #03V093000March 7, 2003507,171 vehicles affected
visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
If this were to happen, it could result in an inoperative switch, heat damage to the driver's door, and/or ignition of components in the driver's door and a subsequent vehicle fire without prior warning.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fused jumper harness to the electric outside rearview mirror switch. Owner notification began on april 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
NHTSA recall #01V123000April 10, 2001461,851 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: warning light/devices
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.
This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new alarm module. Owner notification began june 27, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
NHTSA recall #99V009000January 20, 19992,090 vehicles affected
child seat
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.
These conditions could increase the occupant's risk of injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the seat belts on the child seats, and if necessary, replace the child seat.
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 Safari.
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