Your vehicle report
1998 GMC Sierra 1500
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
- 59
- Received May 1998 to Nov 2021
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail9 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up9 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines7 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #98V187000Vehicle description: crew cab pickup trucks. The front, inner corner of the fuel tank can contact the body sill either intermittently or constantly. This movement can cause a discernible noise and, over time, can wear a hole in or crack the fuel tank at point of contact.
- Recall #98V033000Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. One or both front brake rotor/hubs were built with an out-of-specification gray iron that can fail during the life of the vehicle.
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: 6 crashes, 2 fires, 5 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 5 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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
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 | 1 |
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 4 |
| 2001 | 4 |
| 2002 | 2 |
| 2003 | 2 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 6 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 6 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 59 |
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 | 9 | 15% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 9 | 15% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 12% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 5 | 8.5% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 3 | 5.1% | – |
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 #98V187000August 10, 199855,272 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Vehicle description: crew cab pickup trucks. The front, inner corner of the fuel tank Can contact the body sill either intermittently or constantly. This movement Can cause a discernible noise and, over time, Can wear a hole in or crack the fuel tank at point of contact.
This condition Can result in fuel leakage and a distinct fuel odor if the tank were filled above the level of the hole or crack. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could result.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the fuel tank for wear and, either install a spacer between the fuel tank and the front crossmember, or if necessary, replace the fuel tank.
NHTSA recall #98V033000February 17, 19981,137 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. One or both front brake rotor/hubs were built with an out-of-specification gray iron that Can fail during the life of the vehicle.
If a driver continues to drive with a cracked rotor, the cracks could continue around the wheel mounting bolt circle and ultimately result in a wheel separation.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rotors for a core date of "287" and, if found, replace the rotor.
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 Sierra 1500.
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