GMC PASSENGER VEHICLE · model year

1998 GMC PASSENGER VEHICLE

17 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998GMCPASSENGER VEHICLE carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 PASSENGER VEHICLE is electrical system with 2 filings, followed by visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor (2) and electrical system:wiring (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 1998 PASSENGER VEHICLE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

17
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

17 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING1
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLING/CHARGING1
PARKING BRAKE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP1
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT1
TIRES:TREAD/BELT1
STEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE1
STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK1

Recent Complaints

20050429STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK

MY DAUGHTERS PONTIAC SUNFIRE RECEIVED A RECALL ABOUT THE STEERING. I TOOK IT IN TO BE FIXED. THEY FIXED IT WITH NO PROBLEM. THE DEALER EXPLAINED WHAT WOULD BE HAPPENING IF IT WERE TO GO OUT. THE STEERING TO THE LEFT WOULD BE HARD TO TURN. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY PONTIAC TRANS SPORT MINI VAN. HE SUGGESTED THAT I CALL GM. I DID AND THEY SAID IT WAS DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT THE RECALL WAS CALLED IN FOR, BUT BY MY VIN # MY CAR WAS NOT IN WITH THE RECALL. THEY TOLD ME TO CHECK IT OUT WITH THE DEALER AND CALL BACK. I TOLD THEM THAT I DID AND HAD IT IN WRITING, BUT THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT. I SAID THAT THEY FIXED MY DAUGHTERS CAR AND NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, BUT MY CAR WAS DOING THE HARD TURN TO THE LEFT AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT. THEY SAID NO THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. I CALLED BACK MONTHS LATER AND THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I ASK TO SPEAK TO THE MANAGER, AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS THE MANAGER AND HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING AT THAT TI

20050106ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

COOLANT IN OIL, OIL IN COOLANT. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. 8AK

Mileage: 115,000

20040914VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE

Mileage: 112,200

20040719EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH

MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK IN THE RAIN AND MY TURN SIGNAL ON SIGNAL CLICKS WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL ISN'T ON. BOTH ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE 1997 MODEL, AND SEEM TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE 1998 MODELS. *JB

Mileage: 126,000

20040622STEERING:LINKAGES:ARM:IDLER AND ATTACHMENT

STEERING LINKAGE IDLER ARM FELL APART, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING ON VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON BOTH SIDES OF LINKAGE. HAD JUST COME FROM A LONG TRIP ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. WAS TRAVELING AT LOW SPEED WHEN TIS HAPPENED, BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. HAPPENED ONCE IN MISSISSIPPI AND ONCE AT HOME. REPLACED WITH IMPROVED PARTS FROM AUTO PARTS STORE. COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED. *AK

Mileage: 90,000

20040614TIRES:TREAD/BELT

FIRESTONE TREAD SEPARATION. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *AK

20040422VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:WINDSHIELD:ELECTRICAL HEATING ELEMENT

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. FAIL TO START, OR QUIT WHILE TURNED ON. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN DRIVING IN THE RAIN. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE IN WARM WEATHER THAN WINTER. HAS BEENHAPPENING SINCE I BOUGHT THIS USED VEHICLE A COUPEL OF YEARS AGO, BUT IS NOT BECOMING MORE FREQUENT.*AK

Mileage: 49,000

20031104PARKING BRAKE

AUTOMATIC PARK FAILURE WITH P-30 1998 MOTORHOME RESULTING IN COMPLETE BREAKDOWN ON INTERSTATE NECCESSITATING EXPENSIVE TOWING. *AK

Mileage: 24,000

20031104SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING: LAMP

AUTOMATIC PARK FAILURE WITH P-30 1998 MOTORHOME RESULTING IN COMPLETE BREAKDOWN ON INTERSTATE NECCESSITATING EXPENSIVE TOWING. *AK

Mileage: 24,000

20031009FireFUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLING/CHARGING

FIRES AT THE GAS PUMPS CAUSED BY STATIC ELECTRICITY. VEHICLES ARE CATCHING FIRE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FUEL VEHICLE. FEWER VEHICLES DOES NOT PROPERLY GROUND WHEN FUEL NOZZLE INSERTED INTO FILL SPOUT OF VEHICLE. I HAVE PERFORMED A STUDY TO SHOW DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLDER FUEL SPOUTS WITH A GROUNDING CABLE AND NEWER SPOUTS THAT DO NOT HAVE CABLE. ALSO, THE MATERIAL OF THE SPOUTS HAVE CHANGED FROM ALL METAL TO A METAL WITH A PLASTIC INSERT. THIS WOULD PREVENT VEHICLE FROM BEING GROUNDED. IN MY STUDY, I FOUND MANY DIFFERENT MAKES AND MODELS OF VEHICLES CONTAINING THESE TYPE FILL SPOUTS. I ALSO HAD MY FINDINGS CONFIRMED BY A PROFESSOR OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING FROM A LOCAL UNIVERSITY. *LA

20031009FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FIRES AT THE GAS PUMPS CAUSED BY STATIC ELECTRICITY. VEHICLES ARE CATCHING FIRE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FUEL VEHICLE. FEWER VEHICLES DOES NOT PROPERLY GROUND WHEN FUEL NOZZLE INSERTED INTO FILL SPOUT OF VEHICLE. I HAVE PERFORMED A STUDY TO SHOW DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLDER FUEL SPOUTS WITH A GROUNDING CABLE AND NEWER SPOUTS THAT DO NOT HAVE CABLE. ALSO, THE MATERIAL OF THE SPOUTS HAVE CHANGED FROM ALL METAL TO A METAL WITH A PLASTIC INSERT. THIS WOULD PREVENT VEHICLE FROM BEING GROUNDED. IN MY STUDY, I FOUND MANY DIFFERENT MAKES AND MODELS OF VEHICLES CONTAINING THESE TYPE FILL SPOUTS. I ALSO HAD MY FINDINGS CONFIRMED BY A PROFESSOR OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING FROM A LOCAL UNIVERSITY. *LA

20030924VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WON'T TURN ON. WHEN YOU MANUALLY START THEM BY MOVING WIPER, THEN THEY START.

Mileage: 60,000

20030731ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

DEX COOL DETERIATION OF COOLANT SYSTEM. *PH

Mileage: 90,000

20030722VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

INTERNMITTMENT OPERATION OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS. *AK

Mileage: 66,000

20030618VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL SUDDENLY STOP WORKING WHEN IT IS RAINING. THEY WILL COME BACK ON AFTER A FEW MINUTES OR MAYBE NOT AT ALL. YESTERDAY THEY DID NOT COME ON AT ALL, TODAY THEY WORKED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND THEN THEY JUST STOP. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST MONTH. THE REAR WIPERS DO FINE. *NLM

20021226ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASSIONS THE "CLUSTER" (DASHBOARD DISPLAY) HAS GONE OUT ON US. NO SPEEDOMETER, NO GAS GUAGE, NO BLINKERS, NOTHING. WE'VE RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER EACH TIME. THIS LAST TIME, 12/26/02, THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING FOR US.

Mileage: 60,000

20021226ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASSIONS THE "CLUSTER" (DASHBOARD DISPLAY) HAS GONE OUT ON US. NO SPEEDOMETER, NO GAS GUAGE, NO BLINKERS, NOTHING. WE'VE RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER EACH TIME. THIS LAST TIME, 12/26/02, THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING FOR US.

Mileage: 60,000

Compare 1998GMCPASSENGER VEHICLE to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 GMC PASSENGER VEHICLE have?
The 1998 GMC PASSENGER VEHICLE has 17 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC PASSENGER VEHICLE?
The most-complained component for the 1998 GMC PASSENGER VEHICLE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING.
Is the 1998 GMC PASSENGER VEHICLE safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.