Total Complaints
5 filings
GMC Z-71 · model year
1998 GMC Z-71
5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998GMCZ-71 carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 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 Z-71 is service brakes, hydraulic:power assist with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder (1) and steering (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 Z-71. 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050921SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
DT: THE CALLER'S VEHICLE SAYS WAS SLOWING DOWN ANTI LOCK BRAKES KICKED IN. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL 05V379000 ON THIS MODEL FOR OTHER YEARS, BUT NOT FOR 1998 MODEL YEAR. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT, BUT THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND ON FIXING IT FOR FREE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT RECALLED. THEY SAID TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THEY MIGHT PAY FOR PART OF THE REPAIR. THE CALLER SAID HE COULD GET IT FIXED CHEAPER THAN THE OFFER GMC MADE.*AK
Mileage: 120,000
20040421VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK ONLY OCCCASIONALY. HAVE TO RAISE HOOD AND WIGGLE THE WIRES AND SOMETIMES BUMP THE MOTOR TO GET THEM STARTED. THEY WILL ALSO SPEED UP AND OR SLOW DOWN ON THEIR OWN.*AK
20010228SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, DRIVER COULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK, TRUCK TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, THE POWER VACCUM BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPLACED, NO BRAKES AGAIN, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED AT 60,024. CJ
20010228SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, DRIVER COULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK, TRUCK TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, THE POWER VACCUM BRAKE BOOSTER WAS REPLACED, NO BRAKES AGAIN, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED AT 60,024. CJ
20010228STEERING
TRUCK TO VEERED OFF ROAD INTO A DITCH, NO CONTROL IN STEERING, NO FURTHER PROBLEMS WITH STEERING UNTIL 10/99, CODE SENSOR ON STEERING REPLACED. CJ
Compare 1998GMCZ-71 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 GMC Z-71 have?▼
The 1998 GMC Z-71 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC Z-71?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 GMC Z-71 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER and STEERING.
Is the 1998 GMC Z-71 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.