1998 GMC Sierra 1500
This year had at least 30% fewer complaints than this model's typical year.
This verdict reflects complaint volume compared to this model's typical year. Recalls and safety issues below apply regardless of the verdict — always check them.
- Complaints
- 59
- Recalls
- 4
- Investigations
- 0
- Top problem
- Service brakes
Campaigns on file for 1998
None on file
32% of complaints
Complaints per year
1998: 59 complaints
View as data table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 13 |
| 1995 | 3 |
| 1996 | 5 |
| 1997 | 83 |
| 1998 | 59 |
| 1999 | 158 |
| 2000 | 181 |
| 2001 | 140 |
| 2002 | 166 |
| 2003 | 180 |
| 2004 | 212 |
| 2005 | 177 |
| 2006 | 145 |
| 2007 | 263 |
| 2008 | 380 |
| 2009 | 234 |
| 2010 | 167 |
| 2011 | 284 |
| 2012 | 107 |
| 2013 | 115 |
| 2014 | 740 |
| 2015 | 720 |
| 2016 | 342 |
| 2017 | 354 |
| 2018 | 302 |
| 2019 | 648 |
| 2020 | 479 |
| 2021 | 585 |
| 2022 | 585 |
| 2023 | 486 |
| 2024 | 376 |
| 2025 | 117 |
| 2026 | 133 |
Known problem areas
Percentages can add to more than 100% — a complaint can name more than one system.
Service brakes
32% · 19 reportsMost commonly citing hydraulic and air.
Visibility
19% · 11 reportsMost commonly citing motor and windshield wiper/washer.
Show complaint excerpts
Windshield wipers will not always work. When raining they go off or stall. Pulling on wippers manually will retart them occationaly.
NHTSA ODI report, 2007-05-16
The switch for the remote control outside mirrors caught fire. Ruining the switch, associated harness and the door panel. I have discussed this with my dealer quoting NHTSA campaign number 03V093000.
NHTSA ODI report, 2005-07-02
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 GMC Sierra 1500. The contact stated that the windshield wipers would fail sporadically. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.
NHTSA ODI report, 2012-04-17
Power train
14% · 8 reportsMost commonly citing automatic transmission and differential unit.
Steering
10% · 6 reportsMost commonly citing linkages and steering wheel/handle bar.
Show complaint excerpts
Intermittently steering wheel becomes loose, and it will steer either to the left or to the right. The dealer has been notified.
NHTSA ODI report, 2000-01-21
While traversing a freeway overpass going 60 to 65 MPH the truck suddenly lurched to the left. Fortunately no immediate traffic on my left. Really frightened me.
NHTSA ODI report, 2020-02-26
Air bags
7% · 4 reportsMost commonly citing sensor/control module.
Show complaint excerpts
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 GMC Sierra 1500. While driving approximately 35 MPH, a deer ran in front of the vehicle. The contact crashed into the deer. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed.
NHTSA ODI report, 2016-11-28
"Takata recall" On 02/17/2015 I [xxx] was involved in a single passenger (Me) mva at "The macinac bridge" On the north side of the mackinac bridge rolling my truck into the toll booths located on the north end of the macinac bridge in the city of...
NHTSA ODI report, 2016-02-05
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 GMC Sierra 1500. While the contact was seated in the vehicle, the passenger side air bag deployed inadvertently. When the contact exited the vehicle, the driver's side air bag deployed without warning or an impact.
NHTSA ODI report, 2019-06-24
Safety timeline
4 recalls · 0 investigations · oldest first
To check one car, enter its VIN on the NHTSA recall page. Check a VIN →
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R
1998-03-15Service brakes, hydraulic98V033000 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…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rotors for a core date of "287" And, if found, replace the rotor.
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1998-08-24Fuel system, gasoline98V187000 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…
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.
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R
2006-10-18Fuel system, gasoline06E043000 Certain replacement fuel filters, fram brand name p/n G3727, with date codes X52911 through X60801 sequentially or X600141 and a mexico country or origin marking on the fuel filter housing…
Remedy: Honeywell will notify owners and replace the fuel filters free of charge. The recall began on October 18, 2006. Owners may contact fram customer service at 1-800-890-2075 (Option 1).
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R
2007-11-08Equipment07E088000 Certain honeywell fram racing brand HP4 and HP8 oil filters that were manufactured from May 25, 2006, through September 14, 2007, and sold for use as replacement equipment for vehicles list above.…
Remedy: Honeywell will replace the affected oil filters free of charge. The recall began during November 2007. Owners can contact fram customer service toll-free at 1-800-890-2075.
Buy-smart checklist
1998 GMC Sierra 1500 — pre-purchase inspection
Inspect
- Service brakes: 19 reports on file for this year.
- Visibility: 11 reports on file for this year.
- Power train: 8 reports on file for this year.
Verify these recalls were completed
- Recall 98V033000 · Service brakes, hydraulic
- Recall 98V187000 · Fuel system, gasoline
- Recall 06E043000 · Fuel system, gasoline
- Recall 07E088000 · Equipment
Other years of this model
See all years ranked →FAQ
- Is the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA complaint volume compared to this model's typical year, the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 is rated "better than typical".
- What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500?
- The most-reported component is service brakes, accounting for 32% of complaints on file.
- How many recalls does the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 have?
- 4 recalls on file for this model year.
Data updated 2026-11-01 · Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA, not independently verified defects. Methodology.