1998 GMC Jimmy

Typical pattern

4.2% of complaints about the 1998 GMC Jimmy came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 1998 vehicle — around the middle of the 180 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.7 yr in service. The most-reported system is visibility (81 complaints), typically at 6.0 yr or about 72,000 miles.

Complaints: 309
Median age at failure: 4.7 yr
Median mileage: 75,000 n=85
Crash / fire / tow: 9.1% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Visibility

81 reports · 72,000 mi

6.0 yr

1.2%

Electrical system

38 reports · 71,392 mi

4.8 yr

2.6%

Power train

28 reports · 100,000 mi

3.4 yr

3.6%

Suspension

28 reports · 68,600 mi

5.3 yr

Engine cooling

25 reports · 129,485 mi

4.3 yr

Service brakes, hydraulic

24 reports · 100,000 mi

5.4 yr

8.3%

Air bags

15 reports · 100,000 mi

2.6 yr

100%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

98V053000 1998-03-09

Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL DRIVE OR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE. ONE OR BOTH OF THE ATTACHING NUTS FOR THE RIGHT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM ARE UNDER TORQUED. THIS CAN ALLOW THE ATTACHMENT BOLT TO LOOSEN AND SUBSEQUENT BREAK RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM FROM THE FRAME.

THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

97V218000 1997-11-24

Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE REAR AXLE RIGHT-HAND BRAKE PIPE CAN OCCUR CAUSING A SLOW BRAKE FLUID LEAK RESULTING IN A SOFT BRAKE PEDAL. IF THE BRAKE PIPE BREAKS, THE DRIVER WOULD EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN DROP IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BRAKE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE, AND THERE WOULD BE A LOSS OF REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE.

PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE WAS REQUIRED COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 1.0 yr in service

WHILE GOING DOWNHILL AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THERE WAS NO BRAKING ABILITY. CONSUMER USED EMERGENCY BRAKES AND WENT INTO A DITCH TO AVOID A CRASH. PROBLEM BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY PART OF THE BRAKE HOSE LINE MISSING BECAUSE IT HIT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND MELTED. *AK

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 2.5 yr in service

VEHICLE AT REPAIR SHOP TO REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WHEN ABS LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER SAID THAT THE ABS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT OWNER'S COST. OWNER BELIEVES THAT WHILE REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO TRIGGER THE LIGHT. DEALER DENIES RESPONSIBLITY. *AK *ML

Service brakes, hydraulic mileage not reported 3.4 yr in service

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. THIS CAUSED WHEELS TO BECOME LOOSE. VEHICLE MADE A LOUD TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC WHO INDICATED BEARINGS COULD HAVE SHEARED OFF. *AK ABS BRAKE FAILED. ALSO, U-JOINT FAILED CAUSING GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATION. *YH

Visibility mileage not reported 1.1 yr in service

REARVIEW MIRRORS EXTERIOR VIBRATE CONTINUALLY, REPLACED FIVE TIMES HOWEVER DUE TO DESIGN THEY CONTINUE TO VIBRATE CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.

Other Jimmy model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.