Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 GMC Jimmy submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 32 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
ABS ACTIVATES AT OR BELOW 5MPH ON DRY ROADS/PAVEMENT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP VEHICLE. OCCURS OFTEN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT STOP SIGNS/LIGHTS OR PARKING AREAS POSING DANGER TO OTHER VEHICLES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 GMC JIMMY. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 15 MPH DOWN A STEEP, WET ROAD, THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE BUMPER AND HEADLAMPS WERE DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE BODY SHOP AND WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR AN ABS DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V218000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS). THE DEALER INFORMATION WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 113,000.
THE ENGINE CONTINUALLY MISFIRES. THERE IS A TSB BULLETIN #00-06-04-003B. DEPOSIT BUILDUP ON POPPED VALVE BALL &/OR SEAT, CAUSING IT TO STICK. THERE IS A RECALL BECAUSE OF THIS BUT ONLY IN CALIFORNIA. I LIVE IN ALASKA. I GOT AN ESTIMATE OF $1200 BUCKS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. BECAUSE OF THIS, I ONLY GET 5-7 MPG, AND HAVE LITTLE POWER. ALSO, MY ABS LIGHT TURNS ON AND THE ABS ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEEDS ON DRY GROUND. MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS TOTALLY MESSED UP. MY RIGHT CLICKER JUST THE SOUND NOT LIGHT) GOES OFF WHEN DRIVING. IT IS COMPLETELY ERRATIC AND UNPREDICTABLE. MY SPEAKERS TURN OFF AND ON SPORADICALLY. *AK MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT ADJUSTER BROKE OFF WITH LITTLE PRESSURE. MY STEERING WHEEL CONTINUOUSLY PULLS TO THE RIGHT. THIS MANY PROBLEMS IN A VEHICLE IS RIDICULOUS. WHAT A LEMON. ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE SEEN THE SAME EXACT COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THIS SIGHT ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S RIGHT REAR BRAKELINE CRACKED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THEY WOULD NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE DEALER BECAUSE THE REPAIR WORK WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRACTURED BRAKELINE WAS VISIBLE.
I HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO ANY ACCIDENTS, BUT I'M AFFRAID I WILL. THE RECALL OUT THERE RIGHT NOW HAVING TO DO WITH THE ABS AND BRAKE SYSTEM, I FEEL THE SAME IS WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE, BUT SINCE IT'S A 1998 WITH 96000 MILES ON IT, NO ONE WILL HELP ME OUT. MY VEHICLE DOES THE EXACT SAME DESCRIPTION THAT THE RECALL DESCRIBES. I UNFORTUNATELY CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX IT AT THIS TIME AND IT'S PRETTY SCARY HAVING TO DRIVE OUT THERE KNOWING THAT IT'S POSSIBLE I MIGHT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WAS PRETTY DISAPPOINTED THAT GMC WOULD NOT HELP IN SOLVING THE ISSUE. EVEN JUST TO HELP OUT IN THE COST A LITTLE BIT WOULD BE HELPFUL. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED ONLY WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD, BUT STILL DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE DELAY RAN AS THOUGH IT WAS ON NORMAL. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS . ALSO, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE NOT WORKED FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH. SHE HAS REPLACED THE BULBS, FUSE, AND CHECKED THE ELECTRONIC SENSOR. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. *AK UPDATED 1/4/2006 - *NM
THIS MAY NOT BE A HUGE COMPLAINT OR IMPORTANT. NONETHELESS, I OWN A 1998 GMC JIMMY. I READ THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH MY TRUCK. MY QUESTION IS, HOW CAN I GET MY TRUCK LOOKED AT OR FIXED WITHOUT ANY COST TO ME? *NM
I WAS DRIVING IN MEXICO LAST NOV 18TH 2004 -JAN 1ST 2005 I WAS DRIVING ON BUMPY ROADS AND HIGH USAGE OF BRAKES ON POOR ROADS . ABS FAILED AND WHEN I HIT PAVED ROADS THE BRAKES CAME BACK TO LIKE NEW SYSTEM, THEN IN JULY OF THIS YEAR I WAS DRIVING DOWN DIRT ROAD AND WENT AROUND A CORNER AND IT WAS LIKE I HAD NO BRAKES AGAIN I WANT THE ABS REMOVED FROM ALL OF MY CARS NOW IT IS A BAD SYSTEM . I AM A TRAINED DRIVER I HAVE SUB CONTRACTED TO KELLY HAZE AS A ABS RECORDER FOR NEW VEHICLE. *JB
THE ABS LIGHT IS ON IN MY 1998 GMC JIMMY. I HAVE HEARD ABOUT A RECALL ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, BUT MY TRUCK ISN'T QUALIFIED FOR IT. I'M WONDERING WHY AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO GET IT TO. THERE IS SOMETHING WITH THE SENSOR AND CORRODING IN THE RECALL. I BELIEVE THAT MAY BE MY PROBLEM. I HAVEN'T FIXED IT YET BECAUSE I WAS HOPING IT WOULD BE UNDER THE RECALL. WHAT HAPPENS IS IF THE LIGHT WERE TO COME OFF, MY BRAKES LOCK UP. IN THE RECALL, IT MENTIONS THAT THIS SENSOR GETTING CORRODED CAUSES SLOW TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO ANY ACCIDENTS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF IT WOULD BE UNDER THE RECALL BEFORE I HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY TO GET IT FIXED. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT STATED ABS BRAKES WERE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 05V379000. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE ABS KICKED IN, CAUSING A DELAY IN STOPPING. SHE NOTICED THAT THIS HAPPENED ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO. IT WAS RANDOM , BUT NOW EVERY TIME SHE GOES 10 MPH OR BELOW AND STOPS THE ABS KICK IN. *AK
GMC JIMMY 1998 CARS REACHED 34000 MILES ANTI- LOCK BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. AT LOW SPEED SOMETIMES (5-10 MPH) ANTI-LOCK COMES ON AND TRUCK TAKE A WHILE TO STOP. THIS PROBLEM IS SAME AS NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 05V379000 GM RECALL NO. 05068 AND SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE 1998 GMC JIMMY ALSO. SPOKE TO GMC AND WAS TOLD THIS CAR IS COVERED FOR THIS RECALL. *JB
DT: THE FRONT AND REAR WINDSHIELD WIPERS BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY WORK. THIS WAS OVER A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS AND LATER STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. CONSUMER DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT PROPERLY AFTER ACCELERATION FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS, AND THEN IT SHIFTED INTO GEAR. THE ABS WAS DELAYED WHEN APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE. THE BRAKES LOCKED, AND THEN THE VEHICLE SLID. THE BRAKES PADS WERE REPLACED EVERY THREE MONTHS, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE RIGHT CONTINUOUSLY, AN ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED A YEAR AGO BUT IT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IN JANUARY 2004 THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, IT STRUCK A PARKED CAR AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 30 MPH AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THIS WAS FRONT IMPACT. THE CONSUMER HAS NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VEHICLE. *AK.
CONSUMER STATES THAT VAN IS GIVING HER PROBLEMS. WHEN SHE DRIVES THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES SHE HEARS A LOUD NOISE. THEN THE LIGHT COMES ON, THE DASHBOARD WITH SAYS "SECURITY." ALSO, BRAKE FAILURE. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BALL JOINTS HAD NO GREASE ON THEM, AND HAD A LOTS OF PLAY, IF SHE HIT A HOLE IN THE STREET, SHE COULD HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE ALIGNMENT AND THE BALL JOINTS. SHE TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND HE WANTED TO SELL HER ANOTHER VAN, AND SHE HAS NO MONEY. PLEASE HELP.*AK
THE ROTOR RUSTED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO EXPERIENCE LIMITED BRAKING ABILITY.*JB *TS
I WAS KIND OF UPSET FOR A VEHICLE I BOUGHT USED WITH ONLY 19216 MILES AND NUMEROUS THINGS WENT WRONG FROM DAY I PURCHASED, ALREADY BROUGHT IN TO DEALER RIGHT AFTER PURCHASING FOR OTHER THINGS, BUT I HAD TO PURCHASE ALL 4 BRAKES AND ROTORS ALL THE WAY AROUND AND REPLACE THEM MYSELF SINCE IT WOULD HAVE COST ME BIG BUCKS. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ALL WENT BAD SO FAST.*AK
WHEN BRAKING, PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR, BRAKING DISTANCE IS EXTENDED. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY DEALER.*JB
I DIDN'T BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. FIGURES...IT WENT OUT OF WARRANTY IN MAY 2001. I DON'T THINK THAT A VEHICLE SHOULD NEED NEW BALL JOINTS AT 28,916 MILES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BALL JOINTS ARE BEING REPLACED ON OTHER GM JIMMY'S THAT ARE OLDER THAN MINE. I ASLO, INCLUDED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS FROZEN IN PLACE. THIS EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT USED. HOW WOULD IT BE FROZEN IN PLACE????
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE WAS PULSATING AND NOISE, DEALER DETERMINED ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED, THEY WERE DISINTEGRATED. COULD NOT BE TURNED, ALL 4 ROTORS WERE REPLACED. *AK *SLC
THIS HAS BEE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH DEALERSHIP AND THERE SERVICE DEPARTMENT I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED GMC ABOUT THIS . IF SOMEONE COULD HELP ME OUT.I WOULD LIKE TO SPEEK TO SOMEONE TO FIND OUT WHAT I CAN DO PLEASE CALL ME AT WORK [XXX] OR HOME [XXX] SO I COULD EXPLAIN ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD THANK YOU. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED. *AK PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WHEEL HIT A BUMP AND FONT BRAKES AND BACK BRAKES RELEASED, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IN A PANIC STOP BRAKE PEDAL GRADUALLY GOES TO FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
IGNITION SWITCH: GAUGES WENT TO ZERO, ALL IDIOT LIGHTS CAME ON, CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC ON BUSY HIGHWAY, NARROWLY ESCAPED ACCIDENT WHEN GAUGES CAME BACK ON, IDIOT LIGHTS WENT OUT, AND ENGINE ACCELERATED NORMALLY. DID THIS AGAIN IN OUR DRIVEWAY TWICE THE NEXT WEEK. TOOK TO DEALER, MACK BROWN INC., IN BOONE, NC, NOT THE SELLING DEALER, CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME. THEY KEPT IT SEVERAL DAYS AND CALLED TO SAY IT WAS FIXED. WHEN WENT TO PICK UP VEHICLE, I ASKED WHAT THEY HAD REPLACED, AND THEY ADMITTED THEY HAD DONE NOTHING, AND SAID THE DIAGNOSIS COMPUTER SHOWED SO MANY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO REPLACE FIRST. I TOLD THEM TO KEEP IT UNTIL IT WAS FIXED, THAT I WASN'T PUTTING MY KIDS IN IT UNTIL IT WAS FIXED, AND GOT IN MY OLDER AND HIGHER MILEAGE MERCEDES WHICH HAS NEVER HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM, AND LEFT. THEY KEPT IT A COUPLE MORE DAYS AND DECIDED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH THEY SAID HAD CAUSED SIMILAR SYMPTOMS IN MANY FULL SIZE GM PICKUPS THEY HAD SEEN, BUT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A JIMMY WITH THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THE IGNITION SWITCH IN BOTH MODELS WAS THE SAME PART, THOUGH. THE CAR HAS NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE. UNRELATED BRAKE PROBLEM, BRAKE PEDAL WOULD SUDDENLY BE HARD, AS IF WITH NO POWER ASSIST. BACK TO MACK BROWN, INC., WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS A CLOGGED PCV VALVE. PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. ALSO, FOR A YEAR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE ON EVEN THE SLIGHTEST INCLINE, DESPITE MACK BROWN, INC. AND TWO INDEPENDENT GARAGES ADJUSTING IT ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.*AK
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
ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CONSUMER STATES BRAKES FELT FUNNY, DEALER DIAGNOSED LEFT FRONT WHEEL SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED, HOWEVER VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, CONSUMER HAD 3 MORE BRAKE FAILURES, ONE RESULTING IN A MINOR ACCIDENT WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE, DEALER REPLACED THE SENSOR AND BRAKE BOOSTER. *SLC
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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