1998 GMC Passenger Vehicle Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1998 GMC Passenger Vehicle, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Visibility533.3%
- Engine213.3%
- Steering213.3%
- Electrical213.3%
- Exterior lighting16.7%
- Fuel system16.7%
- Brakes16.7%
- Tires & wheels16.7%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
COOLANT IN OIL, OIL IN COOLANT. INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. 8AK
DEX COOL DETERIATION OF COOLANT SYSTEM. *PH
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 TIME, THAT MAYBE THEY WOULD RECALL IT LATER. HE SUGGEST THAT I CONTACT YOU AND MAYBE YOUSWILL DO SOMETHING.*AK NOW IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THERE IS A RECALL AND YOU HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT YOUR CAR WAS NOT MADE IN THE SAME FACTORY AS THE OTHERS, THAT THE OTHER FACTORIES CAN NOT GET BAD PARTS. I FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD FIX MY CAR AND NOT EXPECT ME TO FIX IT AND THEN HOPE THAT THEY WILL RECALL IT AND THEN I CAN GET MY MONEY BACK. THIS SHOULD BE DONE JUST AS A COURIOUS, SO I WILL CONTINUE TO BY THEIR PRODUCT. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE ALWAYS PURCHASED GM PRODUCTS, WHETHER IT BE CHEVY OR PONTIAC. WE JUST PURCHASED A NEW CHEVY PICKUP TURCK. CAN YOU HELP ME TO GET THIS RESOLVED ON THERE BEHALF.*AK
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
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
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
AUTOMATIC PARK FAILURE WITH P-30 1998 MOTORHOME RESULTING IN COMPLETE BREAKDOWN ON INTERSTATE NECCESSITATING EXPENSIVE TOWING. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
FIRESTONE TREAD SEPARATION. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .