RoadVitals

1998 GMC Suburban Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
17
Latest Jun 29, 2005
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
17%
of 100 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 GMC Suburban submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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.

Owner reports naming visibility

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Visibility
Filed Jun 29, 2005

CONSUMER DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LACK OF RECALLS ON THE DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER CIRCUIT BOARD ON HIS 1998 GMC SUBURBAN. *NM ARTEMIS DOWN UNTIL JULY,05 AAE THE CONSUMER RECENTLY HEARD ABOUT RECALL OF SEVERAL VEHICLE WHICH HAVE THE SAME WIPER COMPONENT. THE WIPERS FAILED WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM AT 70 MPH. *NM

NHTSA ID
10127923
Incident
Jan 1, 1901
Visibility
Filed Feb 9, 2004

WINDSHEILD WIPERS DON'T WORK PROPERLY WHEN SET TO INTERMITTENT. THEY WORK FINE WHEN SET TO LOW OR HIGH SPEED.

NHTSA ID
10056860
Incident
Feb 3, 2004
Mileage
108,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 8, 2003

WHILE DRIVING IN A RAINSTORM WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10050240
Incident
Jun 17, 2003
Mileage
104,000 mi
EngineVisibility
Filed Nov 3, 2003

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ID
10046193
Incident
Nov 3, 2003
Mileage
50,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 26, 2003

WINDSHIELD WIPERS COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHILE TRAVELING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER. CAUSE OF FAILURE IS UNDETERMINED AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
10037692
Incident
Aug 26, 2003
Visibility
Filed Aug 7, 2003

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN THEY DO NOT WORK, THE WIPERS AND THE WINDSHIELD FLUID MOTOR DON'T WORK AT ALL. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM FOR SUBURBAN 1994-1997. NORMALLY THEY WILL WORK WHEN YOU FIRST START THE CAR, BUT THEN GO OUT AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, AND FAIL TO WORK THE REST OF THE DAY. *PH

NHTSA ID
10031024
Incident
Dec 5, 2001
Visibility
Filed Jul 31, 2003

INTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVER'S VIEW. DEALER STATED THERE IS NOT RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ON SIMILAR MAKES AND MODELS, HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO THE VIN#. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *PH

NHTSA ID
10031720
Incident
Jul 31, 2003
Visibility
Filed Jun 26, 2003

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT AS STATED IN RECALL 03 V 159 000. *NLM PH *JB

NHTSA ID
10019332
Mileage
70,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 25, 2003

I OWN A 1998 GMC SUBURBAN. THE WIPER MOTOR ON THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE. THERE IS A RECALL (# 03V159000) ON THE 1997 WIPER MOTORS......BUT NOT ON THE 1998 EVEN THOUGH THE DESIGN AND WIPER MOTOR ARE THE SAME. DURING A RECENT RAINSTORM THE WIPER MOTOR BECOME COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE MOTOR MAKES THE SAME "BUZZING" SOUND THAT GM TECHNICIANS REFER TO FOR OTHER GM VEHICLE YEARS. CLEARLY, THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE RECALL RE-EVALUATED OR AT A MINIMUM INCLUDE THE 1998 MODELS. *NLM

NHTSA ID
10023766
Incident
Jun 21, 2003
Mileage
55,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 24, 2003

CONSUMER STATES WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY DURING USE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10024847
Visibility
Filed Jun 2, 2003

INTERMITTENTLY WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE, OBSTRUCTING THE DRIVER VIEWS. DEALER SORRY THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10022028
Incident
Jun 2, 2003
Visibility
Filed Jun 2, 2003

I OWN A 1998 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE WIPER MOTOR ON THIS VEHICLE IS DEFECTIVE. THERE IS A RECALL (# 03V159000) ON THE 1997 WIPER MOTORS......BUT NOT ON THE 1998 EVEN THOUGH THE DESIGN AND WIPER MOTOR ARE THE SAME. DURING A RECENT RAINSTORM MY WIPER MOTOR BECOME COMPLETELY UNRESPONSIVE IN MID SWIPE @ 65 MPH ON I 40. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE RECALL RE-EVALUATED OR AT A MINIMUM INCLUDE THE 1998 MODELS. MY VIN IS [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10020901
Incident
Jun 2, 2003
Mileage
115,000 mi
Visibility
Filed May 2, 2003

WIPER MOTOR/ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON MY 1998 GMC SUBURBAN. GMC HAS HAD TO RECALL EARLIER MODELS, AND I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON MY 1998. WHY WAS IT NOT ALSO RECALLED? *NLM

NHTSA ID
10016909
Incident
Jan 1, 2003
BrakesHeating & air conditioningElectrical+8 more
Filed Apr 28, 2003

NAR 04/28/2003. MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH HIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE LEAKED OIL, ENGINE IDLED ROUGHLY, COOLANT SYSTEM LEAKED, THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE DOME LIGHT, STEERING, THE REAR AXLE, THE LEFT REAR GLASS RATTLED, THE AIR CONDITION, BATTERY, SUSPENSION WERE ALL INOPERATIVE. THE FUEL FILTER, MIRROR TRANSMISSION SEAT, SEAT BELTS, WIPERS, ALTERNATOR, BRAKES, FUEL PUMP. *JB

NHTSA ID
10017745
Incident
Apr 1, 2003
Visibility
Filed Sep 14, 2001
Fire reported

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH SMELLED SMOKE. THEN, SAW FIRE COMING FROM DRIVER'S DOOR PANEL. STOPPED AND PUT OUT FIRE, CONSUMER STATED IT APPEARED FIRE STARTED AT MIRROR ADJUSTER ON DOOR PANEL. NO ELECTRICAL COMPONENT WAS USED PRIOR TO FIRE*AK.

NHTSA ID
896328
Incident
Sep 13, 2001
Visibility
Filed Apr 27, 2001

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ID
887005
Visibility
Filed Aug 4, 1999

WINSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT WORK.CONTACED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

NHTSA ID
844257
Incident
Jul 29, 1999

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .