GMC Jimmy Suspension Problems
Owners have filed 226 complaints with NHTSA about suspension problems on the GMC Jimmy across 7 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (54). The words owners use most often: “ball joints” (40% of reports).
- 226suspension complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 11mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 23%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ball joints: mentioned in 90 of 226 complaints (40%)
- Upper lower: mentioned in 28 of 226 complaints (12%)
- Wheel bearing: mentioned in 23 of 226 complaints (10%)
- Joint broke: mentioned in 14 of 226 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do suspension problems happen?
Based on 62 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 226 complaints, 11 mention a crash, 6 an injury.
GMC Jimmy suspension complaints by model year
| Model year | Suspension complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Jimmy | 14 | 14% | 50,500 |
| 2000 Jimmy | 39 | 18% | 58,321 |
| 1999 Jimmy | 26 | 19% | 50,000 |
| 1998 Jimmy | 25 | 11% | 70,000 |
| 1997 Jimmy | 54 | 20% | 76,500 |
| 1996 Jimmy | 49 | 12% | 80,000 |
| 1995 Jimmy | 19 | 4% | 145,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint
Model years: 1996, 1997
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, and wisconsin, and in the district of columbia. Failure of an upper control arm ball joint assembly could occur due to corrosion.
Risk: This can result in impaired steering or steering loss, or a partial or complete collapse of the front suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace both upper ball joints. Owner notification began september 4, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Model years: 1998
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition can result in a loss of vehicle control.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and retighten the right-hand lower control arm nuts to the proper torque specification.
Suspension:front:control arm:upper ball joint
Model years: 1995
Problem: The upper ball joint nuts were under-torqued resulting in improper seating in the steering knuckle.
Risk: This condition can cause the ball joint stud to loosen, and fracture resulting in a loss of steering control.
Fix: Dealers will retorque the upper ball joint nut on both sides of the vehicle to the correct torque values.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
After getting an oil change i was informed of a leak in my oil pan, as i got home the next morning i noticed that my car leaked out all the oil in the car resulting from a fault o-ring seal, also now having problems with the suspension as my idler arm is about to snap at any moment resulting in the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 gmc jimmy. While driving approximately 10 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the front suspension. The steering was difficult to maneuver when turning the vehicle. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. An independent mechanic stated that the front…
HELLO I HAVE BUY THIS CAR IN A DEALER ''GOVAL AUTO SALES'' IN POMPANO AND WE HAVE MANY PROBLEM WITH SAFE. THE ENGINE MAY BE STOP + SUSPENSION + DIFFERENT TYRE. WE GO TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BUY THE CAR LASTE WEEK. BUT HE SAY, IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. MY QUESTION : IS IT HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY…
While driving my 2000 gmc jimmy my left side upper ball joint broke. Luckily i had just came out of a sharp corner and my speed was only about 25 mph. A car had just passed in the other direction when my vehicle swerved to the left, halfway into the other lane before i was able to get control of…
Started out with a wobble on the tire then my ball joints upper and lower left and right front along with my tie rods inner and outer left and right my left ball barring hub was replaced on the left side front also i still have to replace the stabilizing front bar which i will be purchasing this…
Frequently asked questions
Do all GMC Jimmys have suspension problems?
No. NHTSA has 226 owner complaints about suspension for the GMC Jimmy. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the GMC Jimmy suspension?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list suspension. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about suspension problems on the GMC Jimmy?
The most frequent phrase is “ball joints”, in 90 of 226 complaints, followed by “upper lower” (28).
Other GMC Jimmy problems
See all GMC Jimmy problems.