1998 GMC Safari Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Safari years
- More complaints than other years 4th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 89 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 GMC Safari. That ranks 4th out of 11 Safari model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (12 complaints, 13%). Complaints mention 9 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 89owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 GMC Safari problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 11% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 9 | 10% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 9% | 110,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 7% | 30,738 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 7% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 7% | 20,900 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 6% | 54,909 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 4% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 2% | 99,500 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 290,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 GMC Safari recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
Risk: If this were to happen, it could result in an inoperative switch, heat damage to the driver's door, and/or ignition of components in the driver's door and a subsequent vehicle fire without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused jumper harness to the electric outside rearview mirror switch. Owner notification began on april 24, 2003. 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 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
Seat belts:front:warning light/devices
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans. Some of these vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the "fasten safety-belt" audible warning occasionally may not come on or may terminate in less than four seconds as required by the standard.
Risk: This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
Fix: Dealers will install a new alarm module. Owner notification began june 27, 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 or gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
Child seat
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans equipped with integrated dual child seats. Some of these vehicles may be missing a seat belt retractor clutch spring and/or pawl spring in the child seat. If the clutch spring was missing, the seat belt would lock in the retracted position and could not be used. If the pawl spring was missing, the seat belt restraint would continually play out and would not lock.
Risk: These conditions could increase the occupant's risk of injury in the event of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the seat belts on the child seats, and if necessary, replace the child seat.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Excessive corrosion of hydraulic brake lines. Brake lines so corroded that they are cracking and splitting leaking fluid and necessitating expensive repairs. Corrosion also noted on fuel lines, and vehicle undercarriage. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 gmc safari. While driving 30 mph, the windshield wipers failed. However, they began operating again five to ten minutes later. The failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated that rainfall is frequent in his state. No warning indicator lights were present during…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 gmc safari. The current and failure mileage were 160,000. While driving 65 mph on a rainy night the windshield wipers failed causing the contact to be unable to see through the windshield. After swerving to the side of the road almost getting hit the vehicle was parked…
1998 safari van, random failure of windshield wiper motor, there is no pattern to it, it fails intermittently to function, which is kind of a safety concern, since the only time i use the wipers is during a rainstorm, which reduces vision greatly. *nm
1998 gmc safari has died five times and each time there was a loss of brakes and power steering ability.*mr stalled while driving (no start), check fuel system. Perform fuel induction and throttle body clean. R&r old belt, tensioner came apart, replace tensioner and belt to repair. *bf
Other GMC Safari years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Safari | 4 | 0 |
| 2004 Safari | 5 | 0 |
| 2003 Safari | 18 | 1 |
| 2002 Safari | 25 | 1 |
| 2001 Safari | 39 | 1 |
| 2000 Safari | 68 | 0 |
| 1999 Safari | 61 | 1 |
| 1998 | 89 | 3 |
| 1997 Safari | 135 | 4 |
| 1996 Safari | 139 | 4 |
| 1995 Safari | 195 | 3 |
See all GMC Safari problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC Safari?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, visibility, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 12 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 GMC Safari?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 GMC Safari a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Safari model years, the 1998 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.