1998 GMC Savana Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Savana years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 GMC Savana. That ranks 5th out of 31 Savana model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (9 complaints, 27%), typically at around 53,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 fire. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
- 33owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 GMC Savana 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 | 9 | 27% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 18% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 15% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 12% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 6% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 3% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 GMC Savana recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. One or both front brake rotor/hubs were built with an out-of-specification gray iron that can fail during the life of the vehicle.
Risk: If a driver continues to drive with a cracked rotor, the cracks could continue around the wheel mounting bolt circle and ultimately result in a wheel separation.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rotors for a core date of "287" and, if found, replace the rotor.
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.
GM theft system engaged leaving me stranded multiple times including on a remote mountain side. I was only able to get a cell signal by walking a few KM's down the road in the middle of the night to call for help. When I was able to get a hold of the dealer in the morning, they instructed me on how…
Dt*: the contact stated the abs engages at low speeds of 5mph and below. This primarily happens while stopping the vehicle. There is a nhtsa recall # 05v379000 concerning the abs. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin…
Dt the vehicle caught on fire. Had not contacted gmc at this point. This happened on july 18, 2005. Vehicle was burned completely by the time the fire department got there. The vehicle started slowing down, pulled over, and the fire was under the bottom around catalytic converter. *ak
The hinges onthe side doors are breaking causing the doors to bind and not able to open.you cant get in or out of the van using the side doors. Fist the inside door banels bound on each other and were torn off.*ak the hinges are welded to the gmc van. I cant replace them.
The cable which controlled the side passenger door broke.*mr. Three months later the cable which held the spare tire broke. *ts *jb
Other GMC Savana years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Savana | 0 | 3 |
| 2025 Savana | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 Savana | 0 | 2 |
| 2022 Savana | 2 | 2 |
| 2021 Savana | 2 | 3 |
| 2020 Savana | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 Savana | 5 | 5 |
| 2018 Savana | 3 | 7 |
| 2017 Savana | 7 | 6 |
| 2016 Savana | 6 | 7 |
| 2015 Savana | 2 | 4 |
| 2014 Savana | 1 | 7 |
| 2013 Savana | 2 | 9 |
| 2012 Savana | 3 | 7 |
| 2011 Savana | 1 | 5 |
| 2010 Savana | 3 | 4 |
| 2009 Savana | 2 | 8 |
| 2008 Savana | 3 | 7 |
| 2007 Savana | 6 | 3 |
| 2006 Savana | 7 | 7 |
| 2005 Savana | 13 | 5 |
| 2004 Savana | 12 | 7 |
| 2003 Savana | 22 | 11 |
| 2002 Savana | 12 | 0 |
| 2001 Savana | 19 | 0 |
| 2000 Savana | 49 | 2 |
| 1999 Savana | 49 | 1 |
| 1998 | 33 | 1 |
| 1997 Savana | 46 | 1 |
| 1996 Savana | 35 | 2 |
| 1995 Savana | 2 | 0 |
See all GMC Savana problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC Savana?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, air bags, tires problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 9 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 GMC Savana?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 GMC Savana a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Savana model years, the 1998 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.