1998 GMC Sierra 1500 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sierra 1500 years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 30th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 59 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500. That ranks 30th out of 32 Sierra 1500 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (15 complaints, 25%), typically at around 76,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 59owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 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 | 15 | 25% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 11 | 19% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 12% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 10% | 55,210 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 7% | 163,495 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 7% | 110,213 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 5% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 2% | 33,328 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 2% | 167,525 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 GMC Sierra 1500 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: crew cab pickup trucks. The front, inner corner of the fuel tank can contact the body sill either intermittently or constantly. This movement can cause a discernible noise and, over time, can wear a hole in or crack the fuel tank at point of contact.
Risk: This condition can result in fuel leakage and a distinct fuel odor if the tank were filled above the level of the hole or crack. In the presence of an ignition source, a fire could result.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel tank for wear and, either install a spacer between the fuel tank and the front crossmember, or if necessary, replace the fuel tank.
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.
The dash is busted in several pieces and places.
While traversing a freeway overpass going 60 to 65 mph the truck suddenly lurched to the left. Fortunately no immediate traffic on my left. Really frightened me. After much research i discovered that a component (circuit board) of the new "speed sensitive" power steering could fail, making the…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 gmc sierra 1500. While the contact was seated in the vehicle, the passenger side air bag deployed inadvertently. When the contact exited the vehicle, the driver's side air bag deployed without warning or an impact. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 gmc sierra 1500. While driving approximately 35 mph, a deer ran in front of the vehicle. The contact crashed into the deer. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the vehicle needed a…
"takata recall" on 02/17/2015 i [xxx] was involved in a single passenger (me) mva at "the macinac bridge" on the north side of the mackinac bridge rolling my truck into the toll booths located on the north end of the macinac bridge in the city of st ignace, mackinac county, michigan. The weather…
Other GMC Sierra 1500 years
← 1997 Sierra 1500 · 1999 Sierra 1500 →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sierra 1500 | 142 | 2 |
| 2025 Sierra 1500 | 119 | 1 |
| 2024 Sierra 1500 | 368 | 1 |
| 2023 Sierra 1500 | 490 | 3 |
| 2022 Sierra 1500 | 594 | 6 |
| 2021 Sierra 1500 | 587 | 7 |
| 2020 Sierra 1500 | 479 | 12 |
| 2019 Sierra 1500 | 653 | 10 |
| 2018 Sierra 1500 | 305 | 7 |
| 2017 Sierra 1500 | 354 | 6 |
| 2016 Sierra 1500 | 343 | 8 |
| 2015 Sierra 1500 | 719 | 9 |
| 2014 Sierra 1500 | 742 | 9 |
| 2013 Sierra 1500 | 116 | 3 |
| 2012 Sierra 1500 | 107 | 3 |
| 2011 Sierra 1500 | 284 | 5 |
| 2010 Sierra 1500 | 168 | 4 |
| 2009 Sierra 1500 | 234 | 4 |
| 2008 Sierra 1500 | 381 | 2 |
| 2007 Sierra 1500 | 263 | 2 |
| 2006 Sierra 1500 | 145 | 0 |
| 2005 Sierra 1500 | 177 | 0 |
| 2004 Sierra 1500 | 212 | 2 |
| 2003 Sierra 1500 | 180 | 1 |
| 2002 Sierra 1500 | 166 | 1 |
| 2001 Sierra 1500 | 140 | 2 |
| 2000 Sierra 1500 | 181 | 1 |
| 1999 Sierra 1500 | 158 | 1 |
| 1998 | 59 | 2 |
| 1997 Sierra 1500 | 83 | 3 |
| 1996 Sierra 1500 | 5 | 0 |
| 1995 Sierra 1500 | 3 | 0 |
See all GMC Sierra 1500 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 Sierra 1500?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, visibility, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 15 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sierra 1500 model years, the 1998 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.