1998 GMC Jimmy problems & reliability
238 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Jimmy. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
12 complaints report injuries (15 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 81 | 34% |
| Electrical System | 33 | 14% |
| Power Train | 30 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 29 | 12% |
| Suspension | 25 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 20 | 8% |
| Steering | 16 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 15 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 5% |
| Seats | 11 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 72,000 miles (middle 50% between 58,000 and 99,653 miles), based on 67 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 lose of steering…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 26, 2016
“The first time it happened, I started the vehicle and left the parking lot, stopped at a stop sign, proceeded into the roadway and engine died. Everything went off - all power all electrical. I had just purchased the vehicle second hand and the owner told me later that she had battery problems, but she put in a new…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 13, 2014
“I have a gmc jimmy that is experiencing multiple dashboard failures. When I fill the gas tank the gauge goes to empty, then when I drive a while it goes to full and then back to empty. I never have a partially full reading. Also the air bag light comes off and on. My oil pressure gauge reves up and down like I am out…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 9, 2011
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
76 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Jimmy. The 10 most recent:
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 31, 2020
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 18, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 5, 2019
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17NA073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 15, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to…
PIC4696C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 31, 2018
This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8…
PIP4723C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2017
This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 15, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 GMC Jimmy in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 GMC Jimmy?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 72,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.