1998 GMC Safari problems & reliability
89 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Safari, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. 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.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 GMC Safari vehicles were involved in 1 fatal crash with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 13% |
| Visibility | 10 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 10% |
| Power Train | 8 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 7% |
| Steering | 6 | 7% |
| Suspension | 6 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 6% |
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.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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”
Service Brakes · filed Feb 4, 2014
“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 or after the failure…”
Visibility · filed Jul 3, 2007
“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 until it stopped…”
Visibility · filed May 2, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
62 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Safari. The 10 most recent:
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2023
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 communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 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…
PIP4723F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 14, 2022
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2020
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 informational bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Procedures to Unlock Delco Radio with Theftlock.
19NA273 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 2, 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…
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
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
The 1998 GMC Safari has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 Safari?
- · 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.