1998 GMC Sierra 1500 problems & reliability
59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500. 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.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 15 | 25% |
| Visibility → | 11 | 19% |
| Power Train | 7 | 12% |
| Steering | 6 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 7% |
| Structure | 4 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 3% |
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 81,000 miles (middle 50% between 60,000 and 120,000 miles), based on 37 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 truck think it was going…”
Steering · filed Feb 26, 2020
“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 repaired. The…”
Air Bags · filed Jun 24, 2019
“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 front end alignment…”
Air Bags · filed Nov 28, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
19 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500. 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 service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive.
04-06-04-051F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 22, 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 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.
PIT3665H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2019
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.
PIT3665G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 13, 2019
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about a customer?s request to remove or disable the Bi-Fuel Compressed Natural Gas system. General Motors does not condone the removal of…
PIP5339A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2019
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.
PIT3665F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2018
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 Sierra 1500 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 Sierra 1500?
- · 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 81,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.