1998 GMC Yukon problems & reliability
80 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Yukon. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (4 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 GMC Yukon vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. 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 | 19 | 24% |
| Visibility | 16 | 20% |
| Steering | 11 | 14% |
| Power Train | 8 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 6% |
| Structure | 4 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 4% |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% |
| Tires | 3 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 4% |
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 97,925 miles (middle 50% between 77,434 and 125,000 miles), based on 36 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I got into a accident. At the intersection of washington st and 2nd st in reno nv. I impacted another car as they went across the intersection. I had the right of way, I impacted the passenger rear end of the other persons vehicle. The main point of impact on my yukon was the passenger side front corner. The accident…”
Air Bags · filed Dec 7, 2019
“Bumper to bumper traffic during rush hour, brakes went to the floor causing about a 10 mph impact into pickup in front of us. Glad we weren't up to speed when the brakes went. Upon further inspection, I have rusted brake lines, and the front crossover line leaking profusely due to corrosion of metal.”
Unknown OR Other · filed May 10, 2015
“My wife was driving down the highway and the truck just lost all power and cut off. She managed to make it to the side of the road and put it in park. It didn't start right away but I a couple of minutes it started back up and we made it home. It has subsequently done this several times now. *tr”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 18, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION
Engineering Analysis EA01018 · opened Dec 20, 2001 · closed Dec 9, 2002
- SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE SEPARATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE01023 · opened Jul 17, 2001 · closed Dec 20, 2001
- ERRATIC POWER STEERING ASSIST WHILE DRIV
Engineering Analysis EA99011 · opened May 12, 1999 · closed Feb 27, 2001
Technical service bulletins
43 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 GMC Yukon. 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 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
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
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 Yukon 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 Yukon?
- · 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 97,925 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.