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1998 GMC Jimmy

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

68 reports with mileage · 170 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Visibility. Review the 81 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports3 fire reports12 injury reports

Visibility complaints

81 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 28, 2004
Visibility

I HAVE A 1998 GMC S-15 JIMMY. I'VE HAD A PERIODIC PROBLEM WITH MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT WORKING. SOMETIMES THEY WON'T COME ON AT ALL WHEN I NEED THEM; AT OTHER TIMES THEY'RE WORKING AND STOP WORKING WHILE I'M DRIVING IN THE RAIN. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND HAS LEFT ME STRANDED IN PLACES WAITING FOR THEM TO START WORKING …

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I HAVE A 1998 GMC S-15 JIMMY. I'VE HAD A PERIODIC PROBLEM WITH MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT WORKING. SOMETIMES THEY WON'T COME ON AT ALL WHEN I NEED THEM; AT OTHER TIMES THEY'RE WORKING AND STOP WORKING WHILE I'M DRIVING IN THE RAIN. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND HAS LEFT ME STRANDED IN PLACES WAITING FOR THEM TO START WORKING AGAIN. AT OTHER TIMES I'VE HAD TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITHOUT WIPERS UNTIL I COULD FIND A PLACE TO PULL OVER. I SEE FROM INTERNET FORUMS THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. IN FACT, GM RECALLED 1994-1997 MODELS TO REPLACE THE CIRCUIT BOARD. HOWEVER, THE 1998 MODEL HAS THE SAME PARTS AND THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING. THE DEALER WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THEM, NOR WILL GM CUSTOMER SERVICE. I'M HAVING THIS REPAIRED AT MY OWN EXPENSE, BUT THAT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE MORE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES BEFORE A PERSON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT REPAIRED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10082853

40,000 miles · Jul 28, 2004
Visibility

1998 GMC JIMMY, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING IN THE RAIN. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THIS SITUATION HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, THEY STOP WORKING THEN SOMETIMES THEY START UP AGAIN. IT IS SO BAD I DON'T TRUST THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE IT IN THE RAIN. IT IS TERRIFYING TO LOSE THEM IN PARKWAY/TURNPIKE DRIVING OF 65 MPH. THIS DEFECT WILL CAUS…

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1998 GMC JIMMY, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOP WORKING IN THE RAIN. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. THIS SITUATION HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, THEY STOP WORKING THEN SOMETIMES THEY START UP AGAIN. IT IS SO BAD I DON'T TRUST THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE IT IN THE RAIN. IT IS TERRIFYING TO LOSE THEM IN PARKWAY/TURNPIKE DRIVING OF 65 MPH. THIS DEFECT WILL CAUSE ACCIDENTS. WHY WAS THE RECALL STOPPED IN 1997 & THE PROBLEM NEVER CORRECTED?*AK

NHTSA ODI #10082837

100,000 miles · Jul 20, 2004
Visibility

WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED TO WORK. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10083311

5,500 miles · Jun 30, 2004
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING WHILE ENGAGED. IN SOME CASES WINDSHIELD WIPER WILL RESTART WITHIN SECONDS. WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCURRED IT REDUCED THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SWITCH.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10080176

60,000 miles · Jun 30, 2004
Visibility

ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY WINDSHIELD WIPER KEEPS FAILING. IT'S ALMOST 100% GUARANTEED TO FAIL DURING ANY RAIN. IT ALSO FAILS WHEN USING THE WINDSHIELD WASHER. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AS I DO ONLY HIGHWAY DRIVING EVERY DAY. I KNOW THAT PREVIOUS YEARS HAD THE RECALL, YET THE 1998 HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED FOR FIX. I REALIZED THIS WAS…

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ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY WINDSHIELD WIPER KEEPS FAILING. IT'S ALMOST 100% GUARANTEED TO FAIL DURING ANY RAIN. IT ALSO FAILS WHEN USING THE WINDSHIELD WASHER. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AS I DO ONLY HIGHWAY DRIVING EVERY DAY. I KNOW THAT PREVIOUS YEARS HAD THE RECALL, YET THE 1998 HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED FOR FIX. I REALIZED THIS WAS A PROBLEM DURING THE FIRST RAIN AFTER I PURCHASED MY VECHICLE 2 1/2 YEARS AGO. I HOPE GM IS WILLING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SOON. I AM SINCERLY CONSIDERING CONVERTING TO ANOTHER MAKER.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10079053

102,000 miles · Apr 11, 2004
Visibility

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY 1998 GMC JIMMY ARE SPORADICALLY NOT WORKING. WHEN THEY ARE TURNED ON THEY WILL WIPE HALF MY WINDSHIELD THEN STOP THEN I HAVE TO TURN OFF MY WIPER BLADES AND TURN THEM BACK ON TO WIPE TO THE FULL EXTENT OF MY WINDSHIELD WHICH IS WHERE THEY WILL STOP AGAIN AND MUST REPEAT THIS PROCESS SEVERAL TIMES TO G…

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THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY 1998 GMC JIMMY ARE SPORADICALLY NOT WORKING. WHEN THEY ARE TURNED ON THEY WILL WIPE HALF MY WINDSHIELD THEN STOP THEN I HAVE TO TURN OFF MY WIPER BLADES AND TURN THEM BACK ON TO WIPE TO THE FULL EXTENT OF MY WINDSHIELD WHICH IS WHERE THEY WILL STOP AGAIN AND MUST REPEAT THIS PROCESS SEVERAL TIMES TO GET A COMPLETE WIPE. MY WIPERS TOO WILL FAIL TO STOP WIPING EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TURNED THE SWITCH TO THE OFF POSITION. IT HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE AS TIME AS WORN ON. I HAVE HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT TIMES AND COMPLETELY TURN MY JIMMY OFF TO GET THE BLADES TO STOP. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM, THE BLADES WILL ALSO FAIL TO STOP WHEN I CLEAN MY WINDSHIELD WITH THE WASHER FLUID. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT GM DID A RECALL ON 1994-1997 JIMMYS FOR THIS ISSUE, I HAVE ALSO READ THAT SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 1998 JIMMYS. I BELIEVE THAT GM NEED TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE 1998 JIMMYS AS THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I FOUND MYSELF STUCK BETWEEN AN 18 WHEELER AND A CEMENT BUMPER RIGHT AFTER IT HAD RAINED AND MY WIPERS FAILED TO WORK WHICH CAUSED MY VISION TO BE EXTREMELY IMPAIRED AND I WAS TRYING TO GET THE WIPERS TO WORK SO THAT I COULD SEE AND NEAR SLAMMED INTO THE CEMENT BUMPER. WHILE THIS DIDN'T RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT IT VERY EASILY COULD HAVE. I AM REQUESTING FOR SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ISSUES AS I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURER RELATED PROBLEM, AND SINCE THEIR HAS ALSO BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS SAME ISSUE FOR THE MODEL YEAR EARLIER. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10065922

72,000 miles · Mar 11, 2004
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10062985

Mileage unknown · Mar 1, 2004
Visibility

WHEN WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE ON INTERMITENT WIPE THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY JUST KEEP WIPING AS IF THEY WERE ON LOW/NO INTERMITENT. WHEN I TRY TO TURN THEM OFF, THEY JUST KEEP ON GOING FOR A GOOD 10 WIPES, OR SOMETIMES EVEN MORE. VEHICLE HAS 50,000 MILES ON IT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10060096

75,000 miles · Feb 19, 2004
EquipmentVisibility

WINDSHIELD WASHER MOTOR

NHTSA ODI #10058475

57,000 miles · Feb 19, 2004
Visibility

WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE PART WAS REPLACED PREVIOUSLY BEFORE HE TOOK OWNERSHIP. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10055601

Official recalls

2

98V053000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

Mar 9, 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH 4-WHEEL DRIVE OR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE. ONE OR BOTH OF THE ATTACHING NUTS FOR THE RIGHT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM ARE UNDER TORQUED. THIS CAN ALLOW THE ATTACHMENT BOLT TO LOOSEN AND SUBSEQUENT BREAK RESULTING IN SEPARATION OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM FROM THE FRAME.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND RETIGHTEN THE RIGHT-HAND LOWER CONTROL ARM NUTS TO THE PROPER TORQUE SPECIFICATION.

97V218000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Nov 24, 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE REAR AXLE RIGHT-HAND BRAKE PIPE CAN OCCUR CAUSING A SLOW BRAKE FLUID LEAK RESULTING IN A SOFT BRAKE PEDAL. IF THE BRAKE PIPE BREAKS, THE DRIVER WOULD EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN DROP IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BRAKE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE, AND THERE WOULD BE A LOSS OF REAR BRAKE PERFORMANCE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: PARTIAL LOSS OF BRAKING AT A TIME WHEN MINIMUM STOPPING DISTANCE WAS REQUIRED COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE BRAKE PIPE.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.