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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

What owners actually said

238 reports
Mileage unknown · Apr 18, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

CONSUMER RECENTLY HAD VEHICLE SERVICED CONCERNING COLLANT CORROSION, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT THE RESERVOIR FOR THE COLLANT WAS RUSTED AND INSTEAD OF AN ORANGE COLOR IT WAS A GREENISH COLOR, THEREFORE COOLANT HAD TO BE FLUSHED OUT AND NEW COOLANT ADDED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #560841

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2001
Service Brakes, HydraulicWheels

WHEEL HIT A BUMP AND FONT BRAKES AND BACK BRAKES RELEASED, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #884267

Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES IN A PANIC STOP BRAKE PEDAL GRADUALLY GOES TO FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #884202

Mileage unknown · Mar 14, 2001
Electrical SystemService Brakes, Hydraulic

IGNITION SWITCH: GAUGES WENT TO ZERO, ALL IDIOT LIGHTS CAME ON, CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC ON BUSY HIGHWAY, NARROWLY ESCAPED ACCIDENT WHEN GAUGES CAME BACK ON, IDIOT LIGHTS WENT OUT, AND ENGINE ACCELERATED NORMALLY. DID THIS AGAIN IN OUR DRIVEWAY TWICE THE NEXT WEEK. TOOK TO DEALER, MACK BROWN INC., IN BOONE, …

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IGNITION SWITCH: GAUGES WENT TO ZERO, ALL IDIOT LIGHTS CAME ON, CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC ON BUSY HIGHWAY, NARROWLY ESCAPED ACCIDENT WHEN GAUGES CAME BACK ON, IDIOT LIGHTS WENT OUT, AND ENGINE ACCELERATED NORMALLY. DID THIS AGAIN IN OUR DRIVEWAY TWICE THE NEXT WEEK. TOOK TO DEALER, MACK BROWN INC., IN BOONE, NC, NOT THE SELLING DEALER, CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME. THEY KEPT IT SEVERAL DAYS AND CALLED TO SAY IT WAS FIXED. WHEN WENT TO PICK UP VEHICLE, I ASKED WHAT THEY HAD REPLACED, AND THEY ADMITTED THEY HAD DONE NOTHING, AND SAID THE DIAGNOSIS COMPUTER SHOWED SO MANY POTENTIAL PROBLEMS THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO REPLACE FIRST. I TOLD THEM TO KEEP IT UNTIL IT WAS FIXED, THAT I WASN'T PUTTING MY KIDS IN IT UNTIL IT WAS FIXED, AND GOT IN MY OLDER AND HIGHER MILEAGE MERCEDES WHICH HAS NEVER HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM, AND LEFT. THEY KEPT IT A COUPLE MORE DAYS AND DECIDED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH, WHICH THEY SAID HAD CAUSED SIMILAR SYMPTOMS IN MANY FULL SIZE GM PICKUPS THEY HAD SEEN, BUT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A JIMMY WITH THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THE IGNITION SWITCH IN BOTH MODELS WAS THE SAME PART, THOUGH. THE CAR HAS NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM SINCE. UNRELATED BRAKE PROBLEM, BRAKE PEDAL WOULD SUDDENLY BE HARD, AS IF WITH NO POWER ASSIST. BACK TO MACK BROWN, INC., WHO DIAGNOSED IT AS A CLOGGED PCV VALVE. PROBLEM HAS NOT RECURRED. ALSO, FOR A YEAR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE ON EVEN THE SLIGHTEST INCLINE, DESPITE MACK BROWN, INC. AND TWO INDEPENDENT GARAGES ADJUSTING IT ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #742409

Mileage unknown · Mar 9, 2001
Seats

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND CONSUMER'S WIFE WENT INSIDE OF VEHICLE TO ADJUST SEAT, LEVER RECLINER LEVEL SNAPPED, AND DRIVER'S SEAT WENT BACK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK THE LEVER MECHANISM ARE CONSTRUCTED OF BRITTLE MATERIAL AND EASILY SNAP OFF. THE MANUFACTURER POINTED OUT THAT THE FAILURES ARE COMMON BUT NOT RECALLED. *Y…

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VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND CONSUMER'S WIFE WENT INSIDE OF VEHICLE TO ADJUST SEAT, LEVER RECLINER LEVEL SNAPPED, AND DRIVER'S SEAT WENT BACK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK THE LEVER MECHANISM ARE CONSTRUCTED OF BRITTLE MATERIAL AND EASILY SNAP OFF. THE MANUFACTURER POINTED OUT THAT THE FAILURES ARE COMMON BUT NOT RECALLED. *YH

NHTSA ODI #882630

Mileage unknown · Mar 2, 2001
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicSuspension

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED. THIS CAUSED WHEELS TO BECOME LOOSE. VEHICLE MADE A LOUD TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC WHO INDICATED BEARINGS COULD HAVE SHEARED OFF. *AK ABS BRAKE FAILED. ALSO, U-JOINT FAILED CAUSING GRINDING NOISE AND VIBRATION. *YH

NHTSA ODI #881990

Mileage unknown · Mar 1, 2001
Engine And Engine Cooling

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #741751

Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2001
Latches/locks/linkages

YOUR FORM WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO CORRECTLY FILL OUT THE INFORMATION FOR MY PROBLEMS. THE CAR CAN BE OFF OR RUNNING AT ANY SPEED FOR ME TO HAVE LOCK PROBLEMS. I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEMS SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED FOR OVER TWO YEARS IN SPITE OF THE DEALER HAVING REPEATEDLY TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS. AL…

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YOUR FORM WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO CORRECTLY FILL OUT THE INFORMATION FOR MY PROBLEMS. THE CAR CAN BE OFF OR RUNNING AT ANY SPEED FOR ME TO HAVE LOCK PROBLEMS. I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEMS SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY HAVE CONTINUED FOR OVER TWO YEARS IN SPITE OF THE DEALER HAVING REPEATEDLY TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS. ALL MY DOOR AND REAR HATCH LOCKS HAVE FAILED HUNDREDS OF TIMES IN SPITE OF MY RETURNING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES. THE HATCH CAN POP OPEN IF I MERELY CLOSE ANOTHER DOOR. IT CAN POP OPEN IF I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. FREQUENTLY WHEN I AM DRIVING THE LOCKS WILL POP BACK OPEN IF I TRY TO LOCK THEM.THE LOCKS FAIL MANY TIMES WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING IN SPITE OF MY HAVING TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES AND THE DEALER HAVING TRIED TO FIX IT MANY TIMES. THE DEALER DOES NOT APPEAR CAPABLE OF FIXING THE LOCKS. SUPPOSEDLY THE REAR HATCH LOCK HAS BEEN CHANGED SEVERAL TIMES BUT IT STILL POPS OPEN ON ITS OWN. *AK

NHTSA ODI #740551

Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2001
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CONSUMER STATES BRAKES FELT FUNNY, DEALER DIAGNOSED LEFT FRONT WHEEL SENSOR WAS FAULTY AND PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED, HOWEVER VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, CONSUMER HAD 3 MORE BRAKE FAILURES, ONE RESULTING IN A MINOR ACCIDENT WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE, DEALER REPLACED THE SENSOR AND BRAKE BOOSTER. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #559519

Mileage unknown · Feb 6, 2001
Visibility

TOOK CAR IN FOR REPAIRS ON 01/30/01 WINDOWS FOGGING UP. GOT CALL FROM DEALER 02/01/01 CAR READY FOR PICKUP THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. RECEIPT SAID: PRESSURE TEST COOLANT SYSTEM-NO LEAKS DETECTED DEFROSTER SYSTEM OPERATING TO FACTORY SPECS. PICKED CAR UP 02/01/01 WINDOWS FOGGING UP AND BAD ODOR IN CAR. RETURNED CAR 02…

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TOOK CAR IN FOR REPAIRS ON 01/30/01 WINDOWS FOGGING UP. GOT CALL FROM DEALER 02/01/01 CAR READY FOR PICKUP THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. RECEIPT SAID: PRESSURE TEST COOLANT SYSTEM-NO LEAKS DETECTED DEFROSTER SYSTEM OPERATING TO FACTORY SPECS. PICKED CAR UP 02/01/01 WINDOWS FOGGING UP AND BAD ODOR IN CAR. RETURNED CAR 02/02/01 WINDOWS FOGGING UP BAD ODOR. GOT CALL 02/05/01 CAR NEEDS HEATER COIL AND COOLANT FLUSH. MY CAR IS NOT VERY OLD BUT THIS IS THE SECOND MAJOR PART TO GO BAD. (TRANSMISSION WAS FIRST) *AK

NHTSA ODI #740528

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.