IllustrationDRIVER COULD NOT AVOID HITTING OTHER VEHICLE DUE TO STEERING LOCKING UP WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES.
1998 GMC Safari
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 GMC Safari do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 30.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Safari years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 17 of 89 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
9 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
89 reportsINTERMITTENTLY THROTTLE STICKS AND VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCELERATE. DEALER HAS CLEANED THROTTLE BODY.*AK
UNIROYAL TIRES SIZE P21575R15 CAME AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON A GMC, SAFARI, 1998. WHILE PARKED IN DRIVEWAY FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED, CAUSING DAMAGES TO FRONT END. GMC AND UNIROYAL WERE CONTACTED.*AK UNIROYAL TIGER PAW P215/75R15, DOT APHFJLIU048. *SLC
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
CONSUMER PULLED UP IN DRIVEWAY WAITING FOR RAIN STORM TO CALM DOWN. VEHICLE WAS OFF AND KEY WAS OUT OF IGNITION. SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF POWER WINDOW CONTROLS ON DRIVER'S SIDE. CONSUMER GOT CHILDREN OUT. TOOK PLYERS AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY. VEHICLE WAS STILL DRIVEABLE. MANAGER IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID GROUND WIRE TOU…
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CONSUMER PULLED UP IN DRIVEWAY WAITING FOR RAIN STORM TO CALM DOWN. VEHICLE WAS OFF AND KEY WAS OUT OF IGNITION. SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF POWER WINDOW CONTROLS ON DRIVER'S SIDE. CONSUMER GOT CHILDREN OUT. TOOK PLYERS AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY. VEHICLE WAS STILL DRIVEABLE. MANAGER IN SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID GROUND WIRE TOUCHED CONTROL WIRES.*AK
BRAKES WERENT WORKING WELL, THEN NOTICED HEATER DIDNT WORK, SPEED ODEMTER DIDNT WORK. TOOK TO GMC REPAIR SHOP, WAS TOLD GMC AS A PROBLEM WITH FUEL INJECTORS LEAKING IN TO DASH OF VEHICLES. LARGE REPAIR BILL. NEEDS NEW WIRING HARNESS, FUEL INJECTORS, METERING BODY NOT SURE WHAT ELSE TIL THEY FIX DASH. RECOMMENDED NOT TO DRIVE …
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BRAKES WERENT WORKING WELL, THEN NOTICED HEATER DIDNT WORK, SPEED ODEMTER DIDNT WORK. TOOK TO GMC REPAIR SHOP, WAS TOLD GMC AS A PROBLEM WITH FUEL INJECTORS LEAKING IN TO DASH OF VEHICLES. LARGE REPAIR BILL. NEEDS NEW WIRING HARNESS, FUEL INJECTORS, METERING BODY NOT SURE WHAT ELSE TIL THEY FIX DASH. RECOMMENDED NOT TO DRIVE MORE DAMAGE WILL OCCOR OR WILL SHORT OUT OTHER THINGS. OR CAUSE A FIRE. GMC WONT BACK UP THEIR VEHICLE. DEBBIE LULL
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 30 MPH HEAD-ON COLLISION IN WHICH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
THIS VAN HAS THE REAR DUTCH DOOR CONFIGURATION (3 SECTIONS). THE ELECTRONIC REAR HATCH LOCK FAILS AND LOCKS ALL THE DOORS WITHOUT WARNING. THE REMOTE LOCKING DEVICE AND THE HARD WIRED LOCKING SWITCHES IN THE DOORS ARE INACTIVATED. THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS WITH A KEY. THIS IS MY SECOND OCCURRENCE.
TENSIONER AND SERPENTINE BELT DISENTEGRATED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKING AND POWER STEERING. NLM
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
303V093000 · Visibility:rearview Mirrors/devices:exterior
Mar 7, 2003
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS, AND PICKUP TRUCKS MAY DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN, IT COULD RESULT IN AN INOPERATIVE SWITCH, HEAT DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER'S DOOR, AND/OR IGNITION OF COMPONENTS IN THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND A SUBSEQUENT VEHICLE FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED JUMPER HARNESS TO THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 24, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
01V123000 · Seat Belts:front:warning Light/devices
Apr 10, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION." THE "FASTEN SAFETY-BELT" AUDIBLE WARNING OCCASIONALLY MAY NOT COME ON OR MAY TERMINATE IN LESS THAN FOUR SECONDS AS REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW ALARM MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 27, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020 OR GMC AT 1-800-462-8782.
99V009000 · Child Seat
Jan 20, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH INTEGRATED DUAL CHILD SEATS. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY BE MISSING A SEAT BELT RETRACTOR CLUTCH SPRING AND/OR PAWL SPRING IN THE CHILD SEAT. IF THE CLUTCH SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT WOULD LOCK IN THE RETRACTED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE USED. IF THE PAWL SPRING WAS MISSING, THE SEAT BELT RESTRAINT WOULD CONTINUALLY PLAY OUT AND WOULD NOT LOCK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THESE CONDITIONS COULD INCREASE THE OCCUPANT'S RISK OF INJURY IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SEAT BELTS ON THE CHILD SEATS, AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE CHILD SEAT.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.