IllustrationWHILE DRIVING CONSUMER STEPPED ON BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP OR REDUCE SPEED, INSTEAD, IT RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO, FRONT BRAKES PREMATURELY WORE OUT, AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 18000 MILES. *AK
1998 GMC Sierra 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 GMC Sierra 1500 are lower than the model-year median of 181.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sierra 1500 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
30–25K
325–50K
850–75K
975–100K
9100–150K
6150K+
38 reports with mileage · 21 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports2 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
59 reportsNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
GAS GAUGE ACTED ERRATICALLY. WARMING UP VEHICLE WHILE SITTING IN IDLING POSITION FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND ALL OF SUDDEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE. VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING, SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM AROUND THE FUEL TANK. CONTACTED DEALER. STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRING HARNESS THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL TANK HAD A …
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GAS GAUGE ACTED ERRATICALLY. WARMING UP VEHICLE WHILE SITTING IN IDLING POSITION FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND ALL OF SUDDEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE. VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING, SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM AROUND THE FUEL TANK. CONTACTED DEALER. STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WAS TOLD THAT THE WIRING HARNESS THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE FUEL TANK HAD A SHORT, IT WAS MELTED. *AK *ML
INTERMITTENTLY STEERING WHEEL BECOMES LOOSE, AND IT WILL STEER EITHER TO THE LEFT OR TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WHERE THE BRAKES HAVE TO BE APPLIED QUICK AND HARD IN TRAFFIC OR ON TURNS WHERE THE ROAD IS SOMEWHAT SLIGHTLY BUMPY OR ROUGH AND THE BRAKES WILL CHATTER AND BUZZ, THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. ON THE APRIL 1999 INCIDENT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED IN A TURN LANE TO ENTE…
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I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WHERE THE BRAKES HAVE TO BE APPLIED QUICK AND HARD IN TRAFFIC OR ON TURNS WHERE THE ROAD IS SOMEWHAT SLIGHTLY BUMPY OR ROUGH AND THE BRAKES WILL CHATTER AND BUZZ, THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. ON THE APRIL 1999 INCIDENT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED IN A TURN LANE TO ENTER A FREEWAY AND I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES QUICK AND HARD. WELL THEY AGAIN RATTLED AND BUZZED, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE TRUCK DID NOT STOP. I IN TURN BUMPED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR. MY TRUCK INSTEAD SUFFERED TO AN OVERINFLATED BODY SHOP BILL TO THE TUNE OF #3,000.00. THE SELLING DEALER DID THE BODY REPAIRS AND CHECKED THE BRAKES. MR. RON BYARS SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE BRAKES, AFTER WE BOTH TEST DROVE THE TRUCK AND DUPLICATED THE NO STOP CONDITION ON HARD BRAKE APPLICATION AT SLOW SPEEDS, THAT THIS IS A NORMAL CONDITION WITH ABS BRAKES ON THESE PICK UPS. MR. BYARS ALSO SAID HIS DEMO WAS WORSE THAN MY TRUCK. HE ALSO STATED THERE WAS A CHECK OUT DONE WHERE HE FOUND NO CODES OR PROBLEMS. I HAD ALSO EXPLAINED TO MR. BYARS THAT ON MOST OCCASIONS WHERE I HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR THE FRONT BRAKES WOULD DRAG. TO RELEASE THEM I HAD TO STOP, BACK UP HITTING THE BRAKES AND THEY WOULD RELEASE. THIS CONDITION HAS DAMAGED MY BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS. HE IS TELLING ME GM CAN DO NOTHING TO FIX MY TRUCK. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, SOMEONE KILLED OR BADLY INJURED BEFORE GM OPENS THEIR EYES. I NEED HELP.
WITNESSED CARL BLACK DEALERSHIP COVER-UP SAFETY PROBLEMS TOO MYSELF AND MANY CUSTOMERS IN MY MANY HOURS IN THIER DEALERSHIP (THEY ROUTINELY CALL SAFETY PROBLEMS AS "NORMAL "TO THEIR CUSTOMERS THIS INCLUDES PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES AND STEERING. THEIR CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT THEIR PROBLEMS WHERE NOT "NORMAL" *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN EMERGENCY STOPPING IT APPEARS AS IF THE PRESSURE APPLIED IS INSUFFICIENT AND THE PEDAL NEARLY GOES TO THE FLOOR, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT TRACKS WEAR OUT EVERY 3-4 MONTHS - CAUSES LOOSE SEAT - WHEN STOPPING CAUSES DRIVER TO SLIDE FORWARD MAKIING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL VEHICLE. THE RELEASE LEVERS ON BOTH SIDES OF FRONT SEAT HAVE TORN HOLES IN SIDES OF THE SEAT. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT CONTINUES TO TIGHTEN UP WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS... SO P…
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DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT TRACKS WEAR OUT EVERY 3-4 MONTHS - CAUSES LOOSE SEAT - WHEN STOPPING CAUSES DRIVER TO SLIDE FORWARD MAKIING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL VEHICLE. THE RELEASE LEVERS ON BOTH SIDES OF FRONT SEAT HAVE TORN HOLES IN SIDES OF THE SEAT. THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT CONTINUES TO TIGHTEN UP WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS... SO PERSON RELEASED BELT TO PUT BACK ON WHICH CAN CAUSE INJURY IF AN ACCIDENT HAPPENS AT THIS TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT TOO BAD THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE SO IF YOU WANT TO PUT IN A BABY SEAT. UNLESS THE BELT IS PULLED ALL THE WAY OUT IT IS NOT SUPPOSE TO TIGHTEN UP ON ITS OWN.,BUT ROUGH ROADS WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN. *AK
VEHICLE HAS ABS BRAKES. WHILE PULLING VEHICLE INTO GARAGE WENT TO APPLY BRAKES AND VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR. CAUSE OF PROBLEM UNKNOWN. *AK
Official recalls
298V187000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly
Aug 10, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CREW CAB PICKUP TRUCKS. THE FRONT, INNER CORNER OF THE FUEL TANK CAN CONTACT THE BODY SILL EITHER INTERMITTENTLY OR CONSTANTLY. THIS MOVEMENT CAN CAUSE A DISCERNIBLE NOISE AND, OVER TIME, CAN WEAR A HOLE IN OR CRACK THE FUEL TANK AT POINT OF CONTACT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE AND A DISTINCT FUEL ODOR IF THE TANK WERE FILLED ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE HOLE OR CRACK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD RESULT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL TANK FOR WEAR AND, EITHER INSTALL A SPACER BETWEEN THE FUEL TANK AND THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER, OR IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FUEL TANK.
98V033000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor
Feb 17, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. ONE OR BOTH FRONT BRAKE ROTOR/HUBS WERE BUILT WITH AN OUT-OF-SPECIFICATION GRAY IRON THAT CAN FAIL DURING THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A DRIVER CONTINUES TO DRIVE WITH A CRACKED ROTOR, THE CRACKS COULD CONTINUE AROUND THE WHEEL MOUNTING BOLT CIRCLE AND ULTIMATELY RESULT IN A WHEEL SEPARATION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ROTORS FOR A CORE DATE OF "287" AND, IF FOUND, REPLACE THE ROTOR.
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.