After getting an oil change I was informed of a leak in my oil pan, as I got home the next morning I noticed that my car leaked out all the oil in the car resulting from a fault o-ring seal, also now having problems with the suspension as my idler arm is about to snap at any moment resulting in the lose of steering for the car. The car was taken to a mechanic before I purchased it and only one bushing was replaced instead of all of them at the same time, also the mechanic improperly replaced the front shocks as instead of replacing the grease bearings the mechanic used bolts to assemble and hold them in place resulting in an annoying sqeak in the front end of the car since the shocks cant be properly greased as there are not grease fittings.
The worst 1998 GMC Jimmy problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Visibility81
- Electrical33
- Brakes31
- Transmission30
- Suspension25
- Engine20
- Steering16
- Airbags15
- Lights12
- Seats11
- Acceleration6
- Fuel system6
- Body5
- Tires4
- Wheels4
- Locks3
- Seat belts2
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 GMC Jimmy
Wipers 65Pulling 13ABS 12No deployment 9Ball joint 8Loss of power 7Brake failure 6Headlights 6
Recalls 2
Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 98V053000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 97V218000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 GMC Jimmy 76
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy...
- Fuel system, gasoline
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Equipment
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Fuel system, other: storage: fuel gauge system
- Power train: automatic transmission: torque converter
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Vehicle Recalls
1998 GMC Jimmy fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 6‑cyl | RWD | 14-16 | 20-21 | 16-18 |
| 4.3L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 14 | 19 | 16 |
What 1998 GMC Jimmy owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The first time it happened, I started the vehicle and left the parking lot, stopped at a stop sign, proceeded into the roadway and engine died. Everything went off - all power all electrical. I had just purchased the vehicle second hand and the owner told me later that she had battery problems, but she put in a new battery. The dealer could not fix it. My husband figured it was the ignition switch. I kept the car for twelve years and had to change it twice, plus the initial repair was warrantied. When it first occurred in 2000 I looked for a recall, but there was none. I remember the previous owner had a very large keychain, and we did figure out on our own to carry a single key, but after about 5-6 years you still need to change the ignition, you can tell cause the electronics start going wacky in the vehicle. Then it won't start, like you think its the battery. It is sad that people died from this and that gmc cannot admit that this has been going on, I know since 1998. I now know why I got such a good deal on the vehicle, that person could have killed me, by not telling me the truth!
I have a gmc jimmy that is experiencing multiple dashboard failures. When I fill the gas tank the gauge goes to empty, then when I drive a while it goes to full and then back to empty. I never have a partially full reading. Also the air bag light comes off and on. My oil pressure gauge reves up and down like I am out of oil. I pull off the road and check and the oil is fine. I am not sure what to do about this. I took it to the gm dealer and they want more than I can afford just to look at it and can't guarantee anything. I did pay $85 to put it on the diagnostic tester but this never showed up. Please help!
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 gmc jimmy. While driving approximately 25 MPH the spare tire detached from the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the hoist that held the spare tire in place underneath the vehicle was corroded and caused the spare tire to disengage. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing; however, the dealer was called and stated the spare tire hoist would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
Abs activates at or below 5mph on dry roads/pavement while attempting to stop vehicle. Occurs often while attempting to stop at stop signs/lights or parking areas posing danger to other vehicles.
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 gmc jimmy. While driving approximately 75 MPH in rainy weather conditions, the front and rear windshield wipers would not work when activated. The driver experienced extremely limited visibility and had to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road. He had to wait until the rain slacked up before driving the vehicle to his destination. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 141,000.
I was driving a 1998gmc jimmy from oklahoma city, ok to walters, ok. Everything was great and the car was driving perfectly. I was on the he bailey turnpike on highway marker 30 - I could see the sign and pull off for the faxon exit and the big sign for walters. A few wisps of white smoke appeared and then heavy grey smoke started to billow into my face through the right side vent of the driver's seat. I started to cough and couldn't see so I pulled over to the shoulder of the road. As I got out of the car, I pulled the hood release and ran to the front of the vehicles. Under the hood, half of the engine bay was already burned away - like the bottle for anti-freeze and hoses.... The whole engine bay was on fire. The car was gone at that point - there was no way to save it. I ran to the passenger front seat and grabbed a basket that had my census id and I threw it away from the car. I grabbed some cds then too, but they were on fire. The dash was on fire and was spreading into the front seat. I threw the cds in the dirt to extinguish the fire. I grabbed the passenger side door of the back seat and grabbed a hamper with presents for my daughter. I ran to the other side back seat and grabbed the legal papers of census applicants - they were on fire and I snuffed out the fire in the dirt. I grabbed my jean jacket with my military id and driver's license - the back seat and front seat were on fire and I ran away from the vehicle and it fireballed and exploded. Two men from the turnpike maintenance saw me driving - smoking pouring out front he vehicle; they saw me pull out on the shoulder and saw me running to salvage what I could from the burning vehicle. They came to help me and called the fire department and highway patrol. Minor injuries I had smoke inhalation, minor burns to face - soot on hands & feet. Unk mileage. 1st sold 12/31/97 bought from org owner 1/19/09 these are pics http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee16/gfercaks33/mom%20car/.
Frontal accident to my 1998 jimmy at 35 MPH. Extensive front damage to the vehicle and neither air bag deployed. No air bag codes everything was functioning properly. Both police officers agreed that with the type of accident there should have been a deployment of the airbags. Because of no deployment I was injured and had to go to the hospital to determine the extent of my injuries.
Drive an 1998 gmc jimmy with around 172,000 miles on it (I know this is a lot of miles). Had the local gm dealer work on my rear defroster (one of the clips fell off). After receiving the vehicle back from the dealer I turned my defroster on about two weeks later. The back window exploded like a shotgun after about 15-20 seconds. Dealer says rear defroster voltage regulator must have went bad. I argued that a fuse should had blown before an explosion took place. Gm complaint department also disagrees, saying that the vehicle is old and things like this happen. Luckily, no one was standing by the rear window when it exploded because it probably would have killed them. If I'm wrong tell me I'm wrong but I believe gm is responsible for no only replacing the window but fixing the rear defroster voltage regulator. I hope this is an isolated case but maybe by reporting this I can prevent someone from getting hurt (including a gm technician).
Tl*the contact owns a 1998 gmc jimmy. While driving less than 15 MPH down a steep, wet road, the brakes failed and the vehicle crashed into a guardrail. The bumper and headlamps were damaged. The vehicle is currently at the body shop and will be taken to the dealer for an ABS diagnosis. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 97v218000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). The dealer information was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were 113,000.
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Questions about the 1998 GMC Jimmy
Is the 1998 GMC Jimmy reliable?
Owners have filed 238 complaints about the 1998 GMC Jimmy, 119.0 times a typical Jimmy model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 GMC Jimmy?
Windows, wipers and visibility, with 81 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles. Next is electrical (33).
How many recalls does the 1998 GMC Jimmy have?
2 recalls, covering suspension and service brakes, hydraulic.
What year does the GMC Jimmy have the most visibility problems?
The GMC Jimmy model years with the most visibility complaints are 1998 (81 complaints), 1995 (77 complaints) and 1996 (70 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1998 GMC Jimmy get?
Official estimates for the 1998 GMC Jimmy range from 16 to 18 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.3L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 14-16 city and 20-21 highway.
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