"How reliable is the 1998 Gmc Sierra 1500?"

"Based on 68 NHTSA complaints, the 1998 Gmc Sierra 1500 has a median complaint mileage of 80500 miles. The most common issue is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip."

"What are common problems with the 1998 Gmc Sierra 1500?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1998 Gmc Sierra 1500 is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip, accounting for a significant portion of the 68 total complaints filed."

1998 Gmc Sierra 1500: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 68 complaints

Total Complaints

80,500mi

Median Mileage

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

55,052 25th Percentile

80,500 Median Mileage

119,750 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Motor

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Automatic Transmission

Steering

Air Bags

Windshield Wiper/Washer

Electrical System

Hinge And Attachments

Antilock

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"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"

"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 ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 9 complaints

25th: 75,000 mi Median: 75,000 mi 75th: 111,000 mi

Service Brakes, Hydraulic 5 complaints

25th: 72,000 mi Median: 78,000 mi 75th: 96,906 mi

Automatic Transmission 4 complaints

Median: 81,000 mi

Steering 4 complaints

Median: 55,210 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

FL: 6 TN: 5 NY: 5 MN: 4 CA: 4 MI: 4 NC: 3 AL: 3 WI: 3 AK: 3

Who Files Complaints?

36.8%

Original Owners

63.2%

Second+ Owners

Gmc Sierra 1500 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	100	80,000	Steering	0
1999	182	108,894	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	10
2000	215	93,000	Service Brakes, Hydraulic	15
2001	171	98,000	Service Brakes	14
2002	192	76,741	Service Brakes	20
2003	210	72,075	Service Brakes	15
2004	253	57,192	Instrument Cluster/Panel	12
2005	218	73,150	Electrical System	6
2006	182	54,400	Service Brakes	12
2007	310	67,500	Air Bags	11
2008	438	75,000	Air Bags	13
2009	278	65,114	Air Bags	5
2010	215	60,000	Air Bags	1
2011	362	56,000	Air Bags	9
2012	143	60,000	Air Bags	7
2013	147	72,000	Unknown Or Other	2
2014	1020	58,500	Steering	39
2015	914	46,000	Service Brakes	29
2016	436	47,417	Service Brakes	14
2017	465	38,900	Power Train	22
2018	405	33,000	Power Train	16
2019	783	10,000	Engine	19
2020	604	15,700	Engine	15
2021	617	43,500	Engine	7
2022	617	39,000	Engine	8
2023	470	20,000	Engine	9
2024	365	15,400	Engine	5
2025	109	16,500	Engine	7
2026	50	-	Engine	0

Active Recalls (4)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Equipment

Campaign 07E088000 | 24/10/2007

THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE INADEQUATE SEALING AND LOSS OF ENGINE OIL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.

Tank Assembly

Campaign 98V187000 | 10/08/1998

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.

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.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Campaign 06E043000 | 19/05/2006

THIS CONDITION MAY CAUSE AN INADEQUATE SEAL AT THE CONNECTION, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO A FUEL LEAK. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.

HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).

Rotor

Campaign 98V033000 | 17/02/1998

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.

DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ROTORS FOR A CORE DATE OF "287" AND, IF FOUND, REPLACE THE ROTOR.

Extend Your Brake Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Replace brake pads before they wear to the metal — rotors cost 3x more
Flush brake fluid every 2-3 years regardless of mileage
Don't ride the brakes downhill — use engine braking
Address any grinding, pulsing, or pulling immediately
Have brakes inspected during every tire rotation

Vehicle Rankings

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28