IllustrationTHE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SPORATICALLY WILL NOT OPERATE. IF IT SHOULD RAIN, THE WIPER MAY OR MAY NOT OPERATE. A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR VEHICLES UP TO 1997. HOWEVER, I HAVE A 1998 WITH AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM.
1998 GMC Jimmy
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Jimmy 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
50–25K
825–50K
2350–75K
1575–100K
15100–150K
2150K+
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 reportsWHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. *PH THIS WAS THE SAME UNIT WIPER MOTOR AS THE 96' CHEVY ASTRO THAT WAS RECALLED. *SCC *JB
SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN: TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER GAUGES ARE FAULTY. THE NEEDLE FOR BOTH GAUGES ERRATICALLY GOES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND THEN BACK TO LEFT AND STAYS AT 0. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY IT APPEARS AS IF THESE GAUGES NO LONGER FUNCTION AT ALL EXCEPT WITH A BRIEF ON AND TH…
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SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN: TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER GAUGES ARE FAULTY. THE NEEDLE FOR BOTH GAUGES ERRATICALLY GOES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND THEN BACK TO LEFT AND STAYS AT 0. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY IT APPEARS AS IF THESE GAUGES NO LONGER FUNCTION AT ALL EXCEPT WITH A BRIEF ON AND THEN OFF AGAIN SURGE. THE VEHICLE HAS LOSSED NOTICEABLE POWER DURING ACCELERATION SINCE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY, THE IGNITION KEY REMAINS STUCK IN THE IGNITION, ALSO SINCE THE FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT APPEARED WHEN THE GAUGES CEASED TO FUNCTION. PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER VEHICLE PASSED 65,000 MILES ON ODOMETER. VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE DUE TO RANDOM FALIURE OF INSTRUMENT GAUGES AND SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF POWER. RECALL RECOMMENDED DUE TO SAFETY CONCERN.*AK
WINDSHIELD WIPER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY IN HEAVY RAIN. *MR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED IN HEAVY RAIN WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THE WIPER BOARDS 97 MODELS WHICH WERE RECALLED. *SCC *JB
WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WITHOUT WARNING WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO CONSUMER'S VIEW DURING RAINY WEATHER. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY WHENEVER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE USED THEY WOULD STOP WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT A BAD CIRCUIT BROAD AND FAULTY SOLDERING WERE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE 1997 VEHICLES BUT NOT THE 1998. THE MANUFACTURER WAS …
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CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY WHENEVER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE USED THEY WOULD STOP WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT A BAD CIRCUIT BROAD AND FAULTY SOLDERING WERE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE 1997 VEHICLES BUT NOT THE 1998. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *NLM
PASSENGER SEAT HANDLE BROKE ON MY 1998 GMC JIMMY. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON GMC JIMMY/CHEVORLET BLAZERS. SEAT HANDLES SHOULD NOT BREAK; A RECALL IS IN ORDER. THERE ARE SAFETY ISSUES; IF THE SEAT FALLS IT CAN EFFECT THE DRIVER AND/OR CRUSH REAR PASSENGERS.
WHILE TRAVELING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. *AK GM RECALLED THE 1994-1997 JIMMY'S, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM.*PH *JB
CONSUMER STATED THAT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK THE FAILURE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS. ISSUES INCLUDED LOSS OF CONTROL SPEED, AND INABILITY TO TURN WIPERS OFF AND ON. HAD TO REPLACE FAULTY CIRCUIT BOARD, WHICH WAS RECALLED ON SIMILAR MAKE, MODELS AND YEARS THROUGH 1997. *PH …
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CONSUMER STATED THAT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK THE FAILURE HAD BEEN A PROBLEM FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS. ISSUES INCLUDED LOSS OF CONTROL SPEED, AND INABILITY TO TURN WIPERS OFF AND ON. HAD TO REPLACE FAULTY CIRCUIT BOARD, WHICH WAS RECALLED ON SIMILAR MAKE, MODELS AND YEARS THROUGH 1997. *PH *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT VAN IS GIVING HER PROBLEMS. WHEN SHE DRIVES THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES SHE HEARS A LOUD NOISE. THEN THE LIGHT COMES ON, THE DASHBOARD WITH SAYS "SECURITY." ALSO, BRAKE FAILURE. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BALL JOINTS HAD NO GREASE ON THEM, AND HAD A LOTS OF PLAY, IF SHE HIT A HOLE IN …
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CONSUMER STATES THAT VAN IS GIVING HER PROBLEMS. WHEN SHE DRIVES THE VEHICLE SOMETIMES SHE HEARS A LOUD NOISE. THEN THE LIGHT COMES ON, THE DASHBOARD WITH SAYS "SECURITY." ALSO, BRAKE FAILURE. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BALL JOINTS HAD NO GREASE ON THEM, AND HAD A LOTS OF PLAY, IF SHE HIT A HOLE IN THE STREET, SHE COULD HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE ALIGNMENT AND THE BALL JOINTS. SHE TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, AND HE WANTED TO SELL HER ANOTHER VAN, AND SHE HAS NO MONEY. PLEASE HELP.*AK
Official recalls
298V053000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.