IllustrationTHE TAIL LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN IN THE DAY OR NIGHT. THE SIGNAL LIGHT WAS NOT LOUD ENOUGH TO HEAR, AND THE BLINKER STAYED ON. *AK *SCC
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 reportsDRIVER'S SIDE SEAT WON'T ADJUST--STRIPPED GEARS. HOOD LATCH DOES NOT WORK--I HAVE TO PRY IT UP.*AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT 25MPH, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS HAD BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *SLC
ACCORDING TO PARTS WAREHOUSE, OVER 300 OF THESE HOSES HAVE BEEN ORDERED/REPLACED SINCE NOVEMBER 2001.*AK
WIRES IN REAR AIR CONDITIONER SWITCH COMPLETELY MELTED. ELECTRICAL POWER BUTTONS INSIDE OF VEHICLE WERE HOT TO TOUCH. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT CONSUMER COULD BRING VEHICLE IN FOR THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT . WARRANTY EXPIRED ON VEHICLE.*AK
THE BROKEN SHAFT ON THE HYD. PUMP CONTROLS BOTH THE BRAKES ,WHICH I HAD NEXT TO NONE ,AND ALSO THE POWER STEERING .I WAS ABLE TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD VERY GINGERLY, ONLY BECAUSE AT THAT TIME I WAS COASTING AT ABOUT 10MPH ,ALMOST IN FRONT OF OUR DRIVEWAY.AT THIS TIME I WAS TOWING OUR TRAVEL TRAILER, RETURNING FROM VACAT…
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THE BROKEN SHAFT ON THE HYD. PUMP CONTROLS BOTH THE BRAKES ,WHICH I HAD NEXT TO NONE ,AND ALSO THE POWER STEERING .I WAS ABLE TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD VERY GINGERLY, ONLY BECAUSE AT THAT TIME I WAS COASTING AT ABOUT 10MPH ,ALMOST IN FRONT OF OUR DRIVEWAY.AT THIS TIME I WAS TOWING OUR TRAVEL TRAILER, RETURNING FROM VACATION,FROM THE WEST COAST, VIA INTERSTATES AND MANY MOUNTAINOUS ROADS.GOD HELP IF THIS WOULD HAD HAPPEN AT THE TIME .AFTER UNHITCHING THE 24FT. TRAILER, OUR VAN WAS FLATBEDDED TO OUR DEALER WHO DID A FINE REPAIR JOB ON THE HYD. PUMP PROBLEM.AS FOR THE WIPER CONTROL MODULE THAT IS ANOTHER STORY. THE PROBLEM OCCURED IN RAPID CITY N.D. WHILE TRAVELING 65MPH ALONG A HIGHWAY, DURING A RAIN STORM. THEY JUST QUIT OPERATING WITHOUT WARNING. WE SAT OUT THE STORM, THEN PROCEED BACK TO OUR CAMP GROUND.WE LOCATED A GMC DEALER IN RAPID CITY S.D. WHO REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANGER HAD TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM ON MANY VEHICLES AND KEEPS MANY ON THE SHELF.
CRACKS IN REAR BRAKE DRUMS CAUSE BRAKES TO GRIND WHEN APPLIED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*AK
THROTTLE CABLE FRAYED CAUSING EXTREME AND UNWARRANTED ACCELERATION FROM 65 MPH FWY SPEED TO 90 MPH AND THEN STUCK OPEN AT THIS POINT. BRAKING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT DUE TO SPEED, HOWEVER MANAGED TO REDUCE SPEED TO POINT OF BEING ABLE TO PLACE GEAR IN NUETRAL POSITION AND STOP. AS A RESULT BRAKE PADS WERE RUINED AND NEEDED REPLACEM…
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THROTTLE CABLE FRAYED CAUSING EXTREME AND UNWARRANTED ACCELERATION FROM 65 MPH FWY SPEED TO 90 MPH AND THEN STUCK OPEN AT THIS POINT. BRAKING EXTREMELY DIFFICULT DUE TO SPEED, HOWEVER MANAGED TO REDUCE SPEED TO POINT OF BEING ABLE TO PLACE GEAR IN NUETRAL POSITION AND STOP. AS A RESULT BRAKE PADS WERE RUINED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS ACCELERATOR CABLE.*AK
ACCELERATOR STICKS . WHEN BACKING OUT AND TRYING TO GIVE VEHICLE GAS ACCELERATOR PEDAL WILL NOT GO DOWN TO FLOOR. *AK
CONSUMER LOST CONTROL BECAUSE BRAKES DID NOT CATCH, CAUSING HIM TO HIT A PARKED CAR. HE WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY.*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.