AI Damage1998 GMC C/K Pickup: common problems
Owners of the 1998 GMC C/K Pickup filed 11 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 11
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 45% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 45% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 9% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (45% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Visibility: 5 complaints (45% of all).
- Fuel system: 1 complaints (9% of all).
- Structure: 1 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 11 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Total loss of brakes at low speed due to a.b.s. Computer failure resulting in a crash. (1)vehicle passed government safety inspection. Within one month rear axle seals leaked new brakes were replaced at local independent shop with new brake pads due to oil contamination commented did not like my brakes after test…
The failure appeared to be from rust. This,I feel ,was due to poor location. I have a 1955 chevy pickup , that until 1 year ago still had its original lines still working.
Wiper work intermittently. There is a recall for gm k1500 1992-97, but this vehicle is a 1998. I have found other complaints for 1998 with this same issue.
The antilock brakes on my 98 gmc 4x4 pickup fire @ speeds below 5 mph causing the truck to stop at a much greater distance than normal this is due to bad wheel speed sensors I had the truck put on a scanner and it turns out that both sensors are bad and @ around 200 bucks for new a bearing + labor this is not an easy…
Fuel gauge not functioning...has had an erratic reading for the last three years..reading at 3/4 full when the tank has less than five gal. Left.
Consumer states while driving under rainy conditions sometimes windshield wipers will quit without warning. Windshield wipers may or may not come back on.
The windshield wipers on my 1998 gmc pickup work intermittently, sometimes they won't turn on, other times they stop while in use.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 10,520 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 29% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C/K Pickup has 7 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 11, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC C/K Pickup?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, visibility, fuel system. Total complaints: 11. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (18%), brake failure (9%), fuel system, fuel smell (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 GMC C/K Pickup?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 GMC C/K Pickup from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.