1998 Gmc ENVOY: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
19 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
76,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: . 10 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Exterior Lighting:Headlights is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 19 complaints (15.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 15.8% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 5.3% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 5.3% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 3 |
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | 2 |
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Switch/Wiring | 2 |
| Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | 1 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Radiator Assembly | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 1 |
Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 3; Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor: 2; Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Switch/Wiring: 2; Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator: 1; Electrical System:Ignition: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Radiator Assembly: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 5 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (5). 9 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 2 |
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 7 |
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
2000: 2; 2001: 1; 2002: 4; 2003: 1; 2004: 7; 2005: 2; 2006: 1; 2011: 1
Pattern summary
Exterior Lighting:Headlights leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10051284 · 2003-12-29 (December 29, 2003)
I PURCHASED A NEW 1998 GMC ENVOY (VEHICLE IS BASED UPON THE GMC S-10 "JIMMY" MODEL) IN JANUARY 1999. THE VEHICLE AS OF 12/2003 HAS ONLY 15,400 MILES. FROM TIME TO TIME THE RIGHT HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE ("HID") LAMP DOES NOT FUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE OPERATES WITH ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT AT NIGHT. INITIALLY, I SOUGHT TO HAVE THE RIGHT SIDE HID LAMP REPLACED BUT AFTER DOING A SIGNFICANT AMOUNT OF RESEARCH DISCOVERED THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS PARTICULAR HID LAMP NO LONGER PRODUCES IT AND THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE "LIKE-KIND" REPLACEMENTS ON THE AFT…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10051284 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10058007 · 2004-03-17 (March 17, 2004)
WHEN DRIVING UNDER RAINY CONDITIONS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT UNEXPECTEDLY AND THEN CAME BACK ON. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. *AK *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10058007 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10066384 · 2004-04-17 (April 17, 2004)
I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN MY 1998 GMC ENVOY WITH 43162 MILES STOPPED ACCELERATING. WHEN I STEPPED HARDER ON THE GAS, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT REV AND POWER BEGAN TO RUN OUT FROM THE ENGINE. THE MOTOR STALLED AND YET THE ELECTRICITY WAS STILL ON IN THE CAR. I BEGAN TO LOSE BRAKING POWER AND STEERING BECAME HARDER. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, TURN OFF AND TURN THE CAR BACK ON AGAIN. BUT THE CAR STALLED AGAIN AND AGAIN, FIVE (5) TIMES IN SIX (6) MILES. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL YEARS BACK, AND HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN INTERMITTEN…
Owner-reported narrative. 43,162 miles reported. Look up ODI 10066384 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10068454 · 2004-05-07 (May 7, 2004)
ON MONDAY, 5/3/04, MY SON BACKED OUR 1998 GMC ENVOY OUT OF HIS GARAGE. THE LEFT FRONT END DROPPED TO THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO GMC DEALER, THE BALL JOINT AND CV JOINTS FAILED. DEALER ADVISED US RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR GMC JIMMYS UP TO 1996 YEAR, BUT NOTHING FOR 1998. HAD MY SON BEEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, SERIOUS INJURY OR WORSE COULD HAVE RESULTED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10068454 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10069530 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)
VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF NEGLECT. ENGINE LOCKED UP WITH OUT WARNING. MANUFACTURE IS NOT WILLING TO SHARE COST OF REPLACMENT BUT DOES AGREE THAT ENGINE HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM.
Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10069530 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10070479 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)
WHEN MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY I DID HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS GOING COMPLETELY OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING. THE BLINKED OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR A REPAIR AND MENTIONING ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WERE NOT WORKING BEFORE THE WARRRANTY WAS UP I HAD MENTIONED THAT ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER MINOR COMPLAINTS. THE DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS. I DID HAVE A PROBLEM ALSO WITH THE ALIGNMENT AND THEY SAID THAT WAS FINE ALSO AND IT WAS NOT FIXED. BUT IT DEFINATLY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THAT ALSO. TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10070479 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10096096 · 2004-10-20 (October 20, 2004)
WIPER MALFUNCTION WITH EXACT SYMPTOMS THAT THE NEWER GMC SUV ARE HAVING. MECHANICS ARE USING THE SAME PART ON ALL VEHICLES AND IT OCCURS SPIRATICALLY. DEALERS ARE SAYING THIS CONTROLLING DEVICE IS COMMON TO HAVE THIS OCCUR. THE WIPER MOTOR SOMETIMES JUST STOP OR CHANGE SPEED ON IT'S OWN AND IT HAS BE OCCURING FROM 96 TO CURRENT AND THEY ONLY WANT TO REPLACE CERTAIN ONES. I OWN A 98 GMC ENVOY AND THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, BUT WHEN IT DOES IT IS DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING IN THE VEHICLE ESPECIALLY TRAVELING AT H…
Owner-reported narrative. 92,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10096096 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10102077 · 2005-02-16 (February 16, 2005)
THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DID NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. WHEN THE DOOR WAS LOCKED, IT WOULD COME OFF OF THE HINGE AND WAS PARTIALLY OPEN. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK THIS WOULD OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. *SC *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10102077 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
00V375000 · Structure:Body
Reported: 2000-11-13 (November 13, 2000)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 201, "OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN INTERIOR IMPACTS." THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONSOLE COVER/ARMREST CAM LATCH THAT COULD RELEASE AT LESS THAN THE REQUIRED LOAD OF THE STANDARD.
Consequence: DURING A CRASH, THE CONSOLE COVER COULD OPEN AND THE COVER OR ITEMS STORED UNDER IT COULD INJURY AN OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONSOLE LATCH MECHANISM.
NHTSA campaign record ↗98V097001 · Exterior Lighting
Reported: 1998-09-28 (September 28, 1998)
THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WERE BUILT WITH A CANDELA VALUE GREATER THAN 2,600, ARE LOCATED LESS THAN 100MM FROM THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD WARNING LAMPS, AND ARE NOT DEACTIVATED WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL OR HAZARD WARNING LAMPS ARE ACTIVATED. THIS DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
Consequence: THIS CONDITION WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR DRIVERS OF ONCOMING VEHICLES TO SEE THE TURN SIGNAL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW BODY CONTROL MODULE AND REPROGRAM THE VEHICLE WITH A NEW CALIBRATION THAT WILL TURN THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS OFF WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL OR HAZARD WARNING FLASHER IS ACTIVATED.
NHTSA campaign record ↗