Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 GMC Sierra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
ABS braking system not engaging. Hub damage. Continuous need for new brakes. Finally an accident in nov 2002.after 7 months the repairs complete but I had to pay for new hubs even though this is a brake issue.after research I find that the hubs May be made improperly. The wreck was caused by a misaligned tone ring or ABS sensor.I believe the hubs are a part of this but the dealer denies it.my insurance covered most of the repairs weaver auto repaired many hoses and the engine oil coolant linesand on the 18th of June 2003,first day driving the truck after the repairs my engine acted like it blew. …
Dt: the contact states there is a NHTSA recall campaign 05V379000 concerning the anti lock brakes. This vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall, but it is not included in the recall due to VIN. The contact repaired the vehicle at her own expense. The ABS engaged at low speeds which resulted in a rear end collision. There was only minor damage sustained by both vehicles. A police report was taken at the scene.
Dt: the contact states there is NHTSA recall 05v379000l for the ABS system. However, the recall does not include this model year vehicle although it has experienced the same problem as indicated on the recall. While he was pulling into a parking garage the brakes would not stop the vehicle. The brake failure caused vehicle to bump into a wall. The vehicle has not been to a service dealer to determine the cause of the problem.
I have a 1998 GMC Sierra pick-up truck. I have experienced ongoing anti lock brake sensor issues since last spring. They engage at low speed and make it hard to stop if you are not prepared for the failure at low speed. The dealer I took the vehicle to (capitol Cadillac-lansing mich.) said they "couldn't recreate the problem". This was a ridiculous statement because it "recreated" itself twice as I was leaving the dealership parking lot. They were just not interested in dealing with it. There is an active recall for this problem. Why does it not include my truck?? I don't see why I should have to spend hundreds of dollars to have this fixed if GM is taking care of other owners with the same problem. I am very disappointed.
I have had a anti-locking brake problem for the last 12 months. I have to have one side repaired already. I am going to have the other side fixed shortly. I read a aricle in the local paper that this was a GM problem. I contacted the service center at the dealership that I bought the truck. They told me to call GM customer support that they could not fix this problem without GM approval. I called GM and was told after reviewing my situation that the truck was to old and had to many miles. This is a 1998 GMC Sierra pickup with 93,000 miles. It had 78,000 miles at the time this was discovered. I would like to have this paid for by GM and reimbursed for the repair I paid for already.
Dt: there is a problem with the ABS sensors. The ABS kicks in when slowing down for stopping. The problem occurred since October of 2003. He has to push hard on the brake to get it to stop the vehicle. When he applies pressure to the brake it pushes back against his foot. The contact is concerned that someone could be hurt due to the delayed stopping. The contact had taken vehicle to a dealer, and they said that the sensors were dirty, and had major corrosion which caused them to work improperly, and both sensors to fail. The contact had them cleaned. The problem has not occurred since he had them cleaned. The contact feared that the problem will come back.
Contact states: the anti-lock brake sensor activates when driving on dry road at low to normal speed, 20-40 MPH. The anti-lock brake sensor activates when it is not supposed to or when it is not an emergency. The car was taken to the dealer. However, they did not see that as the problem, and the anti-lock brakes were not repaired. The anti-lock brake sensor activates often. Complaint to dealer have been ignored. This happened since she bought the car. The number failures it is over 500. The date of incident date was when the problem started to occur. The brakes were replaced, for the fifth time, the but the ABS sensor was not checked.
Both front brake ABS sensors on my 1998 GMC Sierra 4 wheel drive half ton pickup truck failed during a 90 day period in 2005. This caused the ABS to activate at low speed stops nearly resulting in accidents and requiring the replacement of both front wheel bearing/ABS sensor assemblies at the cost of about $800. This vehicle was purchased new in August 1998 and has about 65,000 miles of use. The local GM rep and GMC's customer relations tells me that there is nothing GM will do about it. The local dealer tells me it is a common problem and has been for many years!.
Dt: the anti-lock brake system will activate prematurely on dry pavement when slowing down from 10 MPH-zero. It will do this ninety-nine out of hundreds times. Had to increase the stopping distance tremendously in order to keep it from hitting another vehicle. Noticed this on April 15, 2003. The ABS light does came on the dashboard. Took vehicle to the dealer, the service technician determined that it was the front wheel speed sensor. This problem arose several times with the dealers. The brake pedal was soft and it had something to do with ABS system.
Initial problem 09/02/98 was both rear axle seals leaking causing brakes to fade. Again on 11/04/98 rear axle seals leaking, adjusted brakes. 11/06/98 brakes locking-up. 11/13/98 brakes grabbing, replaced both rear brake shoes, ABS light on-module not activating brake release-replaced anti-lock brake module-master cyl bypassing-replaced master cyl. 01/20/99 ABS light comes on-brake peddle hard to push-replaced ABS brake valve. 03/23/99 brakes failed to slow vehicle-involved in accident-replaced ABS pressure modulating valve.
Brake complaints in other Sierra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1998 GMC Sierra?
NHTSA has 62 complaints about the brakes of the 1998 GMC Sierra, 33% of the model year's 190 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (45 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 GMC Sierra brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1998 GMC Sierra. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 GMC Sierra brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.