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1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems

The most common problem on the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 is brakes. It has fewer complaints than a typical Suburban 1500 model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
14
Recalls
0
Service bulletins
4
Worst area
Brakes
Fuel economy
14mpg

The worst 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

  • Brakes
    4
  • Visibility
    4
  • Electrical
    2
  • Acceleration
    1
  • Body
    1

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Brakes
    4
  • Visibility
    4
  • Electrical
    2
  • Acceleration
    1
  • Body
    1
  • Seat belts
    1
  • Steering
    1
  • Tires
    1
  • Transmission
    1

Recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
5.7L 8‑cylRWD121714

What 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed May 1, 2017 · Body, Electrical · MO

When it is raining water gets into the blower motor of the HVAC and short out the motor which can cause the defrost, heat, or air to stop working which is potentially a hazard. Water and electronics are not really friendly together. It has happened many times.

Filed Oct 15, 2016 · Seat belts · FL

The passengers side front seat belt will not extend out fully.cannot find anything wrong with it like debris or coins down inside to jam it ,its obviously a factory defect that I now seealot of people have.

Filed Oct 16, 2015 · Brakes · 201,100 miles · NJ

Drove vehicle to a local establishment, all was find. When I returned, started the truck, pushed brake pedal to put the car into reverse and it went to the floor. Pumped the pedal twice to see if brakes would return and they did not. Inspected underneath and saw brake fluid. Had the truck towed to a local garage and they had to replace a "rotted" line that had burst. This is an extreme safety hazard, had the vehicle been in motion this could have resulted in a severe accident. I know there are discussion of brake issues starting in the 1999 models, but this is the exact same in the 1998!

Filed Oct 1, 2012 · Brakes · 125,000 miles · CT

My wife was traveling back from a friends house with our two and seven year old kids, and the brakes failed she was able to run the truck off the road as to not hit anybody or anything, and was able to stop it, after adding brake fluid and starting the vehicle again, I realized there was fluid coming out of the back of the truck, I saw the metal brake lines are corroded , while the rubber lines seem to be ok. I do not have the type of money to fix a problem of this magnitude, with five children and my wife not working, I think that a vehicle like this shouldn't have failed us like this.

Filed Jan 14, 2011 · Transmission · 194,000 miles · WA

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet suburban 1500. The contact stated that the vehicle would shift into four-wheel drive independently. The vehicle became stuck in automatic four wheel drive and the contact stated that the vehicle felt as if the wheels were attempting to lock. In addition, the contact stated that he was unable to accelerate past 40 MPH. The vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired. The failure mileage was 194,000 and the current mileage 194,882.

Filed Nov 16, 2009 · Brakes · 126,000 miles · OH

1998 suburban k1500, ~126,000 miles, original owner. Abs engages at low speeds on dry pavement when coming to a complete stop, I.e. Constant pressure on brake pedal. Weather was sunny, dry, low humidity with temperatures between 50 and 70 f. Vehicle does not come to a complete stop as quickly when this occurs. Three incidences have occurred over the last two weeks (first time experienced was two weeks ago). No repairs attempted yet.

Filed Oct 28, 2009 · Brakes · 88,000 miles · NY

Abs system engages at slow speeds, on dry pavement for no apparent reason. This slows breaking, causes increased stopping distance, and could cause the car to crash. This problem was recalled on later models...apparently this is also a problem on the 1998 and 1999. When I googled "ABS engages at slow speeds suburban" I realized that my problem is far from unique. Many people are having this problem, and I think that the recall should be extended to other years that are experiencing the exact same problem. Thank you for your efforts in keeping us all safe! Jennifer rosenberg

Filed Oct 15, 2009 · Visibility · 64,000 miles · AZ

Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet suburban. The windshield wipers function intermittently when activated. Usually when she restarts the vehicle, the wipers will begin to function, but fail shortly after operation. She had not taken the vehicle to the dealership or spoken with the manufacturer to-date. The current mileage was approximately 80,000. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

Filed Mar 15, 2009 · Steering · 177,000 miles · FL

I have 1998 chevrolet suburban k1500. Driving down the highway 70 miles and hour all of a sadden the steering wheel jerk to the rights, I all most crash into the concrete barriers on the side of the road this was around mid feb 09 and now the steering is jerking right and left mostly when I'm taking and off ramp to the right from the highway. This is very dangerous. So I had taken the truck in to have the front end check out and the mechanic told me every thing was in good shape on the front end and the steering wheel speed sensor must of went bad and he could not give me a price on fixing it. So I called the dealership up to find out what that was and they did not know of a steering wheel sensor on this model.

Filed Sep 20, 2007 · Tires · 205,000 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet suburban 1500. The vehicle has cooper discoverer atr, size lt245/75r16 tires. While driving between 2 MPH and greater, the vehicle would shake and pull to the right. The failure occurred more frequently at higher speeds. The steel belt on the front driver side tire protruded through the tread. The VIN and dot number were unknown. The tire failure mileage was 30,000. The vehicle current and failure mileages were 205,000.

Compare the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

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Questions about the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

Is the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 reliable?

Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, fewer than a typical Suburban 1500 model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500?

Brakes, with 4 complaints. Next is visibility (4).

How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 have?

No recalls on record.

What year does the Chevrolet Suburban 1500 have bad brakes?

The Chevrolet Suburban 1500 model years with the most brakes complaints are 2002 (66 complaints), 2003 (65 complaints) and 1999 (50 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 get?

Official estimates for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 range from 14 mpg combined. The most efficient version (5.7L 8-cyl, RWD) gets 12 city and 17 highway.

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