The contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 240,000.
The worst 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Brakes77
- Visibility50
- Steering31
- Engine22
- Transmission21
- Electrical20
- Fuel system17
- Suspension13
- Tires10
- Airbags9
- Body4
- Wheels4
- Seat belts3
- Seats3
- Lights1
- Locks1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
Wipers 46ABS 29Brake failure 8Fuel pump 8Pulling 8Jerking 7Power steering loss 6No deployment 5Fire or smoke 5Fuel leak 5Hesitation 5
Recalls 2
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. One or both front brake rotor/hubs were built with an out-of-specification gray iron that can fail during the life of the vehicle.
- Risk
- If a driver continues to drive with a cracked rotor, the cracks could continue around the wheel mounting bolt circle and ultimately result in a wheel separation.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rotors for a core date of "287" and, if found, replace the rotor.
Recall number 98V033000 · Recall details
Steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: light duty extended-cab pickup trucks and 4-door utility trucks. The lower steering shaft to steering gear pinch bolt is "finger loose" or missing allowing the bolt to loosen and fall out. The steering shaft yoke can wear causing an off center steering wheel.
- Risk
- Relative movement between the chassis and cab can cause the steering shaft to separate from the steering gear. This condition can result in a loss of steering control increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers are arranging to have the vehicles involved towed to the dealership and alternate transportation is being arranged for owners. Dealers will then inspect the vehicle for the presence of a pinch bolt and torque this bolt to proper specifications.
Recall number 97V142000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
Defect investigations
Seat belt anchorage separation
Odi has received one (1) complaint alleging that the 2nd row passenger-side seat belt release buckle anchor detached from seat frame during a side impact crash.during the crash, the occupant was thrown from his seat, partially ejected through the rear quarter window of the vehicle.occupant sustained injury.gm has subsequently changed seat belt anchoring design in my 2000. Odi has completed a preliminary investigation and has determined that further information is needed to determine whether a safety defect exists.
PE01023
Erratic power steering assist while driv
The office of defect investigation (odi) has investigated allegations of power steering assist fluctuations in the subject vehicles.for details and a basis for the investigation conclusions, please see the closing report in the ea99-011 public file.odi has not identified a safety-related defect trend in the subject vehicle population.futher expenditure of agency resources on this subject does not appear to be warranted at this time.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.the engineering is closed.
EA99011
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe 39
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy...
- Fuel system, gasoline
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Equipment
- This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy...
- This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest...
- Equipment: electrical: anti-theft devices
- Vehicle Recalls
- This informational bulletin provides the technician with information on what E85 fuel may due to a non E85...
- Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
1998 Chevrolet Tahoe fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5L 8‑cyl Diesel | 4WD | 13 | 17 | 15 |
| 5.7L 8‑cyl | RWD | 12-13 | 16-17 | 14 |
| 5.7L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 12 | 15 | 13 |
What 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Driver side window switch caught fire shortly after use (several hours). A light rain storm came while the windows were down. Some rain entered the inside of the vehicle, some water likely got into the switch assembly. This all happened while vehicle was parked on the curb and ignition was off. I toweled off the interior and switch assembly off, it didn't appear much water entered the switch. The vehicle was parked and "off" this whole time. I turned ignition on to roll windows back up, and promptly turned the ignition back off. Some hours later, the switch assembly caught fire and the vehicle was a total loss. This fire wasn't discovered until the next day as it self-extinguished. The battery was not discharged after the fire, so it was not a dead short in the wiring. I believe the auto-down circuit board or the electric mirror switch was the cause. After the fire, the pass side mirror was fully extended away, at some point the contacts were closed causing the mirror to move, despite the ignition being "off". This happened either during the fire, or the switch was the cause of the fire. The ignition was only "on" for about 30 seconds that whole day prior to the fire, just long enough to roll up the windows.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet tahoe. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 10 MPH, the brake pedal was engaged but the vehicle hesitated to respond without warning. The contact was able to avoid an accident. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ABS brake system failed and the front driver and the passenger side hub bearing assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred several times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
My vehicle failed to start upon leaving the mall. After several trouble shooting procedures at my resident the next day, I found that the in tank fuel sending unit was not working. During the gently lowering of the fuel tank, the sending unit to filter fuel line that runs along the inside of the vehicle frame just crumbled into chunks of rust. After further inspection, I can not believe that gm actually installed fuel lines made out of plain unprotected steel tubing, especially on a vehicle that was sold and operated in a snow belt state. Also while I was replacing the fuel supply and return lines, I noticed that the brake line that feeds the rear brakes that also runs along the inside of the frame was in the same sad shape, during removal of this brake line, it also crumbled into chunks of rust, how these lines did not fail prior to this incident is beyond me. If it wasn't for being a skilled mechanic by trade, this would have cost a fortune in labor cost to repair. For a vehicle sold/operated in snow belt states, these lines should have been made out of stainless steel or some other non-ferrous alloy material.
At highway speeds feels like truck is hydroplaning/sliding to the right and a brief lost or loose feeling in the steering wheel..... Front end has been checked and everything is good/tight.
I was driving on the ih-93 nb at 55 MPH. Suddenly the car began pulling to the right. I stopped and checked the tires, but did not see any problems. All four tires were inflated to the specs (35 psi). I kept driving, and after 20-25 miles I heard a sound as if something was rubbing in the front passenger fender area. I began slowing down and wanted to stop. At that moment my front right tire separated. It was a primewell valera ht 235/75-15 tire, installed at a firestone shop in plaistow, nh in november, 2014 with a few hundred miles on it.
Driver's side rear hydraulic brake line along frame rail failure due to corrosion in line.
Started truck, stepped on brake to engage reverse gear, pedal dropped almost to floor. Rear brake line rusty and fluid broke through near the gas tank area.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet tahoe. The contact stated that the driver was traveling 40 MPH and experienced a seizure. As a result, the contact crashed into a ditch and the air bags failed to deploy. The crash caused the driver to suffer head injuries. The police were contacted and report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a body shop. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were unknown.
For the past couple of weeks my tahoe will crank start but only run for about 1 second then shuts off. After doing some internet research I have found that thousands other gm owners are having the same issue. This problem is very annoying and inconveniencing. Im sure its cost many people there jobs or at minimum gotten them in trouble for being either late or unable to come in to work. I am in the military and the my car wont start doesn't come off very well with my superiors. Something needs to be done about this.
Compare the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
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Other model years
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Questions about the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe reliable?
Owners have filed 263 complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe, close to a typical Tahoe model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe?
Brakes, with 77 complaints, typically around 86,000 miles. Next is visibility (50).
How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe have?
2 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic and steering.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe brakes?
Yes, 1 recall: 98V033000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Tahoe have bad brakes?
The Chevrolet Tahoe model years with the most brakes complaints are 2001 (272 complaints), 1999 (249 complaints) and 2015 (196 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe get?
Official estimates for the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe range from 13 to 15 mpg combined. The most efficient version (6.5L 8-cyl diesel, 4WD) gets 13 city and 17 highway.
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