1998 Chevrolet Suburban Problems, Recalls & Reliability
315 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 24/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 90,000 miles.
Typical
Where 1998 sits among all Suburban years
What owners report
“The brakes have been replaced two times in less than 30000 miles, the consumer believes this is due to poor brake design. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Suburban
“The windshield was delaminating around the sides and was replaced under warranty, after installation there was an oily film on the glass which is hard to remove, a plastic clip broke causing the rear door windows to separated from the internal track. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Suburban
“The power steering pump was replaced under warranty, after the pump was replaced the consumer could hear a squealing belt sound, dealer diagnosed it as a bad belt and replaced it. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Suburban
“Fireman contacted determined to be an alectrical short cause fire total loss of vehicle. (ak”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Suburban
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 79 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 80,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL FILTERS, FRAM BRAND NAME P/N G3727, WITH DATE CODES X52911 THROUGH X60801 SEQUENTIALLY OR X600141 AND A MEXICO COUNTRY OR ORIGIN MARKING ON THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 18, 2005, THROUGH MARCH 21, 2006, SOLD FOR…
Fix: HONEYWELL WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FUEL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 18, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-890-2075 (OPTION 1).
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS, AND PICKUP TRUCKS MAY DEVELOP A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED JUMPER HARNESS TO THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON APRIL 24, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON…
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.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ROTORS FOR A CORE DATE OF "287" AND, IF FOUND, REPLACE THE ROTOR.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
48 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and brakes & stability — are on file for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1998 Suburban TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
The 1998 Chevrolet Suburban drew 315 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 24/100, scored against the model's worst year (1994).
What are the most common 1998 Chevrolet Suburban problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban are brakes & stability (82 complaints), visibility & wipers (58), and steering (25).
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet Suburban problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Chevrolet Suburban problems around 80,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.