Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Our database contains 14 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500, most frequently naming the brakes, visibility and electrical categories. 4 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
When owners filed reports about this model year
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2006 | 1 | 1 |
| Nov 2006 | 1 | 2 |
| Dec 2006 | 1 | 3 |
| Apr 2007 | 1 | 4 |
| Sep 2007 | 1 | 5 |
| Mar 2009 | 1 | 6 |
| Oct 2009 | 2 | 8 |
| Nov 2009 | 1 | 9 |
| Jan 2011 | 1 | 10 |
| Oct 2012 | 1 | 11 |
| Oct 2015 | 1 | 12 |
| Oct 2016 | 1 | 13 |
| May 2017 | 1 | 14 |
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
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.
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.
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!
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. *TR
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.
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. *TR
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 *TR
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.
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THE REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM NOT OPERATING AS INTENDED IN COLDER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AREAS DUE TO CALIBRATION CONCERNS.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Vehicle Recalls
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 52.6 |
| 2025 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 43.9 |
| 2024 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 37.6 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2011 | 80 | 2 | 0 | 43.2 |
| 2010 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 35.3 |
| 2009 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 30.0 |
| 2008 | 101 | 0 | 2 | 40.3 |
| 2007 | 190 | 0 | 2 | 46.6 |
| 2006 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 45.9 |
| 2005 | 94 | 1 | 0 | 37.1 |
| 2004 | 182 | 1 | 0 | 36.7 |
| 2003 | 175 | 1 | 0 | 37.8 |
| 2002 | 120 | 1 | 0 | 38.7 |
| 2001 | 92 | 1 | 0 | 45.8 |
| 2000 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 46.8 |
| 1999 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 38.2 |
| 1998Viewing | 14 | 0 | 0 | 27.1 |
| 1997 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 32.3 |
| 1996 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.