Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 14 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban 1500. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–14 of 14
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.
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. *TR
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.
TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 SUBURBAN 1500. ON A CLEAR DAY WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. HE APPLIED THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TRAVEL AT THE SET SPEED. HE CONTINUED TO DRIVE, AND FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO TRY TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL BY USING THE SWITCH. BY THIS TIME HE COULD SMELL A BURNT ODOR THAT GENERATED FROM THE BRAKES. HE THEN UNHOOKED THE CRUISE CONTROL WIRE FROM THE THROTTLE AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE ENGINE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE RACING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,877 MILES, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,800. *AK UPDATE 05/04/07*TR
THE WIPERS OF MY 1998 SUBURBAN K1500 HAVE STARTED WORKING ONLY OCCASIONALLY. THEY CAN GO MINUTES WITHOUT WORKING AND THEN WORK FINE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND I'M NOT SURE IF THE SWITCH NEEDS REPLACING OR IT'S JUST A LOOSE CONNECTION SOMEWHERE. *NM
THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED OPERATING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY 1998 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN C1500. THEY HAVE BEEN PARKING INCORRECTLY, BUT HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY FAILED TO OPERATE. THE NEXT DAY THEY WORKED AGAIN. *NM
BRAKE LIGHT AND TURN SIGNAL FAILURE. NO PERSONAL INJURY OR CRASHES AS OF YET. FAILURE OF CIRCUIT BOARD ON BACK OF TAILLIGHT HOUSING CAUSES THE BRIGHT FEATURE OF ASSEMBLY NOT TO WORK. (NO BRAKE LIGHT OR TURN SIGNAL). REPAIR CONSISTS OF TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF ASSEMBLY AT $50.00 EACH. *NM
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.
Data on this page last refreshed .