Your vehicle report
1998 Chevrolet Suburban
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 201
- Received Jul 1997 to Feb 2016
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail29 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines16 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates13 complaints · 6.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #03V093000Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
- Recall #98V033000Vehicle 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 9 crashes, 3 fires, 8 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
- Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up
- Front brake rotors warp and wear early
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed
- Power steering cuts out while driving
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 |
| 1998 | 13 |
| 1999 | 44 |
| 2000 | 17 |
| 2001 | 26 |
| 2002 | 23 |
| 2003 | 31 |
| 2004 | 23 |
| 2005 | 14 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 201 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 29 | 14% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 16 | 8.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 13 | 6.5% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 10 | 5.0% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 8 | 4.0% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 8 | 4.0% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 8 | 4.0% | – | NHTSA recall #98V033000 |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 7 | 3.5% | – | NHTSA recall #98V033000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 6 | 3.0% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 5 | 2.5% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 4 | 2.0% | – | |
| Side mirrors give poor rear visibility | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 1.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #03V093000March 7, 2003507,171 vehicles affected
visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior
Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
If this were to happen, it could result in an inoperative switch, heat damage to the driver's door, and/or ignition of components in the driver's door and a subsequent vehicle fire without prior warning.
Remedy
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 an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Gmc at 1-800-462-8782.
NHTSA recall #98V033000February 17, 19981,137 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN