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#BS-1998-CHESUB-5236

1998 Chevrolet Suburban

Based on reports from 299 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
299
Crashes
11
Fires
3
Recalls
3
TSBs
48
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 299 complaints, 11 crashes, 3 fires, and 3 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

fan not working properly

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
2

premature electric fuel pump failure

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

lights not working properly

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited SlipHIGH

27 owners reported service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip issues — failures commonly reported around 76K miles.

!Inspect the BrakesMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

2
0–30K
18
30–60K
24
60–90K
20
90–120K
4
120–150K
1
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (24 reports) • Median: 76K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip (27 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip27 (9%)
Brakes14 (5%)
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer13 (4%)
Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor12 (4%)
Steering:hydraulic Power Assist System8 (3%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission8 (3%)
Wheels & Tires8 (3%)
Steering7 (2%)

1998 Chevrolet Suburban: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 76,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 76K-mile mark.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer Issues

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:windshield wiper/washer-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor Issues

Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:motor complaints account for 4% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

28
00
61
01
28
02
40
03
24
04
16
05
3
06
1
07
1
09
1
10
2
12
1
14
1
16

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (3 recalls)

03V093000Apr 2003

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.

06E043000Oct 2006

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

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 USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE AND ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES. (TO SEE THE SCHOOL BUS ENGINE SIZES, CLICK ON "DOCUMENT SEARCH" AND THEN "BUS APPLICATIONS"). THE CONNECTOR ON THE FUEL FILTER WAS NOT MANUFACTURED TO HONEYWELL'S SPECIFICATION. AS A RESULT, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAT CORRECTLY ON THE FUEL LINE.

98V033000Mar 1998

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Chevrolet Suburban is the 2009 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

1998 Chevrolet Suburban vs. Class Average (Special Purpose Vehicle 2WD)

This vehicle

299

Class avg

437

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical special purpose vehicle 2wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 299 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Chevrolet Suburban Model Years

20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981197919781977
View all Chevrolet Suburban years →

1998 Chevrolet Suburban: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban is related to the service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, with 27 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban reliable?
The 1998 Chevrolet Suburban has 299 complaints, 11 crash reports, and 3 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Chevrolet Suburban problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban has 3 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Chevrolet Suburban problems start?
Based on 69 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 76,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 299 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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