1998 GMC Suburban Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Suburban years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 10 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 100 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 GMC Suburban. That ranks 5th out of 10 Suburban model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (26 complaints, 26%), typically at around 94,197 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 3 fires, 7 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 100owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 GMC Suburban problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 26 | 26% | 94,197 | — | — |
| Visibility | 17 | 17% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 16% | 68,100 | — | — |
| Power Train | 15 | 15% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 11% | 38,371 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 7% | 59,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 5% | 69,197 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 4% | 44,204 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 3% | 14 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 3% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 3% | 65,664 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | 109,968 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 GMC Suburban recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:rearview mirrors/devices:exterior
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles, mini vans, and pickup trucks may develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
Risk: 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.
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 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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:rotor
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rotors for a core date of "287" and, if found, replace the rotor.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While sitting.. Standing still.. Parked.. The spare tire in the rear of the suburban exploded.. I discovered this several days later.. The explosion caused approximately $650 in damage.. Not including the cost of the tire itself.. I contacted b.f. Goodrich and was assigned a claim number .. A case…
I have a 1998 gmc suburban just purchased and i experienced the same problem described in recall #05v379000. Result was my wife slammed into the back of another car in our driveway. Damage was minimal but i sure don't want her driving this vehicle until it is fixed! I called gm and they said this…
Previous separation of the tread on passenger rear tire, replaced with spare on july 18, 2006. Checked all other tires showed good condition. July 24, 2006 while driving freeway separation of driver side tire tread caused major car accident. Summit premium plus tires. *jb
Dt*: the contact stated at speeds below 10 mph, the abs would pump and grab. As a result, the brake pedal needed excessive pressure to stop. The dealership determined the driver side front hub and bearing needed to be replaced. There is a nhtsa recall, # 05v379000, regarding the anti-lock brakes…
Dt: the contact stated while the engine was warming up, and a few minutes later while getting in to the vehicle, the passenger's seat was smoking. The heater in the seat burned a hole in the seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. The dealership told the contact if the seat…
Other GMC Suburban years
← 1997 Suburban · 1999 Suburban →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 Suburban | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 Suburban | 5 | 1 |
| 2002 Suburban | 7 | 1 |
| 2001 Suburban | 5 | 2 |
| 2000 Suburban | 15 | 2 |
| 1999 Suburban | 285 | 1 |
| 1998 | 100 | 2 |
| 1997 Suburban | 200 | 2 |
| 1996 Suburban | 172 | 3 |
| 1995 Suburban | 227 | 6 |
See all GMC Suburban problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 GMC Suburban?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, visibility, electrical system problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 26 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 GMC Suburban?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 GMC Suburban a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Suburban model years, the 1998 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.