"How reliable is the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban?"

"Based on 298 NHTSA complaints, the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban has a median complaint mileage of 76500 miles. The most common issue is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip."

"What are common problems with the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Suburban is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip, accounting for a significant portion of the 298 total complaints filed."

1998 Chevrolet Suburban: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 298 complaints

298

Total Complaints

76,500mi

Median Mileage

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

48,787 25th Percentile

76,500 Median Mileage

98,500 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Windshield Wiper/Washer

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Motor

Hydraulic Power Assist System

Automatic Transmission

Tread/Belt

Steering

Tires

Pads

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"A KINKED THROTTLE CABPLE HAS BEEN INSTALLED DURING MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ALLOWED CABLE TO FRAY AND SRICK AGAINST FIRE WALL, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE TO 80-90MPH UNEXPECTEDLY IN WHICH THE BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT HELP IN REDUCING THE VEHICLE'S SPEED, ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 26 complaints

25th: 56,000 mi Median: 60,595 mi 75th: 75,600 mi

Windshield Wiper/Washer 13 complaints

25th: 70,125 mi Median: 80,500 mi 75th: 93,250 mi

Service Brakes, Hydraulic 12 complaints

25th: 56,361 mi Median: 95,000 mi 75th: 110,500 mi

Motor 12 complaints

25th: 41,779 mi Median: 55,000 mi 75th: 66,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 77 TX: 31 NY: 22 IL: 16 NC: 15 OH: 11 FL: 9 SC: 9 GA: 8 NJ: 8

Who Files Complaints?

53.4%

Original Owners

46.6%

Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Suburban — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	67	-	Recliner	2
1991	65	106,744	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	6
1992	226	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	45
1993	616	120,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	110
1994	1038	124,062	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	158
1995	587	113,450	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	64
1996	531	93,100	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	25
1997	556	90,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	27
1999	859	81,250	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	65
2000	382	68,000	Parking Brake	30
2001	543	60,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	38
2002	352	63,700	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	34
2003	360	71,000	Service Brakes	39
2004	264	65,250	Instrument Cluster/Panel	14
2005	161	85,000	Electrical System	5
2006	33	84,500	Latches/Locks/Linkages	0
2007	357	80,000	Air Bags	4
2008	276	87,000	Air Bags	4
2009	133	83,500	Air Bags	1
2010	161	86,000	Air Bags	3
2011	192	68,245	Air Bags	3
2012	139	68,000	Unknown Or Other	3
2013	170	55,700	Unknown Or Other	4
2014	77	55,000	Unknown Or Other	0
2015	584	62,000	Service Brakes	29
2016	288	55,000	Service Brakes	11
2017	178	50,000	Service Brakes	8
2018	108	38,155	Engine	3
2019	84	48,000	Power Train	3
2020	59	3,250	Engine	3
2021	223	60,000	Engine	12
2022	134	64,083	Engine	7
2023	122	25,000	Engine	0
2024	42	16,600	Engine	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28