"How reliable is the 1998 Gmc Suburban?"

"Based on 137 NHTSA complaints, the 1998 Gmc Suburban has a median complaint mileage of 88393 miles. The most common issue is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip."

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

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1998 Gmc Suburban is Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip, accounting for a significant portion of the 137 total complaints filed."

1998 Gmc Suburban: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 137 complaints

137

Total Complaints

88,393mi

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.

50,000 25th Percentile

88,393 Median Mileage

101,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Motor

Automatic Transmission

12V/24V/48V Battery

Tread/Belt

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Disc

Windshield Wiper/Washer

Unknown Or Other

Tires

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"ALTERNATOR BELT FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING."

"WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED THEY GRIND . ALSO, DRIVER EXPERIENCES EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK"

"STEERING GEAR BOX BROKEN INTERNALLY. WEAK POWER STEERING PUMP. LEAK IN BRAKING SYSTEM AT AXLE SEAL. BRAKE PADS WORN OUT PREMATURELY. VEHICLE PULLS TO LEFT WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. LEFT, REAR SEAT BELT WOULD NOT EXTEND AFTER RETRACTING. SHORT CIRCUIT IN WIRING HARNESS UNDER HOOD - HARNESS LENGTH TOO SHOR..."

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 15 complaints

25th: 66,250 mi Median: 101,000 mi 75th: 107,400 mi

Motor 10 complaints

25th: 55,000 mi Median: 104,000 mi 75th: 108,000 mi

Automatic Transmission 10 complaints

Median: 97,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 30 NY: 9 NC: 9 MI: 8 TX: 7 FL: 7 NJ: 6 LA: 5 MA: 5 SC: 5

Who Files Complaints?

39.4%

Original Owners

60.6%

Second+ Owners

Gmc Suburban — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	28	-	Linkage And Cable	3
1991	33	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	2
1992	105	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	25
1993	254	-	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	38
1994	490	113,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	70
1995	294	125,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	24
1996	220	87,947	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	13
1997	268	90,723	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	22
1999	393	75,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	30
2000	20	23,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	1

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