IllustrationTHE VEHICLE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING MORE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE BRAKE PADS, AND CAUSED THE WHEEL TO LOCK UP AT EVERY 3,000 TO 4,000 MILES. DEALER REPORTED THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT NO SOLUTION. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 35.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 3500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 17 of 67 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
67 reportsVEHICLE IN SHOP 8-10 TIMES FOR POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE. STEERING NOT WORKING. SUSPENSION FAILS & IT PULLS SEVERLY TO LEFT. DEALER/MECHANIC TEST DROVE VEHICLE W/OWNER. COULD NOT REPAIR PULLING TO LEFT, SUSPENSION OR STEERING PROBLEMS. IS A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE. *AK
POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKS AND STEERING WHEEL GETS TIGHT DURING TURNING. *AK
WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGH SPEED 55MPH+, THE BRAKE SYSTEM TAKES VERY LONG TIME TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP. IN HEAVY RAINFALL, THE PROBLEM TENDS TO BE EXAGGERATED EVEN WORSE. EVEN AT VERY SLOW SPEED 5-10 MPH, WHEN BRAKES APPLIED THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP, CAUSING ON OR BOTH OF THE REAR WHEELS TO LOCK AND SKID. PEDAL WILL THEN…
Read full complaint
WHILE SLOWING DOWN FROM HIGH SPEED 55MPH+, THE BRAKE SYSTEM TAKES VERY LONG TIME TO BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP. IN HEAVY RAINFALL, THE PROBLEM TENDS TO BE EXAGGERATED EVEN WORSE. EVEN AT VERY SLOW SPEED 5-10 MPH, WHEN BRAKES APPLIED THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP, CAUSING ON OR BOTH OF THE REAR WHEELS TO LOCK AND SKID. PEDAL WILL THEN VIBRATE OR SHAKE AS IN EXPERIENCED WITH AN ABS SYSTEM UNDER FULL-BRAKING CONDITIONS.
CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS AN EXPOSED WIRE COUPLER IN THE REAR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT CAUSED A SMALL FIRE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
THE DESIGN OF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS DO NOT ENGAGE TAIL LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME, CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATIONS FOR CONSUMER ON OCCASIONS.
WHEN APPLYING THE ABS BRAKES ON DRY PAVEMENT AT 20 MPH THE BRAKES DID NOT GRAB, BUT THE PEDAL NEARLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK CONSUMER STATES DURING A PANIC STOP, WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THEN THERE WAS A TOTAL RELEASE, SEVERAL TIMES AT 2 SECOND INTERVALS. *SLC
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.