Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1998 record →
WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE AND APPLYING BRAKES, THERE IS A DELAYED TIME IN PANIC SITUATIONS. THE FIRST ATTEMPT BY DEALER IN FIXING PROBLEM, RESULTED IN REPLACEMENT OF MASTER CYLINDER BOOSTER. TWO DAYS AFTER THAT BRAKES DEGRADED TO APOINT WHERE THERE WERE NO BRAKES AT ALL, AND GUSHY FEELING WHEN PRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. IN CASE OF NEED FOR IMMEDIATE STOPPING , BRAKES ARE DANGEROUS . *AK
FRONT END SHIMMY AT SPEEDS OVER 50MPH. BALANCED AND REBALANCED TIRES, ALIGNED FRONT END 3 TIMES IN 6 MONTHS. FINALLY REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES W/NEW FIRESTONE TIRES. ALIGNED FRONT END W/NEW TIRES. 3 MONTHS LATER, ROTATED AND BALANCED TIRES - FRONT END SHIMMY CONTINUES TO OCCUR. HAVE TRIED ALIGNMENT, BALANCING TIRES, AND NEW TIRES. NOT ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT FRONT END SHIMMY BEGINNING AT 15000 MILES. ALSO INCREASED VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING - ROTORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED TWICE AND VIBRATION THAT SHAKES STEERING WHEEL CONTINUES TO OCCUR WHEN BRAKING. *AK
AT 31,000 MILES THE SPEED SENSITIVE STEERING WOULD SUDDENLY CHANGE THE STEERING EFFORT AND WOULD LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL..HAD IT REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY, THEN AT 68,000 MILES IT HAS FAILED AGAIN. *AK
PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE RUBS AGAINST THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. THIS CAUSES A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE, CANNOT REMEDY PROBLEM *AK
SERPENTINE BELT TENSIONER PULLEY ASSEMBLY FAILED, BROKE OFF WHILE VEHICLE WAS COMING TO A STOP, CAUSING LOSS OF BRAKES AND POWER STEERING, WHICH ALMOST RESULTED IN A CRASH.
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD, ALSO, MOTOR WENT OUT WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE MOTOR. *AK
APROX. 4 MONTHS AFTER BUYING THIS VEH. THE CD PLAYER STARTED MALFUNCTIONING. IT WOULD NOT PLAY A CD AND WOULD GIVE THE ERR SIGN AND THE OWNERS MANUAL ADDRESSED THIS SITUATION AND SAID TO LET THE PLAYER COOL FOR A WHILE IT MUST BE OVER HEATED. THIS SEEMED STRANGE SINCE MOST OF THE TIME THIS OCCURED WAS WHEN THE CD PLAYER HAD NOT BEEN IN USE. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER CHUCK HUTTON WHO HAS SERVICED THIS VEH. SINCE I BOUGHT IT WOULD SAY THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS IT WAS HAVING THAT PROBLEM WHEN I BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO THEIR DEALERSHIP. WHENEVER THIS PROBLEM WOULD OCCURE THE DASH AREA AROUND THE A/C CONTROLS AND RADIO/CASSETTE AND CD PLAYER WOULD GET SO HOT YOU COULD NOT KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE DASH . THIS PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND IT NEVER WAS DUPLICATED AT THE DEALERSHIP. A SERVICE RECORD DATED 12/14/1998 SHOWS THAT THE A/C DRAIN WAS FOUND TO BE PINCHED AND HAD TO BE REPOSITIONED TO PERMIT IT TO DRAIN BUT SINCE THAT TIME THE TRUCK AIR SYSTEM HAS DEVELOPED SOME TYPE OF FUNGUS IN IT AND THE SMELL IS TERRIBLE. ON THIS SAME SERVICE REPORT THERE IS A NOTE CONCERNING CHECKING THE CD PLAYER FOR ERROR MESSAGES BUT NOTHING WAS FOUND. CURRENTLY I AM DRIVING A $35000 VEH. WITH A BURNED UP CD PLAYER AND CASSETTE PLAYER THAT THE DEALER SAYS IS OUT OF WARRENTY. I REPORTED THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE UNITS FAR BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPRIED AND WOULD LIKE SOME HELP TRYING TO SEE IF GM HAS HAD MUCH PROBLEM WITH THEIR DELCO AM/FM CASSETTE RADIO W/AUO TONE CONTROL, SPEED CONTROL VOLUME
NO AIR OUT OF VENTS: O-RING CRUSHED, DUE TO FACTORY INSTALLMENT.
MUFFLER.
STEERING PULLS TO THE RIGHT.
REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES LOCKING MECHANISM IS RECESSED & TOO CLOSE TO OTHER SEAT BUCKLE RELEASE. 6 -YEAR OLD CHILD, INADVERTENTLY PUSHED ON BOTH LOCKS & RELEASED SEAT BELT BUCKLES ON A 2-YEAR OLD & 6-YEAR OLD. HAD SLAMMED ON BRAKES & 2-YEAR OLD CAME FORWARD & OVER FRONT SEATS & HIT CONSOLE. *AK
WHILE BRAKING VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE / VIBRATE DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS WHICH HEATS UP AND WARP. DEALER REPLACED ROTORS TWICE. PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. *ML
WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO A DITCH. BUT WHEN THE INVESTIGATOR CHECKED THE VEHICLE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
BRAKES PULSATE, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERIENCING VIBRATION IN FRONT END WHEN BRAKING, RIGHT SIDE LOCKED UP WHEN TURNING. *YC
BRAKES ARE VERY SPONGY AND EASILY GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR CAUSING BRAKES TO SLIP WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *YC
SELF LOCKING NUT THAT HOLDS UPPER SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM BECAME LOOSE AND ALOWED SUSPENSION TO MOVE. DEALER CONTACTED AND REPAIRWORK DONE. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
BRAKE BOOSTER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. ALSO, DEALER REPLACED BRAKE ROTORS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
STEERING WHEEL WILL ERRATICALLY MOVE WHILE CORNERING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED EVO SENSOR WITH CONTINUED PROBLEM. BOTTOM LINE THIS PART DID NOT CORRECT STEERING DEFECT! DEALERSHIP DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE CONTINUED STEERING PROBLEM. *AK
WHEN TURNING VEHICLE SUDDENLY SEEMS TO OVERSTEER LIKE IT SUDDENLY HAS INCREASED POWER ASSIST. DEALER SUGGESTED DIFFERENT ALIGNMENT SPECS. WHICH DID NOT WORK. STEERING BOX AND PUMP WERE ALSO CHANGED.
MASTER CYLINDERS FAILED. YH
WHEN BRAKES ARE DAMP, THEY GRAB HARD ENOUGH TO TOSS CONSUMER THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN BRAKES HAVE WARMED UP, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
STEERING WHEEL SENSOR FAILED.
ABS BRAKE SYSTEM EXPERIENCES INTERMITTENT FAILURE IN WET ROAD CONDTIONS. *YC
REAR SHOCK FAILED RESULTING IN LEAKAGE.
FRONT BRAKES FAILED. NLM
FUEL INJECTION FAILED. MJS
BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY FAILED. *YC
ODOMETER CLUSTER FAILED. *YC
WINDOW MOTOR FAILED. *YC
FUEL PUMP FAILED. *YC
PARKING BRAKE HANDLE / CABLE BROKE OFF. *YC
BRAKE ROTORS FAILED. YH
EXHAUST PIPE BRACE FAILED. *YC
TIRES FAILED (GOODYEAR 15"). *YC
VEHICLES JERKS UP ON START OR STOP, AND IS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE IN DRIVE LINE. YH
PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ON AND OFF SWITCH IS LACKING OR NOT INSTALLED. YH
EGR VALVE FAILED. YH
REAR DOOR SPEAKER CRACKED WHILE NEW. YH
REAR END SUSPENSION FAILED. YH
NOISE DUE TO LOOSE BOLT AND NUT. YH
ENGINE CONNECTING RODS FIT POORLY . YH
1998 CHEVROLET TRUCK SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS MANY PROBLEMS AND CONSIDERED SAFE *AK
ORIGINAL TIRES GOODRICH P 245/75R 16 ARE INSUFFICIENT FOR TOWING, TOO WEAK TO WITHSTAND PRESSURE.
VEHICLE HAS A POOR GAS TANK ASSEMBLY. WHENEVER THIS VEHICLE IS ON A STEEP INCLINE, THE TILT OF THE VEHICLE CAUSES THE GAS TO LEAK OUT OF THE TANK WHERE THE CAP GOES. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
RIGHT CASTER LOOSE CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL TO THE LEFT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES.
DUE OT AIR BAG SENSOR LOCATION, IF CARPET GETS WET THE SENSOR CAN MAKE AIR BAG DEPLOY, DESIGN DEFECT.
VEHICLE EXHIBITS A PRONOUNCED CLUNK UPON IMMEDIATE ACCELERATION FROM STOP. LUBRICATING THE FRONT SLIP YOKE INTERNAL SPLINES ELIMINATES THE PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES. CHEVROLET ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM AN THE ANNOYANCE TO CUSTOMERS BUT DOES NOT HAVE A PERMENANT REPAIR, THIS ACCORDING TO MY DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER. OTHER DEALERS REPORTEDLY ATTEMPT REPAIRS WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF GREASE AND COATINGS, BUT PROBLEMS PERSIST.
BAD MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER, CAUSING BRAKES TO FAIL. WHEN APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL FROM CHANGING LANES OR MAKING TURNS ,STEERING WHEEL WILL BEGIN TO JERK/SHAKE WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL.DEALER HAS DONE FRONT END ALIGNMENT, DEFECT IS STILL OCCURRING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKES LOCKED UP AND CAUSED A CRASH.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe → · Every Tahoe year → · How the figures are calculated →