1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 filed 73 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 73
involving a crash: 7

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 44% of all complaints
2 Fuel system 11% of all complaints
3 Structure 8% of all complaints
4 Visibility 8% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
6 Suspension 5% of all complaints
7 Latches, locks, linkages 4% of all complaints
8 Powertrain 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 32 complaints (44% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel system: 8 complaints (11% of all).
Structure: 6 complaints (8% of all).
Visibility: 6 complaints (8% of all).
Electrical system: 5 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 73 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

brake failure5 · 7%
rust, corrosion4 · 5%
vibration4 · 5%
smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 4%
windows, sunroof3 · 4%
door locks, latches, handles2 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 3%
stalls while driving2 · 3%
steering or power steering problems2 · 3%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	32	5
Fuel system	8	0
Structure	6	0
Visibility	6	0
Electrical system	5	1
Suspension	4	0
Latches, locks, linkages	3	0
Powertrain	3	1
Tires	3	0
Engine and cooling	2	0
Air bags	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Exterior lighting	1	0
Steering	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Upon inspection of the vehicle after bringing it home, noticed that the brakeline to the rear of the vehicle was completely rusted through. Similar lines did not show sign of corrosion but this one was completely deteriorated to the point of no repair.
Service brakes · crash · 2013-10-14 · NHTSA complaint #10547846
I parked this pickup in our driveway and removed the keys from the ignition switch. My two year old son was able to grab the automatic gear shift lever on the steering colum and pull it out of park. My six year old son was run over when the pickup rolled out of the driveway and into my neighbors house.
Powertrain · crash · 2000-01-17 · NHTSA complaint #717451
While parked the vehicle caught on fire under the hood . The vehicle was totaled. The dealer and manufacturer have been notified.
Electrical system · crash · 1998-09-08 · NHTSA complaint #827651
1998 chevrolet k2500. For some time now the truck has had an intermittent windshield wiper issue (does not work when wet.) 03/25/2009 the wipers stopped working while I was driving in the rain causing a very dangerous situation.
Visibility · 2009-03-25 · NHTSA complaint #10263052
The vehicle lost power steering and power brakes. In the beginning, the vehicle would immediately restart, but now it takes approximately five minutes after the vehicle shuts down to restart. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The purchase date was unknown.
Fuel system · 2008-03-18 · NHTSA complaint #10221528
Severe vehicle frame corrosion/rusting of front frame extensions, particularly in area of steering box mounting on several agency owned 1998 -2000 model chevrolet pickup trucks. Disposition is scrapping vehicles as beyond economical repair and unsafe to operate.
Structure · 2007-02-26 · NHTSA complaint #10183526
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph under normal road conditions, the engine stalled. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the fuel solenoid driver had failed.
Fuel system · 2006-12-06 · NHTSA complaint #10175282
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle stalled suddenly while driving 65 mph. An independent mechanic determined the injector pump failed and needed to be replaced
Fuel system · 2006-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #10163990

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19985
199920
200011
20017
20025
20035
20044
20057
20063
20071
20082
20091
20131
20161

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 4,331 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Silverado 2500 has 121 complaints (34 years in the data). This year has 73, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, fuel system, structure. Total complaints: 73. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: brake failure (7%), rust, corrosion (5%), vibration (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1998 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.