1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 problems & reliability
73 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 30 | 41% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 8% |
| Structure | 6 | 8% |
| Visibility | 6 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 7% |
| Suspension | 4 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 4% |
| Power Train | 3 | 4% |
| Tires | 3 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 82,274 miles (middle 50% between 46,337 and 97,000 miles), based on 22 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I bought this truck with 70k miles on it .has been a good truck but the dash is coming apart and in the near future I do not know what is going to hold the gauges in place. I can not even buy a replacement part for the vehicle from gm and every part out of a salvage yard is in the same condition.”
Structure · filed Dec 19, 2016
“Brakes went out completely after depressing brake pedal. Had to leave the roadway into the bushes to avoid hitting stopped car in front of me. 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…”
Service Brakes · filed Oct 14, 2013
“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. Did some research and found out chevrolet has an ongoing reputation for this issue and…”
Visibility · filed Mar 25, 2009
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
11 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500. The 10 most recent:
This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
17-NA-073 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2023
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 18, 2022
This Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is not serviceable and will need to be replaced if the brake pedal moves or applies on its own at a full turn.
PIT3665H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 24, 2019
This technical bulletin provides a procedure to reprogram the media disc player with the latest calibrations to correct a condition of the rear entertainment system not operating as intended in colder ambient…
16NA260 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 26, 2016
Vehicle Recalls
Recalls · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2014
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
Tailgate cable slack. This includes 1998-2006 chevrolet and gmc full and mid size trucks. *eh updated. *kb
3227 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 4, 2006
Some customers may comment on front door hinge pin bushing wear, front door sag, or door chucking movement in extreme operating conditions. *tt
020864016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2002
Information regarding collapsed fuel tank including gmt 400 sierra and chevrolet pick-up. *yh
270801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 27, 2001
This technical service bulletin states that technicians may experience difficulty in removing the connectors from the park / neutral position switch, usually when trying to remove the switch during transmission service…
010730021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2001
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 2500?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 82,274 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.