Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Chevrolet Lumina owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When I first bought my 1998 Chevrolet Lumina, all of the brake lights were working properly. However, a few weeks later I was driving and a man told me that my brake lights were out. The top brake light has always worked, but the two side lights and the reverse lights do not work. This has been an ongoing problem ever since I noticed it. We have tired the following: switching the light bulbs, changing the fuses, and getting a professional work done. However, nothing works. The new fuse makes the lights work for less than a day if I'm lucky, but then the fuse blows; and the experts have no idea what is wrong. I live in milwaukee, wi, and have seen over ten cars with the exact same problem! I have gotten pulled over and ticketed 3 times now, and have had to pay over $100 in fines, and at least $300 at the auto shop, just for the brake light problem. …
I purchased my vehicle used and it still had 1000 mile warranty from the dealer. When I got the car there was a problem with the fuel pump so they replaced it. Before I even got out of the parking lot the (vibration shudder hose) went bad. Or at least that is what the guy at the service area told me the name was. They have replaced that. And for almost two years now I have been fighting with them that the power steering has been whining. Also the brakes do not stop to well in the rain. I travel a lot and we go through brakes like water. We also had the ac compressor go out last year during the summer. The car was only 4 years old. We keep our car up very well. I do not understand all these problems. I know this May not seem like big problems but when I keep my car up and have been fighting with the dealer due to whining this is frustrating.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Lumina. In March of 2008, the vehicle was purchased with a cracked windshield. The dealer repaired the windshield. The following day, while driving 20 MPH, the brakes failed and nearly caused a crash. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they kept it for three days. A few days later, the vehicle shut off completely. The vehicle was repaired once more, but it shut off again. The dealer refused to make any more repairs. The current mileage is 140,000 and failure mileage was 129,897. Updated 7/3/08 the consumer stated the vehicle stalled at least 10 times. The consumer was informed the engine was bad. Updated 07/03/08
I bought this car used with 32,000 mi. From the beginning brakes would not grab in the rain, the brake pedal was extremely hard. The dealer said nothing was wrong and that's the way this car is. I was told that I was not use to 4 wheel disc brakes. (I drive a 4 wheel disc car at work.) I insisted that something was wrong. Dealer turned the front rotors which did not help. I installed high performance disc pads on all four wheels which helped a lot but only for about 20000 miles. The brakes use to when they got wet. This car is unsafe in wet weather! ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis***762002
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Lumina. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the brakes lines fractured. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who diagnosed that the metal brakes lines were rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure and current mileage was 124,000. Updated 08-09-12 the consumer would like to have his complaint removed. He stated will be working directly with GM regarding the issue. Updated 08/09/12.
Tl contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Lumina. The contact stated that the brake light illuminated on the instrument panel while driving. He noticed a small pin hole in the brake line caused by corrosion. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by a mechanic. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 160,000. Updated 10/07/08. The consumer stated the right rear steel brake line was improperly installed at 2 locations. Updated 10/08/08.
While going 30mph another vehicle cut in front & stopped suddenly. Driver in the Lumina applied brakes & hit right side of ranger (door & bed). Neither air bags deployed upon impact. Seat belt caused slight trauma to heart area.
I was going 55 MPH on beltway. I discovered that my brakes were very hard to push and could not stop. Pulled off to shoulder and could not pick up any aceleration. I had the car taken immediately to dealer for check-up. The dealer (fox) advised that the brake booster hose from the master brake cylinder became loose and was "crimped" near the hood and fire wall. This resulted in the flow of vacuum pressure being compromised and stopping. The dealer advised that the brake booster hose had to be "repositioned." this corrected both problems of failed braking and lack of accelleration. The dealer would not or could not fully explain if this was a manufacturing problem or was a result of human error when work is performed on the car. The dealer would not replace the "crimped" booster hose. Lost of brakes when going highway speeds was quite upsetting. …
My brakes pulsate when applying. I'm having brake failure much to soon for my driving and past experience with new cars. The dealer is saying that the rotors are warped and that it's not covered under warranty. However, I brake very little, since most of my 86 mi. Daily commute is intersate; I am extremely easy on a brake when braking; I've never slammed the brake; past experience with many new cars has never resulted in warped brakes, in fact, my 1992 Lumina euro had 60K before front pads were needed and 90K before rear pads... Rotors were (and are) still okay. Lastly, I checked the investigations database and found that the '98 monte carlo has a "degraded braking performance". I wondered if the Lumina brakes were the same as the monte?
Noticed that back rotors had deep grooves in them at apx 16,000 mi. Reported to dealer, said it was normal..I've had cars with more that never even had rotors turned down, anyway, they replaced 4 brake pads,said they were gone & turned rotors down, cost me 334.00 I feel it should be covered under warranty, this also happened to a friends car said it was covered under warranty, he told me to check my rotors, thats when I noticed the deep grooves. He has same style car (montecarlo,apx same mileage)the dealer said this is normal!!!!!!!!!! I don't think so. Got no where with GM they'll say & believe what diamond chev tells them.. Like I said, my friends dealer, knight Chevy in southbridge ma , said it was under warranty!
Brake complaints in other Lumina years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the brakes of the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina, 16% of the model year's 223 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Chevrolet Lumina brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet Lumina brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 98,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.