Most common 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems
Share of the 67 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 complaints by model year
Best Silverado 3500 years: 2014, 2017, 2012. Years to avoid: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020, 2022. Compare all years →
What 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 owners say
Brakes all 24 →
Have had 2 1998 k3500 trucks. Both have had what I consider severe anti-lock failures which occur anytime, especially at slow speeds. Both were taken to multiple dealerships with no permanent fix. Consensus of problems on both trucks was that the wheel speed sensor was failing, which would cause the anti-lock to activate when not needed. This results in inconsistent stopping distances. Both trucks also have a cold weather real end drag problem with the brakes. When the weather is cold, the back wheels will lock up and skid while stopping no matter how light you touch the brakes. This lock up lasts for about the first 1/2 mile, until the axle heats up, then the brakes work fine - except for the ABS. Second of k3500 trucks (1998) has an intermittent power steering failure. Sometimes the power steering drops off, and then suddenly comes back. This typically happens at slow speeds. …
Consumer was traveling about 15mph and was slowing down for a stop sign, applied the brakes, and in the process he hit a bump and vehicle rolled forward. When vehicle stopped, it was in the street passing the crosswalk. ABS braking system didn't kick in. Consumer stated that he has contacted the dealer.
Wheels & tires
Problems with all six Firestone steeltex tires on dual axle pickup truck. The consumer had to replace all six of the tires, because of a blow out. Several days later the consumer noticed that tread had separated from on one of tires on the vehicle. The consumer felt that he deserves compensation for the tires. The first tire had blown out at 71200K miles, then on the second tire the tread separated at 71427K miles.
While driving at 60 MPH the vehicle suddenly started to vibrate violently and pulled very hard to the right. Upon inspection the consumer noticed that the front right tire tread had separated from the sidewall (tire size lt 22575r16 dot number ad1d7a1697. ) please provide any further details.
Fuel & propulsion system
98 chev k3500 with 6.5 turbo diesel would stall at highway speeds causing loss of power steering and power brakes. Engine sometimes would restart when vehicle put in neutral other times it May take sveral minutes. On several occasions the engine would hickup then begin to accelerate on it's own despite removing my foot from the pedal. I would have to turn the ignition off to slow the vehicle and regain control. Sometimes when attempting to restart engine it would either over rev or the RPM's would surge up and down severely. On one occasion, as I slowed to stop at a sign before pulling out onto a 4 lane road the vehicle suddenly accelerated on it's own launching me out into the road narrowly missing on coming traffic. Another time while pulling into a parking spot at my bank, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumping the curb and going into the bushes on the lawn! …
I was driving my ~ Chevy dually diesel truck ~ on a freeway pulling a trailer with my antique car in it when the truck kind of hesitated / sputtered and died ! I lost power brakes - but was able to get pulled over to side and after a period of time the truck restarted ... Numerous times after this I had the truck die and hesitate - I took to a Chevrolet dealer once - they questioned the passlock security system and bad ignition switch - wanted a ridiculous price to fix .... The truck only had 73,000 miles when I bought it , and I have not driven it much only 81,000 miles presently - and I have not driven it in over a year because of failures to start. I had bought a kit and "pmd / fsd" modules and finally got around to swapping in another one - and wow now the truck is running ----------------- " it was a bad stanadyne pmd " ! …
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 a good car?
Based on 67 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Silverado 3500 rates use caution: 1.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the Silverado 3500 at the same age. It is one of the Silverado 3500 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
The brakes — 24 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the wheels & tires (12) and fuel & propulsion system (10).
How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Silverado 3500?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2017 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2025, 2021, 2020 and 2022. See the full Chevrolet Silverado 3500 years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 18% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.