1998 Chevrolet Tahoe SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
THE FRONT BRAKE ROTOR/HUBS FAILED WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. THE BRAKE ROTORS WERE REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL #98V033000. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NLM
CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 98V033000 CONCERNING BRAKE:DISC:ROTORS. DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR BECAUSE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING ABS WOULD STICK, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
MY BRAKES ON MY 1998 TAHOE, WHICH I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED 3 TIMES. THE ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM ENGAGES ON DRY PAVEMENT CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO STOP. THIS VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 37,000 MILES ON IT. GM WILL NOT FIX BECAUSE THEY SAY THE WARRANTY IS UP. I FEEL THIS IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE READ THAT THE SYSTEMS ON THE NEWER VEHICLES HAVE BEEN IMPROVED BECAUSE THE ONE I HAVE IS SUBSTANDARD FOR THE VEHICLES. THE COST TO REPAIR THIS SYSTEM IS CONSIDERABLE, WHEN I QUESTIONED THE DEALER THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME AN ACCURATE SUM BECAUSE AS THEY GOT FURTHER INTO FIXING IT THERE IS NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW MUCH IT WILL COST UNTIL IT WAS DONE. WHO IS TO SAY IT WOULD WORK PROPERLY WHEN THEY FINISHED AND I WOULD HAVE SPENT WELL OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS. *JB
WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ABRUPTLY. THE NEXT DAY, THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE, THE DEALER STATED THE FRONT ROTOR HAD SHEARED OFF FROM THE MOUNTING BOLT. THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE ISSUE, RECALL # 98V033000, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED.*JB
CONSUMER STATED THE ABS ENGAGE ON DRY PAVEMENT AT A SLOW GRADUAL STOP.*SCC
THE ABS SYSTEM ACTIVATES ON DRY PAVEMENT AT A SLOW GRADUAL SPEED STOP 75 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT CAUSED BY FAULTY ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THERE WAS A PULSATION IN THE BRAKES. TOOK TO DEALER AND DEALER REPLACED BRAKE SHOES, DRUMS, ROTORS, PADS, PROPORTIONING BELT. CONSUMER STATES IS PULSATING AGAIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. NLM
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS A PULSATING NOISE DUE TO WARPED ROTORS. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO COME TO A STOP BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR. WHEN THIS OCCURRED, CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO PRESS HARDER TO GET VEHICLE TO STOP. VEHICLE BEEN TO DEALER, AND PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
SPONGY BRAKES VERY WEAK, AND THE FEELS THAT IT WON'T STOP. DEALER STATES THAT THOSE CARS HAVE THAT FEEL, AND IT IS NORMAL.*AK
ROTORS WENT BAD, THEY KEPT WEARING OUT. HAD ROTORS CHANGED TWICE. CONTACTED DEALER NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. *AK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES ENGAGE WHEN UNDER 10 MPH, LIKE MOVING AROUND THE PARKING LOT. *AK
THERE IS A DELAY IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM WHEN ABS IS APPLIED. BRAKE PEDAL IS VERY SPONGY. FEELS LIKE AIR IN THE BRAKES. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND NOTHING COULD BE RESOLVED BY MECHANIC.*AK
BRAKE PEDAL GOES COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. PADS & MASTER CYLINDER WERE REPLACED, BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS. TECHINCAL TEAM FROM MANUFACTURER HAS INSPECTED IT, AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THEY SAID IT WAS THE BEST THE SYSTEM WOULD BE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 5MPH, BACKING UP AND HE HIT A TREE. HE APPLIED BRAKES, AND PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO FLOOR . ABS BRAKING SYSTEM DIDN'T KICK IN AT ALL. ALSO, THERE WAS FLUID LEAKING FROM THE BRAKES. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
BRAKE POWER BOOSTER FAILURE. CAUSED EXTENDED AND UNSAFE STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE AIR IS IN THE BRAKE LINE. WHEN PUTTING ON BRAKES CONSUMER CAN FEEL THE PAD. BUT IT WON'T STOP. ALSO, WHEN GOING OVER A SERIES OF BUMPS, VEHICLE WON'T STOP.*AK
ROTORS CAUSING SURGING AND PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR, AND SQUEALING. *AK
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
WHILE BRAKING VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE / VIBRATE DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS WHICH HEATS UP AND WARP. DEALER REPLACED ROTORS TWICE. PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. *ML
MASTER CYLINDERS FAILED. YH
BRAKE BOOSTER MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. ALSO, DEALER REPLACED BRAKE ROTORS. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *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
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe has 61 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC complaints on file. 5 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.