CHEVROLET C/K PICKUPS · model year

1998 CHEVROLET C/K PICKUPS

88 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998CHEVROLETC/K PICKUPS carries 88 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 5 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 C/K PICKUPS is visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor with 16 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (13) and visibility:windshield wiper/washer (11). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1998 C/K PICKUPS, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

88
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
5
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

88 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR16
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP13
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER11
STEERING6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS3
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING3
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION2
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS1
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS1

Recent Complaints

20120831STEERING

WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING GAVE A QUICK LOCK UP AND LOST POWER STEERING TOOK PUMP OFF AND PULLEY AND SHAFT FELL OUT OF PUMP. *TR

Mileage: 72,000

20100417SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

BRAKE FAILURE ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS DUE TO BRAKE LINE RUPTURES...ONCE 6' BELOW THE MASTER CYLINDER AND 8 MONTHS LATER ON A LINE TO A REAR BRAKE. BOTH TIMES LOST THE PEDAL. MY TRUCK IS A 1998 CK 1500 WITH VIRTUALLY NO BODY ROT. I WAS SURPRISED THAT #1 THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF PEDAL AND #2 A SECOND PERFORATION OCCURRED SO SOON. I WILL FILL OUT THE FORM FOR INCIDENT #1 ( JULY 2009) THE OTHER RUPTURE WAS 23 MAR 2010. *TR

Mileage: 136,403

20100414CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

MY 1998 CHEVY SILVERADO PICKUP TRUCK HAD A BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO THE BRAKE LINE RUSTING OUT BECAUSE THE DESIGN HAS THE BRAKE LINE LAYING ON TOP OF A STEEL GUARD UNDER THE FRONT OF THE TRUCK WHERE SNOW GATHERS RATHER EASILY AND IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO INSPECT THE LINE THERE. I REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE ON A HIGHWAY DUE TO THE LINE RUPTURING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTICE OF LEAKING WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I HAD MY TRUCK TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY REPLACED THE LINE. THEY DISCOVERED WHERE THE RUPTURE WAS AND SAID IT IS A POOR DESIGN OF GM TO PLACE A LINE WHERE IT CAN RUST OUT SO EASILY WITHOUT BEING DETECTED. *TR

Mileage: 97,000

20090507VISIBILITY

I HATE TO SOUND REPETITIVE ,BUT I ALSO HAVE A 1998 CHEVY SILVERADO 4X4 THAT HAS A WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR PROBLEM. I ALSO THINK THAT GM SHOULD STEP-UP AND FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE WHEN IT HAPPENS TO SO MANY OF THE SAME VEHICLES I FEEL AS THOUGH IT'S A FACTORY DEFECT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A LONG TIME. THE TRUCK DOESN'T HAVE BUT 61,000 MILES ON IT. I CONFRONTED THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY WOULDN'T HELP ME OUT. THAT'S WHY I HAVE A TOYOTA ,THAT'S MADE IN THE USA, SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY. GOD BLESS THE USA !!! *TR

Mileage: 21,000

20080519STEERING

STEERING: I AM HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEN TURNING RIGHT DURING A LONG TURN, IT FEELS LIKE I HIT A PATCH OF ICE OR LIKE SOMEONE GRAB HE STEERING WHEEL & JERK IT TO THE RIGHT. THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT SEEM TO BE GETTING WORST BUT I DO NOT LIKE THE FEEL. SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING THE TRUCK COULD OVER STEER. *TR

Mileage: 39,000

20080129VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:LINKAGES

1 WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTERMENTENT. 2 VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING IN RAIN. 3 REMOVED AND REPLACED WIPPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. *CN

Mileage: 69,755

20071213SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

MY VEHICLE HAS THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN #05V379000. MY ANTILOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE AT LOW SPEED MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP MY TRUCK. *TR

Mileage: 90,000

20061025SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

I HAVE A 1998 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCK WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WOULD ACTIVATE WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 10 MPH; THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT SLOW SPEEDS. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT 1999 & 2000 CHEVY PICKUP TRUCKS HAVE A RECALL FOR THE SAME ABS PROBLEM THAT I AM EXPERIENCING WITH MY 1998 TRUCK. I WENT TO THE DEALER TO DISCUSS THIS RECALL WITH THEM AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE SPEED SENSOR AND THAT IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THE RECALL WAS ADDRESSING, BUT BECAUSE MY TRUCK WAS A 1998, THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNLESS CHEVROLET GAVE THEM THE OK. I WENT TO CHEVROLET'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER THE RECALL. I TALKED TO ANOTHER OWNER OF A 1998 CHEVY PICKUP AND HIS TRUCK HAD THE SAME ABS PROBLEM. HIS SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS REMOVING THE ABS FUSE. MY CONCERN IS THAT CHEVROLET HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 1998 ABS SYSTEM AS WELL, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF SA

Mileage: 80,000

20060821TIRES:TREAD/BELT

I HAVE 4 BRIDGESTONE TIRES, DUELER AT 693, LT 285/75/16, ON MY VEHICLE. LAST WEEK ONE OF THEM BECAME SEVERELY DEFECTIVE AND HAD SOME SORT OF SEPARATION INSIDE IT. I SEE THAT THESE TIRES WERE SUBJECT TO A VOLUNTARY SAFETY CAMPAIGN, # 04T018000 THAT HAS APPARENTLY EXPIRED. I WAS CERTAINLY NEVER AWARE OF THIS CAMPAIGN OR I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RISKING MY FAMILIES SAFETY WITH THESE TIRES WITHOUT HAVING THEM CHECKED. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES APPROXIMATELY 2 1/2 YEARS AND APPARENTLY PURCHASED THEM NEAR OR AROUND THE CAMPAIGN DATES. MY QUESTION IS, DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE IN THIS MATTER. I NOW HAVE ONE VERY DEFECTIVE TIRE, AND THREE MORE WITH AMPLE TREAD BUT ARE NOT APPARENTLY SAFE TO DRIVE MY FAMILY AROUND ON. I DON'T BELIEVE BRIDGESTONE DID A VERY GOOD JOB NOTIFYING THE CONSUMERS OF THIS CAMPAIGN. *JB

20060726ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060726ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060726ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060726EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:UNIT

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060726FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060726POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060726STEERING

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060726VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

20060721VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL STOP WORKING CREATING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

Mileage: 70,000

20060709SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ABS WHEEL SENSOR PROBLEMS. TSB RELEASED BUT NO RECALL. COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. BRAKES SHUTTER WHEN SLOWING DOWN. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE SERVICED BUT MY WARRANTY WOULDN'T COVER DUE TO TSB. MANY COMPLAINTS BY OTHER PEOPLE ONLINE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. A $500.00 REPAIR. SHOULD BE RACALLED. *NM

20060623SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATES AT LOW SPEEDS WHILE APPLYING BRAKES. THERE IS A RECALL BY GM FOR 1999 FOR THE SAME ISSUE. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY TELL ME THAT A 1998 IS NOT INVOLVED AS OF YET. *NM

Mileage: 65,500

Compare 1998CHEVROLETC/K PICKUPS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 CHEVROLET C/K PICKUPS have?
The 1998 CHEVROLET C/K PICKUPS has 88 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 5 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 CHEVROLET C/K PICKUPS?
The most-complained component for the 1998 CHEVROLET C/K PICKUPS is VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR with 16 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER.
Is the 1998 CHEVROLET C/K PICKUPS safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.