Total Complaints
4 filings
CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 · model year
1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500
4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998CHEVROLETEXPRESS 3500 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 EXPRESS 3500 is structure:body:door with 1 filings, followed by structure:body (1) and air bags:frontal (1). 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 EXPRESS 3500, 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.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20120511AIR BAGS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED ERRONEOUSLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEPLOYMENT CAUSED THE CONTACT TO MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP SAFELY AND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OR INSPECTED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 163,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Mileage: 163,000
20110217AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG SUDDENLY DEPLOYED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO CRASH. THE PASSENGER WAS INJURED AS A RESULT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
Mileage: 140,000
20080527STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
WE CURRENTLY OWN A 1998 AND A 2000 EXPRESS VAN AND WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON BOTH OF THEM, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS (THE 'DOUBLE DOORS') ARE SEIZING UP. WE TRIED TO LUBRICATE THEM BUT IT HASN'T HELPED ANY. THE ONE DOOR ON THE 1998 HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT WE CAN'T EVEN OPEN THE LEFT HAND SIDE DOOR BECAUSE IT IS SO HARD TO SHUT AND IT HAS ALREADY STARTED TO BECOME OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD AS WE HAVE 6 CHILDREN, 3 OF WHICH HAVE TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT AND IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN TO GET THEM OUT FASTER. WE HAVE HAD A DEALER DRILL HOLES IN THE HINGES TO LUBRICATE THEM, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A TEMPORARY AND EVENTUALLY INEFFECTIVE FIX TO A MAJOR PROBLEM. *TR
20080527STRUCTURE:BODY
WE CURRENTLY OWN A 1998 AND A 2000 EXPRESS VAN AND WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON BOTH OF THEM, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOORS (THE 'DOUBLE DOORS') ARE SEIZING UP. WE TRIED TO LUBRICATE THEM BUT IT HASN'T HELPED ANY. THE ONE DOOR ON THE 1998 HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT WE CAN'T EVEN OPEN THE LEFT HAND SIDE DOOR BECAUSE IT IS SO HARD TO SHUT AND IT HAS ALREADY STARTED TO BECOME OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD AS WE HAVE 6 CHILDREN, 3 OF WHICH HAVE TO SIT IN THE BACK SEAT AND IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET THE DOOR OPEN TO GET THEM OUT FASTER. WE HAVE HAD A DEALER DRILL HOLES IN THE HINGES TO LUBRICATE THEM, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A TEMPORARY AND EVENTUALLY INEFFECTIVE FIX TO A MAJOR PROBLEM. *TR
Compare 1998CHEVROLETEXPRESS 3500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 have?▼
The 1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STRUCTURE:BODY and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 1998 CHEVROLET EXPRESS 3500 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.