CHEVROLET METRO · model year

1998 CHEVROLET METRO

6 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1998CHEVROLETMETRO carries 6 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 METRO is structure:frame and members with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (1) and structure:body (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 METRO, 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.

6
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

6 filings

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

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
AIR BAGS1

Recent Complaints

20180304AIR BAGS

ON MARCH 3RD 2018 I STARTED MY VEHICLE IN STATIONARY POSITION PARKED AND MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED WHEN I RECEIVE NO WARNING OR LIGHTS ON ABOUT IT I WAS NOT HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE NOR WAS I DRIVING. I WAS PARKED IN A PARKING STRUCTURE IN LOS ANGELES. I RECEIVED INJURY TO MY FACE AND WRIST. MY GLASSES WERE BROKEN DUE TO THE IMPACT

Mileage: 188,756

20110113STRUCTURE:BODY

1998 CHEVY METRO FRAME RUSTS OUT AND CAUSES CONTROL ARM TO BREAK AWAY MY CHEVY METRO BOTH SIDES ROTTED AND THE CONTROL ARMS BROKE AWAY IF THIS HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING I COULD HAVE BEEN HURT CONTACTED CHEVY AND THEY PRETTY MUCH SAID SORRY SO UNLESS I WANT TO SPEND THOUSANDS TO FIX MY CAR I HAVE TO BUY A NEW ONE IF GM CAN TAKE MY MONEY THEY NEED TO STAND BY THERE PRODUCT LIKE FORD DOES. *TR

Mileage: 110,000

20100224STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET METRO LSI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST ON THE FRAME. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TIRES HAVE FALLEN APART INCLUDING THE TIRE WHEEL FRAME. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT CARE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT ALSO SAYS THAT CHEVROLET WOULD BE AT FAULT IF A FATALITY OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

Mileage: 57,000

20100205STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

CHEVY METRO 1998 .CAR WAS GOING 50MPH ON EXPRESSWAY WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED,VEHICLE DID NOT STOP BUT HOPPED OFF THE FREEWAY TO THE RIGHT. THOUGHT CAR AXLE HAD BROKE BUT,LATER, AFTER BEING TOWED TO A MECHANIC WAS TOLD CAR CANNOT BE FIXED BECAUSE BODY SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME! SIMILAR TO THE PERSON IN OHIO. *TR

Mileage: 78,000

20090330STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET METRO. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN PULLING EXCESSIVELY TO THE RIGHT. HE NOTICED THAT SOMETHING FRACTURED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, WHICH HE THOUGHT WAS ONE OF THE CONTROL ARMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE UNIBODY THAT SUPPORTS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS FRACTURED AND DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST SINCE THERE WERE NO RECALLS AVAILABLE AND DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY THE SYSTEM. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 103,000.

Mileage: 103,000

20080111ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET METRO. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THEN IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED AUTOMATICALLY. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED OR WHEN SWITCHING GEARS. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, DUPLICATED THE FAILURE, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE JERKED FORWARD WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. SHE FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 31,000.

Mileage: 31,000

Compare 1998CHEVROLETMETRO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1998 CHEVROLET METRO have?
The 1998 CHEVROLET METRO has 6 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 CHEVROLET METRO?
The most-complained component for the 1998 CHEVROLET METRO is STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and STRUCTURE:BODY.
Is the 1998 CHEVROLET METRO 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.