1998 Chevrolet S10 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other S10 years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 613 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Chevrolet S10. That ranks 3rd out of 14 S10 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (200 complaints, 33%), typically at around 60,500 miles. Complaints mention 61 crashes, 9 fires, 40 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 613owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 61complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 Chevrolet S10 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility problems | 200 | 33% | 60,500 | “windshield wipers” (64%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 67 | 11% | 105,000 | “anti lock brakes” (10%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 51 | 8% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System problems | 50 | 8% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 48 | 8% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 40 | 7% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 39 | 6% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 37 | 6% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 24 | 4% | 100,523 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 22 | 4% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 3% | 42,750 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 14 | 2% | 40,007 | — | — |
| Steering | 14 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 12 | 2% | 137,950 | — | — |
| Tires | 11 | 2% | 168,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 2% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 10 | 2% | 87,900 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 1% | 89,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 1% | 81,250 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 5 | 1% | 67,125 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 0% | 78,005 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 0% | 111,382 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 0% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 111,382 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Chevrolet S10 recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery
Problem: Vehicle description: electric passenger vehicles and pickup trucks containing a nickel metal hydride (nimh) battery pack. These vehicles contain software within the battery pack module intended to disable the vehicle from being driven if the electrical resistance with the battery pack exceeds a prescribed value. Affected vehicles will illuminate the "service now" and "reduced performance" telltales and continue to function in a reduced performance model instead of being disabled.
Risk: If the telltales are ignored and the affected vehicle continues to be driven, heat could build up and a fire could result.
Fix: Dealers will install revised software in the battery pack module.
Exterior lighting
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the daytime running lights built with a candela value greater than 3,000 cannot be mounted higher than 864mm above the road surface.
Risk: These vehicles do not comply with requirements of fmvss no. 108.
Fix: Dealers will install a revised wiring harness that changes the drl's from high beam to low beam drl's, and install new long-life low beam bulbs.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: electric pickup trucks. A condition in which the fuel-fired heater fill pipe ground strap contacts the rear passenger side brake pipe.
Risk: This could wear off the corrosion protection on the brake pipe, leading to premature corrosion and eventual loss of brake pipe integrity. When brake pipe integrity is lost, brake fluid leakage can occur.
Fix: Dealers will relocate the ground strap attachment, inspect the brake pipe for wear, and replace the brake pipe if necessary.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with electric drive. Rapid fogging of the interior glass can occur within two minutes after the heat is turned on if (1) the outside temperature is between 35 and 76 degrees fahrenheit and (2) water has collected on the heat exchanger during previous operation of the air conditioning.
Risk: If rapid fogging were to occur during driving, it could obstruct the driver's vision increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners are being provided with a caution label and supplemental insert for their owner's manual advising them to follow a "stop and wait" procedure to help avoid window fogging while driving.
Electrical system:wiring:front underhood
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose vehicles. An engine electrical wiring-harness clip can melt and drip onto the exhaust manifold.
Risk: The clip material on the exhaust manifold can ignite and subsequently ignite other combustible components resulting in a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers are contacting owners by telephone to have their vehicles towed to the dealer and alternate transportation provided to them until the dealer can reroute the electrical wiring-harness.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. A fatigue fracture of the rear axle right-hand brake pipe can occur causing a slow brake fluid leak resulting in a soft brake pedal. If the brake pipe breaks, the driver would experience a sudden drop in the brake pedal, the instrument panel brake light would illuminate, and there would be a loss of rear brake performance.
Risk: Partial loss of braking at a time when minimum stopping distance was required could result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pipe.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Tailgate support cables (EA05008) — opened Apr 14, 2005, closed May 19, 2006.
- Tailgate support cable(s) break (RQ04012) — opened Nov 22, 2004, closed Apr 14, 2005.
- Post collision fuel system integrity (EA99012) — opened Jun 11, 1999, closed Aug 10, 2001.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Wipers just stopped working while driving in the rain. Unable to get them to turn back on. Seems to be eerily similar to a previous recall (03v159000) of earlier year model vehicles. Recall needs to be extended asap to cover 1998+ year model vehicles
I just bought the truck used and sometimes the windshield wipers will work and sometimes they will not come on at all. It does this whether it is stationary, in motion, on a city street or a highway, turning, braking, hot or cold weather, etc. It is unsafe when it is raining because the wipers do…
My parking brake doesn't work. My seatbelts come undone when i'm driving which is a major issue for safety.
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 chevrolet s10. While driving 5 mph, the contact's vehicle was struck on the driver's side by another vehicle that drove through a red light. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the head and lower back. Medical…
While in motion on the freeway, the spare tire hoist cable under the truck bed failed and the spare tire dropped to the ground. After it fell, a second safety cable used to prevent theft of the tire was causing the tire to drag behind the vehicle for an unknown number of miles. While pulling over…
Other Chevrolet S10 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 S10 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 S10 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 S10 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 S10 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 S10 | 21 | 1 |
| 2003 S10 | 178 | 1 |
| 2002 S10 | 214 | 0 |
| 2001 S10 | 308 | 1 |
| 2000 S10 | 471 | 4 |
| 1999 S10 | 231 | 0 |
| 1998 | 613 | 6 |
| 1997 S10 | 469 | 6 |
| 1996 S10 | 668 | 7 |
| 1995 S10 | 911 | 5 |
See all Chevrolet S10 problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Chevrolet S10?
Owners most often report visibility, service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 200 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Chevrolet S10?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 Chevrolet S10 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other S10 model years, the 1998 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.