1998 Chevrolet S10 Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 1998 Chevrolet S10, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 65,000 miles.
- 50electrical system complaints
- 65,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 54%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 17 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 50 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet S10 electrical system complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
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.
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My pickup was sitting in front of my home when it wouldn't start. I raised the hood and a rat was under the hood with debris with pieces of hoses and insulation from under the hood. After removing the debris i could see the wireing coatings and the hoses were all chewed and missing with part of it…
The vehicle intermittently shuts off while driving. All power is lost. All lights on instrument panel come on as if the truck were just started. "service engine soon" light comes on. Sometimes the truck restarts and continues working and other times it stalls completely as if the key was turned…
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 chevrolet s10. While driving approximately 30 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Chevrolet S10s have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about electrical system for the 1998 Chevrolet S10 (8% of the 613 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Chevrolet S10 electrical system?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 65,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
Other 1998 Chevrolet S10 problems
See all 1998 Chevrolet S10 problems or electrical system problems across all S10 years.