AI Damage1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups filed 78 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 78
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 44% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 31% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 1% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 1% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 1% of all complaints
- Visibility: 34 complaints (44% of all).
- Service brakes: 24 complaints (31% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 9 complaints (12% of all).
- Steering: 8 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (4% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 78 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Is gm going to pay for the ticket or worse, property and liability claims when I actually do hit a person or another vehicle? I have seen nearly 250 individual complaints on this issue on the nhtsa website. Some that led to crashes and damage.
Wipers fail to start or stop at any time if they do start to work. I understand that if my truck was a 1997 this would be covered under recall 03023, but since it's a 1998 it's not covered even though it's the same issue!!!(bad control board)
Intake coolant leak on a 1998 k1500 $850 for a temporary fix
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,152 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C/K Pickups has 29 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 78, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, service brakes, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 78. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (5%), jerking, harsh shifts (4%), steering or power steering problems (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1998 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.