Most common 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups problems
Share of the 78 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet C/K Pickups complaints by model year
Best C/K Pickups years: 1995, 1996, 2002. Years to avoid: 1998, 1997. Compare all years →
1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups recalls (1)
Visibility › Rearview mirrors/devices › Exterior
Certain sport utility vehicles, Mini vans, and pickup trucks May develop a short circuit in the electric outside rearview mirror switch.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused jumper harness to the electric outside rearview mirror switch. Owner notification began on April 24, 2003.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups:
Vacuum brake booster
Alleged that the vacuum brake booster can fail resulting in loss of brake effectiveness and extended stopping distances.
Driver door electrical fires
By letter dated March 19, 2003, the manufacturer notified NHTSA of the decision to initate a safety recall campaign on selected vehicles within the subject population.the campaign involves 507,000 c/k and m/l vehicles built during model years 1997-1998.the recall involves vehicle models with high incident rates and built at selected assembly plants.a contributing factor to the defect wasinherent variations in…
What 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups owners say
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 34 →
Inoperative windshield wipers. The first time experiencing this problem, I was caught in a heavy rainstorm, in addition to heavy inter-city traffic conditions, on my way to work, upon turning on my windshield wipers there was no response. This is an intermittent problem which has occurred several times and appears to becoming more frequent. This problem also occurs in the washer mode and appears to have a no mode adherence. From mentioning this in conversations, I have discovered this is a reoccurring problem in several other years silverado's. Consequently, GM has another problem they are failing to recognize how many accidents/deaths are going to have to occur before they address this issue, in addition to intermittent problems regarding other equipment that creates a potential safety hazard!
I have a 1998 Chevrolet k1500 pickup, the windshield wiper motor will suddenly stop while in operation,I know there is a recall on models up to 1997,but why not the 1998 models,they use the same parts! It's kinda scary when you are going down I-95 in maine in the middle of a snow storm with your kids in the truck and the windshield wipers decide they are going to stop and you have to roll down the window and stick your head out to see where you are at on the road and hope to hell you can find a safe place to pull over. This problem has been on going with this truck since I owned it(January 2001,28000 miles) and g.m. Should pay to fix the problem. It is a major safety concern. Thank you for your time.
Brakes all 24 →
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. I rear ended another vehicle on a highway due to the line rupturing without any prior notice of leaking when I applied the brakes. I had my truck towed to a repair shop and they replaced the line. They discovered where the rupture was and said it is a poor design of GM to place a line where it can rust out so easily without being detected.
I have just read the following on cnn: detroit (reuters) - general motors corp. Is recalling 804,000 full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles because of potential brake problems, federal safety regulators said Tuesday. The national highway traffic safety administration said unwanted application of the antilock brake system in some vehicles can cause increased stopping distances during low-speed braking and May result in a crash. Vehicles affected by the recall include the Chevrolet avalanche and silverado Pickups and the Chevrolet suburban and tahoe suvs. The GMC sierra pickup and yukon and yukon xl suvs are also affected. All 804,000 vehicles trucks are from the 1999-2002 model years, NHTSA said. This exact problem exists on my 1998 Chevrolet silverado 4x4 pickup. …
Engine & cooling
Intake manifold gaskets leaking anti-freeze. Many trucks are experiencing this same problem. My truck has 74000 miles and I know of 2 others w/ 78,000 and 66,000 miles that needed gasket replacement. Talking to a dealer employee revealed that it is a popular problem with the chavy Vortec motors. At a cost of around $400.00, it is a too frequent problem. Thank you.
Intake manifold gasket failure on 5.7 liter engine. From what the local Chevrolet dealership (w-k Chevrolet) told me, they replace 2 or 3 a week. Something to expect between 75,000 to 100,000 miles. This seems way over the line when spark plugs are expected to last 100,000 miles. Ts
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups a good car?
Based on 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 C/K Pickups rates avoid: 2.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the C/K Pickups at the same age. It is one of the C/K Pickups years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
The windows, wipers & sunroof — 34 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about windshield wiper/washer › motor. Next are the brakes (24) and engine & cooling (9).
How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups have?
There is 1 recall for the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups, the most recent from March 7, 2003 (exterior). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet C/K Pickups?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 1995, 1996 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1998 and 1997. See the full Chevrolet C/K Pickups years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 69,000 miles; 22% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.