Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Chevrolet S10 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
With the air conditioner, the relays and fuses keep blowing. I have taken the vehicle to a air conditioning place and they are not sure. With the ABS, I was driving down the road in snow, I used the brakes and the anti locks came on and all lights interior and exterior cut off completely. Had to stop and restart vehicle. With the electrical problem, I was driving down the road when all ny gauges jumped then went to normal. With the transmission it has constantly slammed into second gear and third gear. I have brought to the dealer numerous timed. It was worked on once, they said they replaced numerous parts on the transmission. Upon driving it down the road, the same thing happened. **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****734327
Automatic transmission cooler broke while driving and contaminated other components within the engine compartment. This made driving and gear changing difficult. Dealership will replace all contaminated components. The "service engine soon" light illuminated so the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. The consumer had the radiator flushed at 550 miles and the engine continued to run rough. On one occasion, the consumer started the engine and it lunged forward almost knocking him to the driveway. The service manager agreed that the radiator May be defective. The battery was replaced, the instrument panel cluster was replaced because it had shorted out.
I own an 1998 Chevy S10 pick-up truck. Some time last year I started to get a p1870 trouble code. When I took it to the dealer I was told that my transmission needed to be replaced at the cost of $2,300. At the time the transmission only had 61,000 miles on it. I researched the problem and found that this is a big problem with these transmissions. I believe that GM should take responsibility for this faulty transmission.
I was pulling into a mcdonald's drive-through lane and the silicone isolation mount where the top part of the transmission shift lever meets the bottom part coming up from the transmission broke loose. It is not possible to shift with the top lever now. It is possible to shift using the short bottom piece coming up from the transmission, but it is not easy to do so.
The slave cylinder fails and the clutch will no longer disengage (but it is intermitent at first). This can occur while in gear and the vehicle will have to be shut off or yanked out of gear to stop. This happend to me while I was backing up and I wound up going right over a curb just missing the car parked behind me.
The consumer had multiple problems with this vehicle. The spark wires corroded, the head gasket leaked and the transmission did not work properly when shifted. Dealer notified. Also the radiator erupted between the transmission cooler and the cooler of the radiator.
Cosumer stated that while driving the "slave" cylinder in the bell housing would not move. As a result, consumer could not shift gears and vehicle broke down on the highway. Ts mechanic replaced slave cylinder and bleed the system.
When you drive the truck for approx 1 hour, the transmission goes into high gear and will not come out until it cool down. It throws a CEL lamp. When you stop with the transmission warm, it shifts very hard from 1st to second.
1998 Chevy S10 4 cyl. 74,000 miles transmission shifting hard, check engine light comes on and has code 1870. Shop says transmission needs to be replaced. Ran across hundreds and hundreds of this same complaint on the internet.
When the problem with the cooling system first came up the SUV was I thought over heating a bit I called the dealership and they told me not to worry about it as that was nornal for them in hot weather.the SUV broke down in springfild mo , we manged to pull into a shop ,they said the damage was to great to repair without costing at least 2000.00, and even then there was no way to know what damge was done to the SUV.they did however give me a service bulletin which listed my problem. It seems GM has known of this problem for at leart 4 years. Yet when I called the dealerships with this very (I learned later) common problem noone wanted to admit they had even heard of it. …
Transmission complaints in other S10 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 1998 Chevrolet S10?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 1998 Chevrolet S10, 7% of the model year's 613 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (24 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Chevrolet S10 transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 1998 Chevrolet S10, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet S10 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 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.