Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Chevrolet Silverado owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Dt: while driving on the road after about 5 minutes, an odor of smoke came from under the hood. The consumer stopped on the side of the road, looked under the hood and everything seemed fine. When the driver returned to the cab of the vehicle, it was filled with smoke. The fire dept was called to the scene to put out the fire.
1998 Silverado ext. Cab - the vehicle had been sitting all afternoon of 10/24 and all night. Friday morning at about 6:15 I heard a horn blowing. I went outside to investigate and found the interior of my truck on fire. I have pictures (if you would like to see them). It is obvious that the fire started in the dash to left of the steering wheel. That section of the dash was melted beyond recognition. The windshield blew in the left hand corner and the driver's side window also blew. The left side of the steering wheel completely melted and the drivers seat was burnt to the floor. The rest of the interior burned also, but the heaviest burning was the front drivers side. The truck was deemed totaled. There is not doubt that the fire started in the left dash near the fuse door. I was told that there had been a recall for this problem, but I never received anything about it. …
The dashboard in the truck caught on fire. We were able to extinguish the fire before extensive damage was done. The GM dealership determined that the cause of the fire was the wiring harness under the hood. We reported this to GM, and they said that they had no other reports and were not going to do anything about it because of the age of the vehicle. I looked on the NHTSA site and found 52 pages of other Chevrolet trucks with similar problems from 1996 to 2002. I believe someone could get seriously hurt or killed if this were to happen while driving. We were fortunate that we were able to put the fire out. GM will not even investigate this problem, our extended warranty isn't worth the paper it is written on and our insurance company will only pay for ensuing damage. I think someone with some authoriy should contact GM since this is an obvious defect in design. Michael butori.
During normal driving conditions (fair weather, city driving) my pick-up died in the middle of traffic just after completing a left turn and shifting into second gear. I was in the left lane and managed to let it coast into a little used left turn lane. I had it towed to my local dealership (fisher Chevrolet, boulder, colorado), where they informed me that a wiring harness was routed past the exhaust manifold and had melted and caused a grounded crank signal. ( my father also has the same year, make, and model as I do, and his pick-up has a similar wiring pattern.) the wiring and fuses were replaced and re-routed, and the crank signal circuit was repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Chevrolet Silverado. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated the failure found was related to the security system. The vehicle was repaired by replacing the ignition. The failure recurred approximately six times. The dealer was unable to determine the exact failure. The manufacturer was not made aware. The VIN was unavailable. The current mileage was 135,000. The failure mileage was 127,000.
The vehicle had problems with the taillights, dash board lights and the headlights. The dealer indicated there was an electrical problem. Please provide further information. The problem went back because dealer only patched the wire instead of replacing them. Dealer now removed the dashboard to work on the problem.
The rear turn signal and brake indicator failed without. Dealer stated that electronic relay malfunctioned. It only happened during the winter months. Chevrolet Silverado 1998 has had on going electrical and braking system issues since it was new.
Vehicle expereincing problem with blown ECM fuses which cause vehicle to shut down. Vehicle has been to dealer shop on one occasion, and at an independent repair shop. Both were unable to correct the problem. Consumer stated the dealer is having a problem locating the short, the fuse has blown on 4 ocassions.
Evo or steering wheel sensor fails and causes loss of pressure on the steering wheel. This results in unintentional movement of the steerig wheel. Consumer believes this is common problem of GM vehicles and that there should be an immediate campaign to recall for the safety of the public.
Left taillight circuit board failure during a long trip made for hazardous driving. GM states that this is a common occurence. Weak component. Weak components should have safety recalls due to safety and poor design. GM customer service contacted. Since vehicle had 41,000 miles, they felt no responsibility.
Electrical complaints in other Silverado years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado, 7% of the model year's 279 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Chevrolet Silverado electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado. 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 Silverado electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 127,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.