Most common 1998 Chevrolet Z71 problems
Share of the 45 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Z71 complaints by model year
What 1998 Chevrolet Z71 owners say
Brakes
Consumer complained about a brake problem. While driving on highway brakes were slow to stop vehicle. When driving around town brakes worked fine. Also, windshield wipers operated poorly, power steering worked intermittently.
Consumer's son while driving at 5mph and applying the brakes, pedal went down to the floor, and vehicle was at the wall of the building. Independent repair shop didn't find anything wrong with the brakes. Modelz71. Year 1999.
Steering
On several occasions I experienced a loss of steering control. It was not speed related - it happened from low to high speeds. The vehicle would suddenly jerk to one side. No instance lasted longer than one second. My mechanic diagnosed the problem as a faulty evo sensor. No sensors are available for replacement, but GM has a "kit" that eliminates the sensor. Elimination of the sensor fixed the problem. The failures that I experienced were extremely short in duration and caused no harm other than a very elevated heart rate! I fear that a greater failure would have resulted in a crash.
Consumer complained about a brake problem. While driving on highway brakes were slow to stop vehicle. When driving around town brakes worked fine. Also, windshield wipers operated poorly, power steering worked intermittently.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
I am the new owner of a 1998 Chevy k1500 Z71. My girlfriend and I were going to a football game and she tried to clean the windshield and the windshield wipers would not work. Two days later I was coming home when a rain storm started I turned on the wipers and they did not work. After getting out of vehicle and picking up the wiper blades they started to work. When I got home I turned off the engine, and my girlfriend got into the truck to leave and take daughter home and the wipers did not work. Picked up wipers and they worked once again. My girlfriend said while she was out wipers kept going off and on even with the control turned to on. At one point she had to pull over in heavy rain for fear of having a wreck because she could not see and the wipers had cut off. …
With truck parked--ignition off-unoccupied-driver window 1/2 "open- awoke in morning to find entire interior of truck burned apparently overnight- arson investigators determined fire started in drivers side door area probably due to rain entering through slightly open window causing power window electronics to over heat and ignite.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Z71 a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Z71 to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Z71?
The brakes — 11 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the steering (10) and windows, wipers & sunroof (9).
How many recalls does the 1998 Chevrolet Z71 have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1998 Chevrolet Z71. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 1998 Chevrolet Z71 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 79,000 miles; 20% 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.