IllustrationTHE BELT TENSIONER CAME APART, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND NO AIR CONDITIONING. *MJS (ORIGINAL REPORT 557308)
1998 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 525.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Silverado 1500 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
110–25K
1725–50K
4050–75K
2075–100K
31100–150K
13150K+
132 reports with mileage · 229 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 109 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Visibility. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports11 fire reports3 injury reports
What owners actually said
361 reportsTHE BELT TENSIONER CAME APART, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND NO AIR CONDITIONING. *MJS (ORIGINAL REPORT 557308)
THE SENSOR THAT CONTROLS POWER STEERING EFFORT HAS FAILED TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE. IT IS AN INTERMITTENT CONDITION WHERE THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO STEER THE VEHICLE VARIES GREATLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITION WOULD OCCUR WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED. THE STEERING EFFORT WOULD SUDDENLY CHANGE FROM NORMAL TO …
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THE SENSOR THAT CONTROLS POWER STEERING EFFORT HAS FAILED TWICE ON THIS VEHICLE. IT IS AN INTERMITTENT CONDITION WHERE THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO STEER THE VEHICLE VARIES GREATLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE MOST DANGEROUS CONDITION WOULD OCCUR WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED. THE STEERING EFFORT WOULD SUDDENLY CHANGE FROM NORMAL TO VERY LIGHT. WHEN THIS OCCURED WHILE NEGOTIATING A CURVE AT HIGH SPEED, IT WOULD JERK YOU OFF THE ROAD.*AK
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, THE AIR BAGS EXPERIENCED NO DEPLOYMENT, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. *SLC
VEHICLE VIBRATES INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING, VIBRATION IS MORE SEVERE UNDER BRAKING CONDITIONS BUT NOTICEABLE WHEN JUST CRUISING, THIS VIBRATION CAUSES THE REAR END TO BOUNCE THUS RESULTING IN THE ABS TO ACTIVATE AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *ET
TIRE BLOW OUT CAUSED ACCIDENT ON 09/26/2000 - CAUSED LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND SERIOUS SPINE INJURY. LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND THAT MY 2 LITTLE GIRLS WERE NOT WITH ME AT THE TIME. (TIRESIZE: LT225/75R1)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT225/75R1 )
FIRESTONE, STEELTEX AT, TIRE SIZE 245/75R16 , 35,000 ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WITH CHEVROLET, 1500, 1998. FRONT TIRES INNER TREAD IS SINKING POSSIBLY DUE INNER CORDS THAT CONTRACTED, AND PULLED IN.*AK ALL OF THE FOUR TIRES HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. THE INNER TREADS WERE SINKING. *YH
STEERING WHEEL FEELS SLIPPERY & WOULD JERK OR PULL TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT ON ITS OWN. TOOK TO DEALER & HAD REPLACED THE OLD SENSOR WITH A NEW EVO SENSOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT & COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK
BATTERY WAS LEAKING BATTERY ACID. POST THAT WAS HOOKED UP TO CABLE FELL OFF, AND THAT WAS WHY VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. ELECTRICAL SOCKET AND BRAKE LINE HAD SOME PAINT DAMAGE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC TOLD HIM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT WARRANTY. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.