IllustrationPOWER STEERING IS VERY ERRATIC (OVER STEERING, STIFF, AND VEERS) AT TIMES WHEN SPEEDS ARE 50-60 MPH. MJS
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 reportsBRAKES REPAIR ON FOUR OCCASIONS HOWEVER STILL EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS. MJS
EA99011; THE STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED WHILE DRIVING WHICH MAY CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND RESULT IN A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
THE ENGINE DOES NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN THE DRIVERS FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THE ENGINE ACTUALLY SPEEDS UP SLIGHTLY, STAYS AT ABOUT 2000 RPM AND AFTER ABOUT 8 TO 10 SECONDS, IT GOES BACK TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. THE ONLY WAY TO SLOW THE TRUCK IS TO PUSH IN THE CLUTCH AND APPLY THE BRAKE, THIS IS VERY IRRITATING AND DANGEROUS,…
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THE ENGINE DOES NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN THE DRIVERS FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE GAS PEDAL. THE ENGINE ACTUALLY SPEEDS UP SLIGHTLY, STAYS AT ABOUT 2000 RPM AND AFTER ABOUT 8 TO 10 SECONDS, IT GOES BACK TO NORMAL IDLE SPEED. THE ONLY WAY TO SLOW THE TRUCK IS TO PUSH IN THE CLUTCH AND APPLY THE BRAKE, THIS IS VERY IRRITATING AND DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IN CITY TYPE TRAFFIC. THIS WAS REPORTED WHEN THE TRUCK WAS NEW. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES WITH NO IMPROVEMENT. THE DEALER SAYS WE HAVE TO CONTACT GM TO GET A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM WRITTEN. GM SAYS WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER. WE ARE GETTING NOWHERE. THE DEALER AGREES THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD AND THAT OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM. LAST SERVICE REPORT FROM DEALER SAYS "OWNER REPORTS THAT WHEN FOOT OFF GAS VEHICLE DOESN'T SLOW DOWN. TEST DRIVE CONFIRMED CONCERN. CAUSE TO BE NORMAL IAC (IDLE AIR CONTROL) THROTTLE FOLLOW ROUTINE. THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION AND NO FIX IS AVAILABLE". I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE DEALER CANNOT GET GM TO ISSUE A COMPUTER REPROGRAM FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER WANTS US TO GO TO GM TO GET THEM TO ASSIGN AN ENGINEER TO WRITE A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM. WE CALLED GM BUT NO HELP YET. I THINK OTHERS MUST HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE A RECALL. *AK
FRONT LAP BELT ON PASSENGER'S SIDE TIGHTENS ON PASSENGER SO MUCH THAT SEATBELT HAS TO BE TAKEN OFF. DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO FIX IT. *AK
VACUUM POWER BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED WHILE BRAKING ABRUPTLY TO AVOID HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. NLM
MASTER CYLINDER LEAKS, CAUSING BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK, AND RESULTING IN NO BRAKING ABILITY. MASTER CYLINDER PARTS WERE REPLACED 3 TIMES. HOWEVER, PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHENEVER THE FRONT SEATBACK IS PULLED BACK INTO POSITION, IT WOULD FAIL TO LOCK LIKE IT SHOULD. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE BACK OF THE SEAT WOULD COME FORWARD. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER TO CHECK PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE MAKING A SUDDEN STO THE FRONT BENCH SEATS MOVE FORWARD, WHICH MAY CAUSE INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
DEFECTIVE PUMP INSIDE VALVE BODY OF TRANSMISSION FAILED, CAUSING ENGINE AND TORQUE CONVERTER TO FAIL. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *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.