1998 Chevrolet S10 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe windshield wipers that stop, start, or change speed on their own, a problem many of them attribute to the wiper control board and note was recalled on earlier model years but not this one. Other recurring reports involve tailgate support cables and latches, brakes, and automatic transmission shifting and durability concerns, usually appearing well past 50,000 miles.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers stop, start, or change speed unpredictably

   • 191 complaints (31%)
   • median 61,750 mi at 6.4 yrs old (112 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2020

   Complaints describe wipers that quit mid-sweep, run at the wrong speed for the setting, keep running after being switched off, or refuse to start, sometimes in heavy rain and sometimes only on rough roads. Some owners say tapping or wiggling the wiper motor or its wiring brings them back temporarily. Several report the dealer replaced the wiper control module or pulse board at the owner's expense, and many point out that a wiper control recall covered earlier model years but not this one. Reported from roughly 20,000 to 170,000 miles, with many between 40,000 and 90,000 miles, and frequently tied to rain or bumpy roads.

   What to check: Test the wipers at every speed setting, including delay and mist, and try them on a rough road; ask whether the wiper control module or pulse board has been replaced and keep the receipt.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 1998 s-10 pickup wipers will fail without notice at any setting of the intermittant switch. I replaced the switch assembly but that did not help the problem. Somwetimes they will restart by wiggling the wires going to the wiper motor. This is very dangerous because when it fails in a downpour you can not see how to get off the road. The problem has existied the last 3 years.”

   NHTSA complaint #10144227, filed 2005-12, 38,000 miles

   “The wipers on my 1998 Chevrolet s-10 frequently stop operating and when they do come back on they will not turn off. They have shut down during a rain and have caused me to have to pull out of traffic when I could and wait for them to come back on, most times they have to be turned off completely, and sometimes will not come back on. I believe this is a serious safety hazard and should be recalled.”

   NHTSA complaint #10234719, filed 2008-07, 55,247 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission harsh shifting and early failures

   • 34 complaints (6%)
   • median 59,722 mi at 6.2 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 1998–2013

   Owners report hard or delayed 1-2 and 2-3 shifts, the transmission staying in a high gear after about an hour of driving until it cools, and a check-engine light. Others describe a front seal that blew out at speed and lost fluid, or a P1870 code that led a dealer to recommend a transmission replacement. Manual-transmission owners report a clutch slave cylinder that failed and left the vehicle unable to disengage gears. Mostly between about 21,000 and 136,000 miles, with several reports near 60,000 miles.

   What to check: Drive long enough for the transmission to warm up and check for hard shifts or a delayed upshift, look for fluid leaks at the transmission front, and ask whether any transmission codes or repairs are documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10003525, filed 2003-01, 55,000 miles

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10132718, filed 2005-08, 62,000 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Tailgate support cables and latches break

   • 29 complaints (5%)
   • median 88,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (22 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2010

   Owners describe tailgate support cables that snap while loading cargo, sitting on, or lowering the tailgate, with several noting heavy corrosion along the cable before it failed. Some report the tailgate then dropped or came loose on the road, denting and scratching it. Complaints also mention an interior door handle that broke off and a tailgate latch that did not hold. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 115,000 miles, often on trucks several years old, with corrosion mentioned as a contributing factor.

   What to check: Inspect both tailgate cables for rust, fraying, or bulging, and open and close the tailgate and doors to confirm the latches and handles engage properly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 1998 Chevrolet s-10. The cables that hold up the tailgate broke on me while I was loading cargo into the bed. The broken straps has since caused my tailgate to fall off while going down a rough road. The tailgate is now scratched and dented from the initial breaking and from falling off. I have not made any attempt to fix this problem as of yet.”

   NHTSA complaint #10148093, filed 2006-01, 90,000 miles

   “On my 1998 Chevrolet s-10, the tailgate support cable broke due to internal corrosion. This happened two years ago. There were no injuries. I replaced that cable at significant cost. Now the second tailgate support cable is bulging due to internal corrosion and I expect it will soon break.”

   NHTSA complaint #10152434, filed 2006-03, 85,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Engine stalling and fuel or cooling-related drivability

   • 41 complaints (7%)
   • median 67,007 mi at 7.8 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2015

   Complaints describe the engine stalling without warning at road speed, traced in one case to the ignition switch, and hard starting with repeated blown fuses and non-working rear lights. Others report a service-engine light with failed injectors or a leaking fuel spider, a fuel smell found to come from the fuel system, and catalytic converter damage after raw fuel entered the exhaust. Reported from near-new to over 170,000 miles, with many between 47,000 and 120,000 miles.

   Recall 97V2080011 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask about any history of stalling, check for a fuel smell under the hood and along the frame, and confirm the check-engine light comes on and goes out normally when the key is turned.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Service engine light came on while attempting slow acceleration on an interstate incline. This is the 3rd time this has happened since nov 2001, service center unable to diagnose after one day depite being told about previous symptoms and repairs. On two previous occasions dealership where purchased diagnosed as failed fuel injector and leaking spider valve . …”

   NHTSA complaint #10114134, filed 2005-03, 99,900 miles

   “Began experiencing loud exhaust noise and loss of power in 1998 s-10 pickup in july of '07. Had catalytic converter replaced. Again began experiencing loud exhaust and loss of power in april 2008. Pickup totally stalled out in middle of busy intersection once, nearly stalled on several other occasions. Was advised by acquaintance that there was a special policy issued by GM (05021a) that covered the exhaust system. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10225959, filed 2008-04, 114,627 miles

Buying note. Check the wipers thoroughly and budget for a wiper control module if they misbehave, and look closely at the tailgate cables, brake lines, and transmission behavior on a warm test drive. Service records showing past repairs to these areas are worth asking about on a truck of this age.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.