Your vehicle report
1998 Chevrolet S10
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 613
- Received Jan 1998 to Sep 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail183 complaints · 30% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract41 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes34 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #00V374000Vehicle description: electric passenger vehicles and pickup trucks containing a nickel metal hydride (nimh) battery pack. These vehicles contain software within the battery pack module intended to disable the vehicle from being driven if the electrical resistance with the battery pack exceeds a prescribed value. Affected vehicles will illuminate the "service now" and "reduced performance" telltales and continue to function in a reduced performance model instead of being disabled.
- Recall #00V220000Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the daytime running lights built with a candela value greater than 3,000 cannot be mounted higher than 864MM above the road surface.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 61 crashes, 9 fires, 40 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 40 |
| 1999 | 104 |
| 2000 | 70 |
| 2001 | 42 |
| 2002 | 44 |
| 2003 | 112 |
| 2004 | 59 |
| 2005 | 52 |
| 2006 | 26 |
| 2007 | 14 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 613 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 183 | 30% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 41 | 6.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 34 | 5.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 22 | 3.6% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 21 | 3.4% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 16 | 2.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 15 | 2.5% | – | NHTSA recall #00V159000, #97V218000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 11 | 1.8% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 8 | 1.3% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 8 | 1.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 8 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 1.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 1.1% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 7 | 1.1% | – | NHTSA recall #00V374000 |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 7 | 1.1% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 6 | 1.0% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 5 | 0.8% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 5 | 0.8% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 0.8% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 5 | 0.8% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #00V374000November 13, 2000492 vehicles affected
electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
Vehicle description: electric passenger vehicles and pickup trucks containing a nickel metal hydride (nimh) battery pack. These vehicles contain software within the battery pack module intended to disable the vehicle from being driven if the electrical resistance with the battery pack exceeds a prescribed value. Affected vehicles will illuminate the "service now" and "reduced performance" telltales and continue to function in a reduced performance model instead of being disabled.
If the telltales are ignored and the affected vehicle continues to be driven, heat could build up and a fire could result.
Remedy
Dealers will install revised software in the battery pack module.
NHTSA recall #00V220000August 11, 200014,279 vehicles affected
exterior lighting
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the daytime running lights built with a candela value greater than 3,000 cannot be mounted higher than 864MM above the road surface.
These vehicles do not comply with requirements of FMVSS no. 108.
Remedy
Dealers will install a revised wiring harness that changes the drl's from high beam to low beam drl's, and install new long-life low beam bulbs.
NHTSA recall #00V159000June 16, 2000306 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: electric pickup trucks. A condition in which the fuel-fired heater fill pipe ground strap contacts the rear passenger side brake pipe.
This could wear off the corrosion protection on the brake pipe, leading to premature corrosion and eventual loss of brake pipe integrity. When brake pipe integrity is lost, brake fluid leakage Can occur.
Remedy
Dealers will relocate the ground strap attachment, inspect the brake pipe for wear, and replace the brake pipe if necessary.
NHTSA recall #98V177000August 4, 1998354 vehicles affected
visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks equipped with electric drive. Rapid fogging of the interior glass Can occur within two minutes after the heat is turned on if (1) the outside temperature is between 35 and 76 degrees fahrenheit and (2) water has collected on the heat exchanger during previous operation of the air conditioning.
If rapid fogging were to occur during driving, it could obstruct the driver's vision increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Owners are being provided with a caution label and supplemental insert for their owner's manual advising them to follow a "stop and wait" procedure to help avoid window fogging while driving.
NHTSA recall #97V208001November 25, 199733,973 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring: front underhood
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose vehicles. An engine electrical wiring-harness clip Can melt and drip onto the exhaust manifold.
The clip material on the exhaust manifold Can ignite and subsequently ignite other combustible components resulting in a vehicle fire.
Remedy
Dealers are contacting owners by telephone to have their vehicles towed to the dealer and alternate transportation provided to them until the dealer Can reroute the electrical wiring-harness.
NHTSA recall #97V218000November 24, 199719,716 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: light duty pickup trucks and multi-purpose passenger vehicles. A fatigue fracture of the rear axle right-hand brake pipe Can occur causing a slow brake fluid leak resulting in a soft brake pedal. If the brake pipe breaks, the driver would experience a sudden drop in the brake pedal, the instrument panel brake light would illuminate, and there would be a loss of rear brake performance.
Partial loss of braking at a time when minimum stopping distance was required could result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pipe.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Chevrolet S10.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN