1998 Chevrolet CORVETTE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
335 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
46,140 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1998 model year. Data snapshot: . 153 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Steering:Column Locking:Anti-Theft Device is the most frequently named component, appearing in 80 of 335 complaints (23.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 194 | 57.9% |
| Braking behavior | 35 | 10.4% |
| Engine operation | 13 | 3.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 11 | 3.3% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 8 | 2.4% |
| Fuel system concerns | 5 | 1.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Steering:Column Locking:Anti-Theft Device | 80 |
| Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar | 72 |
| Steering | 35 |
| Seats | 22 |
| Steering:Column | 15 |
| Electrical System | 13 |
| Service Brakes | 11 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 |
Steering:Column Locking:Anti-Theft Device: 80; Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar: 72; Steering: 35; Seats: 22; Steering:Column: 15; Electrical System: 13; Service Brakes: 11; Fuel System, Gasoline: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 20 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 67 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 27 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 23 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 12 |
| 150,000 and above | 4 |
Under 25,000: 20; 25,000 to 49,999: 67; 50,000 to 74,999: 27; 75,000 to 99,999: 23; 100,000 to 149,999: 12; 150,000 and above: 4
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (67). 182 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 45 |
| 2001 | 38 |
| 2002 | 49 |
| 2003 | 46 |
| 2004 | 56 |
| 2005 | 11 |
| 2006 | 12 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 11 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 8 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
2000: 45; 2001: 38; 2002: 49; 2003: 46; 2004: 56; 2005: 11; 2006: 12; 2007: 4; 2008: 11; 2009: 3; 2010: 5; 2011: 5; 2012: 11; 2013: 3; 2014: 7; 2015: 2; 2016: 8; 2017: 5; 2018: 2; 2019: 3; 2020: 2; 2021: 3; 2022: 1; 2023: 1; 2024: 2
Pattern summary
Steering:Column Locking:Anti-Theft Device leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 194 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 35 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10000083 · 2002-12-12 (December 12, 2002)
STEERING COLUMN LOCKUP. WITH THE KEY IN THE INGNITION AND THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILS TO RELEASE. THUS MAKING THE VEHICLE INPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
Owner-reported narrative. 53,096 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000083 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10000300 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)
STEERING COLUMN LOCKED UP 1998 CORVETTE. CAR STARTED AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE, BUT THERE WAS NO STEERING AS THE COLUMN LOCKED UP. TS REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
Owner-reported narrative. 36,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000300 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10000632 · 2002-12-29 (December 29, 2002)
PURCHASED CAR NEW.AT ABOUT 5000MILES STARTED TO NOTICE VIBARATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED . AT ABOUT 10000MILES VIBRATION WAS SEVERE UNDER HARD BRAKING.DEALER[JON HALL CHEVROLET] DETERMINED ALL 4 ROTORS WERE WARPED AND RESURFACED AT NO CHARGE.AT ABOUT 15000 MILES STARTED TO NOTICE VIBRATION AGAIN.CAR NOW HAS 22000 MILES IS OUT OF WARRANTEE AND VIBRATION IS AGAIN SEVERE UNDER HARD BRAKING. I WOULD LIKE A GENERAL MOTORS REPRESENTATIVE TO LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM. DEALER INFORMED ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1998 MODELS.I BEL…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000632 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10007630 · 2003-02-17 (February 17, 2003)
UNINTENDED ACCELERATION: WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR REVVED UP UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION.
Owner-reported narrative. 95,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007630 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10014840 · 2003-04-10 (April 10, 2003)
WHEN THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE IT STALLED. THIS INCIDENT REPEATED APPROXIMATELY FIVE TIMES AT WHICH TIME THE CONSUMER NOTICED A MESSAGE ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER STATING SOMETHING ABOUT A LOCKED STEERING WHEEL. THE CONSUMER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND WAITED ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES, AFTERWHICH THE VEHICLE STARTED AND OPERATED AS NORMAL *MR *SCC *NLM REF. IN EA02-031 *CJS
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10014840 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10081796 · 2004-07-13 (July 13, 2004)
AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE AND AS IT WAS ACCELERATING THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED VEHICLE STALLED. THE KEYS HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION, FOLLOWED BY AGGRESSIVE SHAKING OF STEERING WHEEL TO UNLOCK IT. A RECALL WAS ISSUED BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 44,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081796 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10023750 · 2003-06-25 (June 25, 2003)
MY 1998 CORVETTE, MANULA TRANSMISSION, WAS TAKEN TO GEORGE MOORE CHEVROLET ON JUNE 23 FOR WARRANTY WINDOW REPAIR. UPON PICK-UP, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE MY CAR DUE TO STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCK-UP, DURING INITIAL KEY-IN AND START-UP. KATHLEEN DEMETER ACKNOWLEDGES THIS CONCERN IN HER LETTER TO JAY EHLE, DATED FEB.5,2003 (NVS-213, EA02-031). EVERY ATTEMPT TO FIX/ADDRESS THE PROBLEM RESULTED IN NO FIX. GM STATS THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. I CONTEND IT MUST BE FOR GM TO HAVE FOUND THE SAME ERROR IN EARLIER/LATER MODEL YEARS. IT…
Owner-reported narrative. 41,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10023750 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10043371 · 2003-10-22 (October 22, 2003)
VEHICLE TYPE: 1998 CORVETTE. FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC STEERING COLUMN TO UNLOCK DURING INITIAL KEY IN/VEHICLE START. FORTUNATELY, IF THE REST OF THE SYSTEMS WORK, THE ENGINE WILL SHUT DOWN AFTER THE VEHICLE MOVES A SHORT DISTANCE. I PURCHASED THIS CORVETTE IN JUNE 2003 (I HAVE OWNED OLDER CORVETTES) NOT KNOWING THERE IS THIS DEFECT WITH NOT ONLY THE 1998 CORVETTE BUT ALSO WITH THE 1997, 1999, 2000, AND 2001 CORVETTES. BEGINNING WITH THE 2002 MODEL YEAR, THIS FEATURE WAS REMOVED. GENERAL MOTORS HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS SITUATION FOR SOME TIME. …
Owner-reported narrative. 74,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10043371 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10011119 · 2003-03-07 (March 7, 2003)
THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THE AC DELCO BATTERY LEAKED ACID ALL OVER THE WIRING HARNESS.*JB
Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011119 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10075633 · 2004-07-06 (July 6, 2004)
WHEN THE CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 2MP, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED IN PLACE WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE RELAY AND WIRING HARNESS. *NM THE COLUMN LOCKED WHILE IN DRIVE UNDER POWER. THERE WAS NO ENGINE SHUTDOWN. *SC *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 104,797 miles reported. Look up ODI 10075633 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10078894 · 2004-06-27 (June 27, 2004)
AFTER A COMPLETE FILL-UP OF THE GAS TANK AND DURING A CONTINUOUS DRIVE OF 50 MILES OR MORE THE FUEL GAGE RECALIBRATES TO EMPTY. I HAVE PERIODICALLY STOP AND FILL-UP AGAIN AND AGAIN OUT OF THE FEAR THE VEHICLE MIGHT RUN OUT OF GAS. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10078894 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10165597 · 2006-08-15 (August 15, 2006)
1998 CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE. TWO INDEPENDENT SITUATION WHERE GAS TANKS LEAKS ALTHOUGH CAR IS A SECONDARY CAR AND RARELY DRIVEN. GAS TANK LEAKED IN 2003 PROMPTING SERVICE, REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF PARTS. GAS TANK LEAKS AGAIN WHICH WARRANTS ANOTHER SERVICE, REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF PARTS. *JB
Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10165597 at NHTSA ↗