1998 Chevrolet S10: complaints, problems and recalls

WHEN ACTIVATED, WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATE ERRATICALLY AND MAY SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE ERRATIC BEHAVIOR HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BUT APPEARS WORSE (ESPECIALLY SHUTTING OFF UNEXPECTEDLY) IN WARM WEATHER. RECENTLY I HAVE FOUND THAT TURNING THE WIPERS TO HIGH WILL USUALLY RESTART THEM AFTER THEY SHUT OFF. ERRATIC BEHAVIOR DURING INTERMITTENT OPERATION INCLUDES MULTIPLE WIPES (SOMETIMES MORE THAN 10) PER CYCLE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN PRESENT FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST 30,000 MILES (I AM CURRENTLY AT 72,500). I AM ESTIMATING THE INCIDENT…

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000467 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATES THAT WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN. SOMETIMES THE WIPERS WILL ENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002275 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATED THAT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT INTERMITTENTLY WILL SLIDE ONCE ADJUSTED TO A DIFFERENT POSITION. THE SEAT FRAME IS NOT LOCKING INTO PLACE CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN DRIVING. TS

Owner-reported narrative. 57,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002281 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATED THAT THE EXTENDED CAB DOOR HANDLE HAS BROKEN 3 TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN DOOR. THE HANDLE IS MADE OF A VERY THIN PLASTIC. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002283 at NHTSA ↗

TRANSFER CASE CONTROL MODULE QUITS WORKING

Owner-reported narrative. 52,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003198 at NHTSA ↗

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.

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003525 at NHTSA ↗

1. CONSTANTLY HAD TO CHECK AND FILL OIL AND ANTIFREEZE. 2. USED ALL THE OIL AND MOTOR BLEW UP WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING. 3. LEFT ME STRANDED IN SUB-ZERO WEATHER. 4. CONTACTED LOCAL CHEVY DEALER (STOCKER, STATE COLLEGE, PA) VIA EMAIL AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER.

Owner-reported narrative. 72,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003547 at NHTSA ↗

ON MY S-10, AS MANY OTHERS ACCORDING TO THE PARTS DEALERS AND SEERVICE BULLETIN #220801, THE SEAT RECLINER GEAR ARM THAT THE HANDLE ATTACHES TO BRAKES FREQUENTLY. THIS IS THE THIRD ONE FOR MY 1998 PICKUP. THE MATERIAL IS VERY WEAK AND COSTLY. GM KNOWS OF THIS, AS CAN BE VERIFIED BY PARTS DEALERS SHOWING I HIGH SALES VOLUME OF THIS PART. THE PART # IS 12479967. COST IS $69.02

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10005296 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-06-16 (June 16, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ELECTRIC PICKUP TRUCKS. A CONDITION IN WHICH THE FUEL-FIRED HEATER FILL PIPE GROUND STRAP CONTACTS THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE PIPE.

Consequence: 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.

Reported: 2000-08-11 (August 11, 2000)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Reported: 2000-11-13 (November 13, 2000)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Reported: 1997-11-25 (November 25, 1997)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES. AN ENGINE ELECTRICAL WIRING-HARNESS CLIP CAN MELT AND DRIP ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

Consequence: 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.

Reported: 1997-11-24 (November 24, 1997)

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.

Consequence: 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.

Reported: 1998-08-04 (August 4, 1998)

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.

Consequence: 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.