1998 Chevrolet S10 problems
Owners have filed 742 complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet S10 with NHTSA. Visibility accounts for 28% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of service brakes, hydraulic at 10.1%.
Complaints742
Crashes76
Fires9
Injuries47
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Visibility 28.0% · 208
Service brakes, hydraulic 10.1% · 75
Electrical system 7.8% · 58
Engine and engine cooling 6.9% · 51
Seats 6.5% · 48
Power train 5.9% · 44
Structure 5.8% · 43
Air bags 5.0% · 37
Severity
Of those complaints, 76 describe a crash, 9 describe a fire and 47 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 13 model years of the Chevrolet S10 in this data, 1998 sits 4th by complaint volume. 1994 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 7 in the last three years against 12 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 70,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Windshield wipers fail to operate at times and at other times they won't shut off - mechanic has said this is very common is chevys and seems to be related to a faulty control module which tends to crack and allow water into the module which will keep the wipers from functioning properly only when there is rain, fog, humidity. Seems to be related to the recall issued in 1996 but did not extend to later models. Visibility
Problem w/ wiper control on '98 s-10 w/ 48,000 miles. First observed 6 months ago when windshield washer fluid was no longer pumped to windshield. Replaced pump in resevoir-- still had problem. About 1 month ago, wipers began operating erratically-- either running too fast, not at all, or refusing to shut off. Suspect this may be a control board issue, but current recall only covers '97's and earlier Visibility · reported at 47,000 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. Visibility · reported at 55,247 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…