RoadVitals

1998 Chevrolet Beretta

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Apr 26, 2005
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Beretta, most frequently naming the engine and transmission categories. 4 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine150.0%
  • Transmission150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Apr 26, 2005

WHILE CHATTING WITH THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER I RECENTLY HEARD THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE NEW STYLE ORANGE ANTIFREEZE CORRODING HEAD GASKETS ON SOME OF THEIR V-6 ENGINES. WORD HAS IT THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM BUT HAVE KEPT QUIET ABOUT IT. I ALSO HEARD FROM ANOTHER MECHANICTHAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE VALVE SEATS. THEY BOTH WORKED AT THE CHEVROLET DEALER. WHICH EVER THE CASE, I HAD A CHEVROLET BARRETTA WITH A V-6 ENGINE. WITHOUT WARNING WATER STARTED COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. THERE WERE NO BROKEN HOSES OR OTHER LEAKS PRESENT. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE. I TOOK IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD REPLACE THE HEADS, BUT THEY WOULDN'T GAURANTEE THAT WOULD FIX IT. THEY TALKED ME INTO BUYING A NEW CAR. ALL I COULD AFFORD WAS A LOW MILEAGE DEMONSTRATOR.NOW THE NEW CAR IS APPROACHING THE SAME AGE AND IT HAS THE SAME ENGINE. *AK I TRAVEL TO OHIO FOR CHRISTMAS. NOW I'M WORRIED ABOUT THIS CAR. I'M A MILITARY WIDOW AND I CAN'T AFFORD A NEW CAR EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS. I ALWAYS TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND SERVICE. I AM LUCKY I WAS HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IF IT HAD HAPPENED LAST CHRISTMAS ON MY WAY TO OHIO, I WOULD HAVE FROZE TO DEATH. MOST OF THE DATES HERE ARE GUESSES. GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD HAVE ALL THE CORRECT DATES ON FILE. I BOUGHT THE FIRST CAR IN CABOT, ARKANSAS AND I BOUGHT THE SECOND CAR IN BRANSON , MISSOURI. MY FRIEND HAS BEEN A MECHANIC MOST OF HIS LIFE AND HE CAN'T DO IT ANY MORE. HE PRESENTLY OWNS A 1990 CHEV. ASTRO VAN WITH A V-6 ENGINE WITH 250,000 MILES ON IT WITH NO PROBLEM. IT HAS ALWAYS HAD THE OLD STYLE GREEN ANTIFREEZE IN IT. I FEEL THAT IF THERE HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM THEY SHOULD WARN PEOPLE ABOUT IT. AND IF I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BEFORE I BOUGHT IT.

NHTSA ID
10118460
Incident
Aug 1, 2002
Transmission
Filed Aug 7, 2000

THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING UPON SHIFTING GEARS WHILE IN MOTION. THE CODE # INDICATION IS 1870. MY LOCAL SERVICE CENTER ADVISED ME THAT THIS IS THE THIRD HE HAS SEEN RECENTLY W/ THE SAME CODE. I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP WHO ALSO ADVISED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OTHER CHEVROLET VEHILCES. IT WOULD SEEM THESE ARE NOT ISOLATED INCIDENTS AS MY SERVICE STATION IS ON THE FAR NORTHSIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS AND THE DEALERSHIP IS ON THE FAR SOUTHSIDE AND ALL HAVING THE SAME CODE #1870 AND TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE INDICATION. I HAVE OWNED 2 BLAZERS PREVIOUSLY AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS ARE APPARENT. WE CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRANMISSION AT OVER $2000 WHEN THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AN INTERNAL PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVROLET ENGINE THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.*AK

NHTSA ID
726864
Incident
Mar 20, 2000

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

17-NA-073

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

16NA260

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THE REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM NOT OPERATING AS INTENDED IN COLDER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AREAS DUE TO CALIBRATION CONCERNS.

Recalls

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Vehicle Recalls

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Beretta by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2002100—
1999100—
1998Viewing200—
1997100—
1996722050.9
1995931044.8
1994852052.7
1993370145.8
1992521254.2
1991491658.0
1990392560.4
1989515667.7
19886051764.9
19873610—
1984100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.