RoadVitals

1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints 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.
8
Latest Aug 31, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 78 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming steering

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Steering
Filed Aug 31, 2012

WHILE DRIVING THE POWER STEERING GAVE A QUICK LOCK UP AND LOST POWER STEERING TOOK PUMP OFF AND PULLEY AND SHAFT FELL OUT OF PUMP. *TR

NHTSA ID
10473232
Incident
Aug 31, 2012
Mileage
72,000 mi
Steering
Filed May 19, 2008

STEERING: I AM HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEN TURNING RIGHT DURING A LONG TURN, IT FEELS LIKE I HIT A PATCH OF ICE OR LIKE SOMEONE GRAB HE STEERING WHEEL & JERK IT TO THE RIGHT. THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT SEEM TO BE GETTING WORST BUT I DO NOT LIKE THE FEEL. SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING THE TRUCK COULD OVER STEER. *TR

NHTSA ID
10228246
Incident
Sep 27, 2007
Mileage
39,000 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system+4 more
Filed Jul 26, 2006

TRUCK STALLS WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT WARNING FOR NO REASON. STEERING HAS SUDDEN FAST JERK TO RIGHT THEN WE HAVE TO OVER CORRECT TO LEFT, HAZARD LIGHTS WOULDN'T TURN OFF NOW THEY ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. WIPER FLUID MOTOR DOESN'T WORK, GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK IT JUST VIBRATES REALLY FAST. THERE ARE WIRES IN DASH THAT HAVE BURN MARKS AND OTHER COMPONENTS ARE MELTED. ITS AMAZING THAT THIS TRUCK EVEN RUNS! WE HAVE SPENT 1200 ON THIS PILE AND STILL HAVEN'T EVEN FIXED ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10163491
Incident
Aug 25, 2005
Steering
Filed Apr 13, 2004
1 injury reported

STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR: STEERING WILL JERK WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT. WAS TOLD THAT THE SENSOR HAD A "WORN" SPOT AND THAT THE POWER STEERING BOOST WAS BEING ADDED AT PULL POWER BECAUSE THE SYSTEM DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DOING.

NHTSA ID
10066109
Incident
Jan 1, 2000
Mileage
37,500 mi
Steering
Filed Jan 28, 2004

EVERY SO OFTEN IT FEELS AS IF SOMEONE GRABS THE STEERING WHEEL AND FOR A BREIF MOMENT IT FEELS AS IF THERE IS NO STEERING.*AK

NHTSA ID
10055100
Incident
Jan 1, 2002
Mileage
50,000 mi
Steering
Filed Jan 27, 2004

MY 1998 TRUCK HAS HAD A SPOT IN THE STEERING THAT WHEN YOU ARE TURNING THERE IS A MOMENTARY LOST OF STEERING. IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN THERE IS COOLER WEATHER. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL AT TIMES . BOTH OF THESE PROBLEMS COME AND GO BUT HAVE BEEN GETTING WORST OVER THE YEARS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10055013
Incident
Dec 1, 2000
Mileage
25,875 mi
Steering
Filed Jan 24, 2004

WHEN I BOUGHT MY 1998 CHEVY PICKUP IT HAD A PLACE IN THE STEERING WHEN I TURNED IT TO THE RIGHT IT FELT LIKE I HIT A PATCH OF ICE. IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS A DEAD SPOT. NOW IT IS GETTING WORSE. NOW WHEN I TURN TO THE LEFT IT IS STARTING TO DO THE SAME THING. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SPEED YOUR GOING IT STILL DOES IT. *LA

NHTSA ID
10054821
Incident
Jan 23, 2004
Steering
Filed Apr 23, 2003

I EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING, THEN SURGES WHICH CAUSES ME TO OVER STEER. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND KNOW THAT GM HAS ISSUED A RECALL ON OTHER MODELS BUT NOT MINE. PLEASE SEE BELOW: GM, THE WORLD'S LARGEST AUTO MAKER, SAID IT HAD 15 REPORTS OF CRASHES AS A RESULT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE POWER STEERING, INCLUDING THREE INJURIES BUT NO FATALITIES. THE LOWER PINION BEARING IN THE POWER STEERING GEAR COULD SEPARATE, GM SAID. MOST REPORTS INDICATED THAT DRIVERS EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN TURNING LEFT, USUALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. SOME DRIVERS COULD EXPERIENCE HIGHER RESISTANCE WHEN TURNING LEFT, FOLLOWED BY AN UNINTENDED POWER ASSIST TO THE RIGHT, GM SAID. *JB

NHTSA ID
10016407
Incident
Apr 21, 2003
Mileage
116,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Visibility34Brakes24Engine9

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .