1998 Chevrolet C/K Series

BY LETTER DATED MARCH 19, 2003, THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED NHTSA OF THE DECISION TO INITATE A SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN ON SELECTED VEHICLES WITHIN THE SUBJECT POPULATION.THE CAMPAIGN INVOLVES 507,000 C/K AND M/L VEHICLES BUILT DURING MODEL YEARS 1997-1998.THE RECALL INVOLVES VEHICLE MODELS WITH HIGH INCIDENT RATES AND BUILT AT SELECTED ASSEMBLY PLANTS.A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE DEFECT WASINHERENT VARIATIONS IN ASSEMBLY CONDITIONS, WORKER SKILL LEVELS ANDPROCESSES THAT EXIST FROM ONE ASSEMBLY LOCATION TO ANOTHER.TO REMEDY THE DEFECT, DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED JUMPER HARNESS TO THE ELECTRIC OUTSIDE REARVIEW MIRROR SWITCH.NHTSA HAS ASSIGNED CAMPAIGN NO. 03V-093 TO THE RECALL.

ODI UPGRADED THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO CONDUCT A FULL TECHNICAL ANALYSIS, INCLUDING TESTING.THE TESTING AND ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT A TORN DIAPHRAGM IS A SLOW PROGRESSIVE TYPE OF FAILURE.THE TEAR PROPAGATES IN A SLOW METHODICAL MANNER AND BRAKING PERFORMANCE IS SIMILAR TO AN UNTORN UNIT UNTIL THE TEAR EXCEEDS 1/2 INCH.ODI'S TESTING INDICATES THAT TEARS GREATER THAN 1/2 INCH REQUIRED INCREASED PEDAL EFFORT.HOWEVER, AS THE LENGTH OF THE TEAR INCREASED BEYOND 1/2 INCH, A HISSING SOUND COULD BE HEARD EMITTING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHERE THE MASTER CYLINDER PLUNGER PASSED THROUGH THE FIREWALL. ODI HAS DETERMINED THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IN THE FUTURE IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.ODI'S COMPLETE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS WITH TEST DATA IS ATTACHED.

WENT TO STOP AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10522514

Incident

Jun 29, 2013

Mileage

202,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET CK 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. OCCASIONALLY THEY DO NOT COME ON AND AT OTHER TIMES, WHEN THEY DO COME ON, THEY WILL NOT SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS RELATED TO THE HIS YEAR, MAKE OR MODEL VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT BECAUSE HIS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1997 IT SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL 03V159000, VISIBILITY WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10380761

Incident

Jan 15, 2010

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET CK 2500. WHILE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ACTIVATED DURING A STORM, THEY SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. UPDATED 09/25/08 *BF UPDATED 09/25/08. *JB

NHTSA ID

10239901

Incident

Jul 2, 2008

Mileage

35,000 mi

WE HAVE A 1998 CHEVY Z71 PICKUP AND HAVE HAD FOR SEVERAL YEARS. WE HAVE CONTINUAL BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRUCK. WE HAVE REPLACED ROTORS, CALIPERS, BRAKE PADS ALL SEVERAL TIMES. SOMETIMES REPLACING BRAKE PADS AS OFTEN AS EVERY SIX MONTHS. STILL HAVE THE SAME SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL WITH TOO MUCH PEDAL TRAVEL. ALSO STILL HAVE LONGER STOPPING DISTANCES THAN WE SHOULD HAVE. THE TRUCK HAS ALSO HAD THE INTERMITTENT WIPER PROBLEM, THE WIPERS SOMETIMES WORK SOMETIMES NOT, WE PAID FOR A REPLACEMENT WIPER BOARD AND REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. NOW WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD FOGGING UP ESPECIALLY ON THE DRIVERS SIDE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, IT JUST STARTED WITHIN THE LAST 4 MONTHS AND IS GETTING WORSE. IT WILL FOG UP WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER IS ON OR WHEN THE DEFROSTER IS ON. IT IS STARTING TO GET SO BAD THAT YOU CANT SEE THRU THE WINDOW WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10137508

Incident

Sep 23, 2005

1998 CHEVROLET C/K 1500 DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CIRCUIT BOARD.*MR THERE WAS A RECALL TO REPAIR THE CIRCUIT BOARD IN 1995-1997 MODELS BUT NOT 1998 WHICH EXHIBITED THE SAME FAILURE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10136680

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

DT: THE CALLER HAS A 1998 VEHICLE FROM A DEALER THAT BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM AN AUCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO US FROM CANADA BY THE AUCTION COMPANY AND SOLD TO A DEALER WHERE THE CALLER BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. HE SAID THERE WAS RECALL 05V379000 ON OTHER YEARS OF VEHICLE, AND HE WOULD LIKE THIS VEHICLE TO BE INCLUDED IN RECALL. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP HIM BECAUSE THIS VEHICLE WAS FROM CANADA. THEY WOULD GIVE HIM $1000.00 IF HE BOUGHT A NEW VEHICLE. CALLER DID NOT KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT FROM CANADA AND BOUGHT BY DEALER. CALLER HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS.*AK

NHTSA ID

10135040

Incident

Dec 15, 2004

Mileage

63,000 mi

THE 97 CHEVROLET TRUCK HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHILED WIPER MOTOR MALFUNCTIONING. MINE DID THE SAME THING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC.THE DEALER SAYS EVEN THOUGH IT OCCURS ON THE 97S THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE 98S. I KNOW OF OTHER 98S THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10066120

Incident

Mar 24, 2003

Mileage

37,000 mi

WINDSHIELD WIPERS OPERATED ERRATICALLY, IF AT ALL, AT SPEEDS OTHER THAN WHAT WAS SELECTED ON THE SWITCH. THE ONLY WAY TO TURN THE THINGS OFF, IF THEY MANAGED TO COME ON, WAS TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER WOULD REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I DID THAT ON MY OWN EXPENSE AND TIME AND THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN REMEDIED. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD AND THE FACT THAT 1998 MODEL C/K VEHICLES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE "RECALL" OF SEVERAL MODELS UP TO 1997 DEFIES COMMON SENSE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10018474

Incident

Feb 1, 2001

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON, TRANSMISSION STUCK IN THIRD GEAR, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INOPERATIVE. *TT UPDATED *EH 2006 AND PRIOR GM PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS. *SC

A NO REVERSE, NO SECOND GEAR, OR NO FOURTH GEAR CONDITION. *TT UPDATED *EH

6.5L L49 L56 L57 L65 DIESEL ENGINE REQUIRING FUEL INJECTION PUMP REPLACEMENT. MODELS P32/P42 1994-1999 INCLUDED. *TT

ROUGH IDLE AFTER START, AND/OR A SERVICE ENGINE SOON (SES) LIGHT. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING THE 1995 CHEVROLET AND GMC S/T MODELS. *TT

A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC DIESEL FUEL INJECTION PUMP, LEAKING TO COMPLAINTS OF POOR PERFORMANCE OR FUEL ECONOMY, HARD / NO STARTS, HESITATION, AS WELL AS ILLUMINATION OF THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT. *TT

SOME CUSTOMERS MAY EXPERIENCE A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC DIESEL FUEL INJECTION PUMP. *JG