1998 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Owner Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY ~ CHEVY DUALLY DIESEL TRUCK ~ ON A FREEWAY PULLING A TRAILER WITH MY ANTIQUE CAR IN IT WHEN THE TRUCK KIND OF HESITATED / SPUTTERED AND DIED ! I LOST POWER BRAKES - BUT WAS ABLE TO GET PULLED OVER TO SIDE AND AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME THE TRUCK RESTARTED ... NUMEROUS TIMES AFTER THIS I HAD THE TRUCK DIE AND HESITATE - I TOOK TO A CHEVROLET DEALER ONCE - THEY QUESTIONED THE PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM AND BAD IGNITION SWITCH - WANTED A RIDICULOUS PRICE TO FIX .... THE TRUCK ONLY HAD 73,000 MILES WHEN I BOUGHT IT , AND I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT MUCH ONLY 81,000 MILES PRESENTLY - AND I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT IN OVER A YEAR BECAUSE OF FAILURES TO START. I HAD BOUGHT A KIT AND "PMD / FSD" MODULES AND FINALLY GOT AROUND TO SWAPPING IN ANOTHER ONE - AND WOW NOW THE TRUCK IS RUNNING ----------------- " IT WAS A BAD STANADYNE PMD " ! I HAVE READ ON THE INTERNET NOW THE TROUBLES THESE HAVE HAD DUE TO HEAT AND WHERE PART HAS BEEN MOUNTED IN THE ENGINE AREA. I WAS AN ELECTRONIC INSTRUCTOR IN THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEMS AND AS I NOW LOOK AT / EVALUATE THIS PART MADE BY STANADYNE ==== TO ME ITS DESIGN / CONSTRUCTION LOOKS AS IF ITS BUILT TO HOLD THE HEAT IT DEVELOPS INSIDE OF THE PLASTIC INSULATED CASE - THEREBY NOT RELEASING HEAT TO THE OUTSIDE CAUSING ITS ULTIMATE FAILURE DUE TO INTERNAL HEAT BUILDUP . *TR

NHTSA ID

10484122

Incident

Sep 15, 2008

Mileage

78,500 mi

98 CHEV K3500 WITH 6.5 TURBO DIESEL WOULD STALL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. ENGINE SOMETIMES WOULD RESTART WHEN VEHICLE PUT IN NEUTRAL OTHER TIMES IT MAY TAKE SVERAL MINUTES. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE ENGINE WOULD HICKUP THEN BEGIN TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN DESPITE REMOVING MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL. I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND REGAIN CONTROL. SOMETIMES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART ENGINE IT WOULD EITHER OVER REV OR THE RPM'S WOULD SURGE UP AND DOWN SEVERELY. ON ONE OCCASION, AS I SLOWED TO STOP AT A SIGN BEFORE PULLING OUT ONTO A 4 LANE ROAD THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN LAUNCHING ME OUT INTO THE ROAD NARROWLY MISSING ON COMING TRAFFIC. ANOTHER TIME WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT AT MY BANK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, JUMPING THE CURB AND GOING INTO THE BUSHES ON THE LAWN! I HAVE HAD THIS TRUCK INTO NUMEROUS GM DEALERSHIPS AND INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOPS AND HAD THE FUEL INJECTION PUMP REPLACED AND NUMEROUS PUMP DRIVER MODULES, PMD'S MADE FOR GM BY EITHER STANADYNE AND D TECH AND HAD THEM MOUNTED ON A REMOTE HEAT SINK FOR COOLER OPERATING TEMPS. THIS IS A SEVERELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND POTENTIAL CRASHES! I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE WITH 2 DIFFERENT GM VEHICLES I OWN WITH THE 6.5 TURBO DIESEL ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10457557

Incident

Apr 9, 2008

Mileage

92,500 mi

FUEL INJECTION PUMP FAILED.....LOSS OF POWER, SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITH NO WARNING, REPLACED UNIT 3X....DEALER STATED THAT WAS THE WAY THEY WERE, SOMETIME HAVING TO INSTALL 2 TO GET IT OUT OF SHOP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10457506

Incident

May 20, 2010

Mileage

128,000 mi

MY TRUCK IS A 98 CHEVY K3500. I BOUGHT IT USED FROM SOMEONE THAT SAID IT WAS USED AT THE SMITHSONIAN. WHEN I FIRST GOT IT NEEDED EVERYTHING REPLACED ON THE FUEL SYSTEM. THEN LAST YEAR ONE OF MY BRAKE LINES SNAPPED AND HAD TO REPLACE IT AND NOW TODAY THE OTHER ONE SNAPPED. SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THIS IS A HD TRUCK AND GOD FORBID I WAS ON A MAIN ROAD AND NOT IN MY DRIVEWAY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TR

NHTSA ID

10437425

Incident

Nov 27, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 3500. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE TO STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES WHERE THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS REPLACED EACH TIME. THE DEALER STATED THE WAY THE PART WAS DESIGNED WOULD CAUSE FOR IT TO FAIL WHEN THERE WERE HOT WEATHER TEMPERATURES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000. UPDATED 09/28/10 *BF THE CONSUEMR STATED IT WAS THE BOX CONNECTED TO THE FUEL INJECTOR, BUT THE DEALER STATED IT WAS THE FUEL INJECTOR AND REPLACED IT. UPDATED 10/01/10

NHTSA ID

10346147

Incident

May 10, 2004

Mileage

46,000 mi

SEVERAL TIMES THE TRUCK WHILE STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION HAS ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN AND PULLED ME INTO AN INTERSECTION. SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 40 - 45 MPH THE TRUCK HAS ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN TO OVER 70 MPH ON BACK COUNTY ROADS BEFORE I SHUT IT OFF AND COAST TO A STOP. UPON TRYING TO RESTART ENGINE IT WOULD REV UP TO 4000 RPM THEN FLUCTUATE FROM 1000 - 3000 RPM. AFTER SEVERAL RESTARTS IT WOULD RUN NORMALLY UNTIL THE NEXT OCCURRENCE. ONCE WHILE PULLING INTO A BANK PARKING SPACE THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO SHUT IT OFF IT JUMPED THE CURB AND WENT INTO THE SHRUBS. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES IN A 2 WEEK PERIOD BEGINNING LATE IN MARCH 2010. IT SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY TOYOTA VEHICLES! *TR

NHTSA ID

10325064

Incident

Mar 30, 2010

Mileage

114,500 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET K3500. THE CONTACT WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND EXHIBITED A JERKING MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHICH INDICATED AN CODE REGARDING AN INCREASE IN THE RPMS. THERE WERE NO DIESEL MECHANICS IN THE AREA TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 700,000.

NHTSA ID

10325043

Incident

Mar 31, 2010

Mileage

114,500 mi

SLOW SPEED ACTIVATION OF ANTI LOCK BRAKES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10275211

Incident

Jun 23, 2009

Mileage

60,000 mi

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES TRIGGER AT LOW SPEEDS. AS PER SOME RESEARCH 1999 SILVERADO'S WERE RECALLED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM...WHY NOT THE 1998'S. *TR

NHTSA ID

10265281

Incident

Feb 27, 2009

Mileage

59,000 mi

THE WIPER MOTOR WILL STOP AND START WITHOUT WARNING DURING RAIN OR SNOW. THERE IS A RECALL ON WIPER MOTORS FOR EITHER 1997 OR 1996 AND OLDER CHEVY TRUCKS, BUT NOT THE 1998'S. IF YOU CHECK THE WIPER MOTORS IN EACH YEAR YOU'LL FIND THEY ARE THE SAME ONE. CREATES A VISION HAZARD WHILE DRIVING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10184326

Incident

Feb 26, 2007

Mileage

66,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE LYING UNDER THE VEHICLE CHANGING THE OIL, THE RADIATOR BURST. THIS OCCURRED AT AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO BOTH ARMS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE RADIATOR.

NHTSA ID

10166310

Incident

Aug 23, 2006

Mileage

191,000 mi

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE OPENING THE TAILGATE. THE DEALER WAS ALERTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL # 06V066000 REGARDING THE TAILGATE HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10159321

Incident

Jun 8, 2006

Mileage

93,295 mi

I BELIEVE GENERAL MOTORS HAS GENERATED A DEFECT IN MY 1998 K3500 PICKUP BY EQUIPPING IT WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. ON THE INCIDENT DATE I WAS TRAVELING EAST ON MD RT 16 NEAR HARMONY, MD. I NOTICED A VEHICLE APPROACHING AND FLASHING HIS HEADLIGHTS. THINKING SOMETHING WAS WRONG I SLOWED DOWN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I ROUNDED A SHARP CURVE AND FOUND A VERY LARGE TREE HAD FALLEN FULLY ACROSS THE TRAVELED PORTION OF THE HIGHWAY. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET AROUND IT BY LEAVING THE ROADWAY. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATING THIS OBSTACLE I PROCEEDED ON MY WAY. AFTER TRAVELING ANOTHER HALF MILE I MET ANOTHER CAR WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO WARN BECAUSE OF MY HEADLIGHTS ALWAYS BEING ON DUE TO THE DRL FEATURE. THIS UNWARNED VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND COLLIDED WITH THE TREE. RATHER THEN BEING A SAFETY DEVICE I FEEL, AS A RESULT OF MY EXPERIENCE, THAT DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE A HAZARD AND SHOULD BE BANNED!! *NM

NHTSA ID

10135930

Incident

Sep 3, 2005

Mileage

198,000 mi

WINDSHIELD WIPERS QUIT WORKING DURING RAINSTORM. THE PROBLEM ISINTERMITTENT SO YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE WIPERS MAY OR MAY NOT WORK WHEN YOU TURN THEM ON.

NHTSA ID

10124252

Incident

Jun 1, 2005

Mileage

51,105 mi

HAVE HAD 2 1998 K3500 TRUCKS. BOTH HAVE HAD WHAT I CONSIDER SEVERE ANTI-LOCK FAILURES WHICH OCCUR ANYTIME, ESPECIALLY AT SLOW SPEEDS. BOTH WERE TAKEN TO MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS WITH NO PERMANENT FIX. CONSENSUS OF PROBLEMS ON BOTH TRUCKS WAS THAT THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS FAILING, WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE ANTI-LOCK TO ACTIVATE WHEN NOT NEEDED. THIS RESULTS IN INCONSISTENT STOPPING DISTANCES. BOTH TRUCKS ALSO HAVE A COLD WEATHER REAL END DRAG PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD, THE BACK WHEELS WILL LOCK UP AND SKID WHILE STOPPING NO MATTER HOW LIGHT YOU TOUCH THE BRAKES. THIS LOCK UP LASTS FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 1/2 MILE, UNTIL THE AXLE HEATS UP, THEN THE BRAKES WORK FINE - EXCEPT FOR THE ABS. SECOND OF K3500 TRUCKS (1998) HAS AN INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING FAILURE. SOMETIMES THE POWER STEERING DROPS OFF, AND THEN SUDDENLY COMES BACK. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS AT SLOW SPEEDS. OH HAVE TO EITHER MUSCLE THE WHEEL TO MAKE YOUR TURN IN A LARGER RADIUS, OR FEATHER THE CASE TO PUMP UP THE HYDRAULICS ON THE POWER STEERING. THE LATER RESULTS IN A LURGE AND THE FORMER RESULTS IN A WIDE SWING. *LA

NHTSA ID

10053003

Incident

Jan 12, 2004

Mileage

1,000 mi

THE DRIVER SMELLED GASOLINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL TANK COLLAPSED WHICH CAUSED IT TO LEAK. THE DEALER HAS NOT FIXED IT. PLEASE DESCRIBE FURTHER. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10042292

Mileage

67,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STARTED TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY AND PULLED VERY HARD TO THE RIGHT. UPON INSPECTION THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL (TIRE SIZE LT 22575R16 DOT NUMBER AD1D7A1697. ) PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10040642

Mileage

21,000 mi

VEHICLE'S WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR HAS FAILED. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED; HOWEVER VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *PH

NHTSA ID

10039834

Incident

Sep 9, 2003

PROBLEMS WITH ALL SIX FIRESTONE STEELTEX TIRES ON DUAL AXLE PICKUP TRUCK. *MR THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE ALL SIX OF THE TIRES, BECAUSE OF A BLOW OUT. SEVERAL DAYS LATER THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM ON ONE OF TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT HE DESERVES COMPENSATION FOR THE TIRES. THE FIRST TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT AT 71200K MILES, THEN ON THE SECOND TIRE THE TREAD SEPARATED AT 71427K MILES. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10037866

Mileage

71,200 mi

PAINT IS PEELING OFF THE VEHICLE, 1998 CHEVROLET TRUCK, 45000 MILES ON IT.TS

NHTSA ID

10000954

Incident

Nov 5, 2002

WHILE DRIVING FUEL TANK COLLAPSED. DEALER BEEN AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

8019128

Incident

Sep 2, 2002

FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S II SIZE LT245/75R16. DOT VN11B1A188. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, HEARD A FLAPPING NOISE. DRIVER PULLED OVER AND CONFIRMED THAT TREAD OF RIGHT REAR TIRE SEPARATED.*AK CHEVROLET 3500 1998. *TT

NHTSA ID

8010566

Incident

May 25, 2002

WHILE TRAVELING 65MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. AND BOTH FRONT TIRES TREND SEPARTED. THE TIRES ARE GENERAL TIRES LT245/75R16 M/S/120/116R. NLM

NHTSA ID

8004039

Incident

Feb 13, 2002

BOTH LEFT/RIGHT INSIDE DUALS SUFFERED VIOLENT TREAD SEPARATION, 70 MPH, APPROX. 75-90 DEG. F, INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. APPROX. 1600 MILES BETWEEN INCIDENTS. TIRE PRESSURE AT MANUF. SPECS. TRUCK CARRIES CAMPER AND SEISMIC EQUIPMENT, WELL BELOW RATED GVWR, GETS INTERMITTENT USE, IS HOUSED IN WAREHOUSE. CONTROL MAINTAINED AT TIME OF FAILURE, BUT VEHICLE SUFFERED MUCH DAMAGE TO FENDER FLARES AND SHEET METAL. INCIDENTAL DAMAGE TO CUSTOMER INSTALLED EQUIPMENT. REPORTED TO GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, CASE # CO4325661. TIRES LT225/75R16. NO WARRANTY FROM GOODYEAR (DOESN'T WARRANTY OEM TIRES) OR CHEVROLET (WARRANTY TIME EXPIRED). REPLACED ALL TIRES WITH DIFFERENT BRAND AND STYLE, HEAVIER LOAD RANGE, AND INCREASED AIR PRESSURE TO MAX RATING.*AK (TIRESIZE: LT225/75R1)

NHTSA ID

752276

Incident

Aug 18, 2001

REAR AXLE CRACKED AT 40000 MILES, CAUSING WHEELS TO COME OFF THE TRUCK. THIS COULD CAUSE A FATALITY.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID

894410

Incident

Aug 11, 2001