What breaks most · 1990 to 2002 model years
Chevrolet C/K Pickups problems by year
Owners have filed 382 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet C/K Pickups across model years 1990 to 2002. Three years stand out: 1998 for visibility complaints, 1997 for visibility complaints and 1994 for visibility complaints. The quietest years are 1990, 1991 and 1992.
- Years to check closely: 1998, 1997, 1994
- Fewest complaints: 1990, 1991, 1992
- Complaints on file
- 3821990 to 2002, all trims
- Worst year
- 199878 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 175 fires · 16 injuries · 16 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 75kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 7Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (2) | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (9) | |
| 52 | 0 | 1 | Visibility (34) | |
| 23 | 1 | 1 | Visibility (6) | |
| 22 | 1 | 1 | Visibility (6) | |
| 72 | 1 | 1 | Visibility (30) | |
| 78 | 1 | 1 | Visibility (34) | |
| 37 | 5 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (16) | |
| 34 | 4 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (13) | |
| 24 | 3 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (6) | |
| 14 | 1 | 0 | Brakes (hydraulic) (6) |
What fails on the 1998 Chevrolet C/K Pickups
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 44% |
34 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 29% |
23 | 1 | Shop all brakes (hydraulic) parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 12% |
9 | 0 | Shop all engine and cooling parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 10% |
8 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 1% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Tires | 1% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 1% |
1 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
1 windshield wipers intermentent. 2 very dangerous when driving in rain. 3 removed and replaced wipper motor circuit board and cover. *cn
-
Dt*: the contact stated the windshield wipers work intermittently. There is a NHTSA recall, # 03v159000, regarding the windshield wipers; however, it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.
-
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds the windshield wipers work intermittently. There is a NHTSA recall, # 03v159000, regarding the windshield wipers. The vehicle has the problems as indicated in the recall; however it is not included in the recall due to the VIN.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet C/K Pickups years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1998, 1997, 1994 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet C/K Pickups. The 1998 alone has 78 complaints, led by visibility.
What is the most common Chevrolet C/K Pickups problem?
On the 1998 model year, the most-reported component is visibility with 34 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet C/K Pickups problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet C/K Pickups complaints that include mileage is about 75,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.