1998 Chevrolet B7 Medium Duty recalls & complaints

1. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SCHOOL BUSES, MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS AND TRACTORS BUILT WITH BENDIX AIR ABS WITH AN EC-17 1030R ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU), THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AT LOW SPEEDS CAUSED BY 1) CHAFED ABS WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WIRES ON ROTATING PARTS OR 2) A DAMAGED COMPONENT AT THE WHEEL END THAT GENERATES A CERTAIN TYPE OF ERRATIC SENSOR SIGNAL.

What could happen: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE ABS ECU TO EXHAUST THE AIR AT THE AIR BRAKE MODULATORS FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE WHEELS. THIS COULD RESULT IN EXTENDED BRAKING DISTANCES AND A POSSIBLE CRASH.

The fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ABS ECU.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 1998 B7 MEDIUM DUTY.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Chevrolet dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 00V232008.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH AIR BRAKES AND ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEMS. CHAFFING OF THE ELECTRIC BRAKE CONTROL HARNESS CAN OCCUR RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICAL GROUNDING CONDITION. THIS WILL ILLUMINATE A WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND SHUT OFF THE ABS FEATURE.

What could happen: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE REDUCED BRAKING CAPABILITY OF THE FRONT BRAKES, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

The fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE HARNESS FOR CHAFFING AND PROPER ROUTING AND WILL REPAIR IF NECESSARY.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 1998 B7 MEDIUM DUTY.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Chevrolet dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 98V073000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Steering

What's wrong, in plain English: If steering fails you can lose control of the car. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SCHOOL BUSES EQUIPPED WITH POWER STEERING. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE ASSEMBLED WITH AN INCORRECT INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THE OVERLAP IN THE SLIP JOINT IS INSUFFICIENT ALLOWING THE STEERING SHAFT TO SEPARATE.

What could happen: THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF STEERING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

The fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING SHAFT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 1998 B7 MEDIUM DUTY.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Chevrolet dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 98V237000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Engine (1), Fuel system (1), Gasoline (1).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.