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#BS-1998-CHELUM-77A0

1998 Chevrolet Lumina

Based on reports from 276 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
276
Crashes
12
Fires
6
Recalls
4
TSBs
57
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 276 complaints, 12 crashes, 6 fires, and 4 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

wont start intermittently

5 complaints • Severity 7.6/10

$X,XXX
2

intake manifold gasket leak

4 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX
3

head gasket failure

2 complaints • Severity 9/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the SteeringHIGH

20 owners reported steering issues — failures commonly reported around 97K miles.

!Inspect the Steering:rack And PinionMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

3
0–30K
16
30–60K
16
60–90K
24
90–120K
17
120–150K
13
150K+

Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (24 reports) • Median: 97K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Steering (20 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Steering20 (7%)
Steering:rack And Pinion20 (7%)
Engine16 (6%)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip13 (5%)
Power Train:automatic Transmission11 (4%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline11 (4%)
Airbags10 (4%)
Speed Control9 (3%)

1998 Chevrolet Lumina: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 97,063 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 97K-mile mark.

Steering:rack And Pinion Issues

Steering:rack And Pinion complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering:rack and pinion-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina, with 16 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Issues

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

37
00
39
01
16
02
22
03
35
04
16
05
5
06
3
07
10
08
8
09
2
10
2
11
3
12
2
13
3
14
2
15
7
16
5
17
1
18
2
20

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina. Recent trend: increasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (4 recalls)

03V527000Feb 2004

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE LOWER PINION BEARINGS IN THE POWER RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY IN WHICH THE RETAINER TABS WERE NOT CRIMPED PROPERLY. THESE RETAINERS COULD FAIL AND PERMIT THE BALL BEARINGS TO ESCAPE.

07E021000Apr 2007

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN O'RING AND RETAINER.

09V116000Apr 2009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6 NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH DROPS OF ENGINE OIL MAY BE DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING.

15V701000Feb 2016

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Chevrolet Lumina is the 1996 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 276 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Chevrolet Lumina Model Years

2008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987
View all Chevrolet Lumina years →

1998 Chevrolet Lumina: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina?
The most commonly reported issue with the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina is related to the steering, with 20 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina reliable?
The 1998 Chevrolet Lumina has 276 complaints, 12 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 1998 Chevrolet Lumina problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina have any recalls?
Yes, the 1998 Chevrolet Lumina has 4 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Chevrolet Lumina problems start?
Based on 89 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 97,063 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 90–120K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 276 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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