IsItAGoodCar
Reliability Guide

Common Problems with the
1998–1999 Daewoo Lanos

We've identified 5 known issues that can affect the 1998–1999 Daewoo Lanos. 1 of these are serious faults that could be expensive to repair.

5
Known Issues
1
Serious
3
Moderate
1
Minor

All Known Issues

Subframe Mounting Point and Floorpan Seam Corrosion

SeriousBodywork & Rust

Exposed underside sheet metal around the front subframe anchor bolts, rear trailing arm attachment brackets, and floorpan seams suffers from advanced rust perforation under UK winter road salt exposure. The thin factory primer and sealant crack over time, allowing moisture to wick between welded body seams. Corrosion progresses unseen until structural rigidity is severely compromised, resulting in immediate MOT test failure and requiring substantial fabricated steel repair plates.

Est. Repair Cost: £300–£850
Warning Signs:

Flaking brown rust, metal perforation, or soft holes along inner sills, jacking points, and subframe mounts, MOT test failure advisory citing severe corrosion affecting vehicle structural strength within 30cm of suspension, Floorpan flexing or hollow creaking sounds when driving across speed humps or diagonal road ruts

What to Inspect:
  • Examine the front subframe crossmember and rear suspension mounting brackets with an inspection torch on a ramp
  • Tap along the inner and outer sills with a wooden or plastic tool to detect hidden rust blistering under stone-chip paint
  • Inspect the boot floor seams and spare wheel well for standing water and panel seam rust creep
Verified by IsItAGoodCar Research TeamUpdated

Rear Drum Brake Wheel Cylinder Seizure

ModerateBrakes

The hydraulic wheel cylinders inside the rear drum brake assemblies are prone to internal corrosion and fluid weeping past rubber piston seals. Over time, road salt and brake dust cause the internal pistons to seize inside their cast iron bores. This causes the rear brake shoes to drag continuously against the drums, overheating the rear hubs, accelerating shoe friction lining wear, creating uneven handbrake holding, and failing MOT brake roller tests.

Est. Repair Cost: £110–£290
Warning Signs:

Rear wheels feel warm to the touch or emit a hot friction smell after ordinary driving, Car rolls with noticeable rolling resistance and the handbrake lever requires pulling to the top of its travel, Vehicle yaws or pulls during braking, accompanied by poor rear brake performance on MOT roller tests

What to Inspect:
  • Jack up each rear wheel and spin it by hand to verify that the wheel spins freely without dragging on the brake shoes
  • Test the handbrake on a steep incline to confirm it holds the car firmly within 4 to 6 clicks of upward lever travel
  • Check behind the rear drum backing plates for traces of hydraulic brake fluid weeping from cylinder seals
Verified by IsItAGoodCar Research TeamUpdated

Crankshaft Position Sensor Thermal Breakdown

ModerateEngine

The magnetic crankshaft position sensor mounted low on the engine block adjacent to the front crankshaft pulley is exposed to extreme thermal cycling from the exhaust system. As the internal fine copper windings degrade, thermal expansion breaks electrical continuity when the engine bay reaches full operating temperature. This causes sudden engine cutting out while driving, extended starter motor cranking on warm restart, and check engine lamp illumination.

Est. Repair Cost: £95–£240
Warning Signs:

Engine abruptly cuts out while driving and will not fire until allowed to cool down for twenty to thirty minutes, Starter motor cranks briskly on warm restart but the engine refuses to start or cough into life, Check engine management warning lamp illuminates accompanied by crankshaft position sensor fault codes

What to Inspect:
  • Allow the engine to idle until the cooling fan cycles on, switch off for ten minutes, and confirm clean restarting on the first crank
  • Inspect the crankshaft position sensor wiring harness for oil saturation, brittle heat shielding, or chafe damage
  • Check diagnostic trouble code memory using a compatible scan tool for historical crankshaft sensor circuit codes
Verified by IsItAGoodCar Research TeamUpdated

Front Lower Suspension Control Arm Bushing Deterioration

ModerateSuspension & Chassis

The front lower suspension control wishbones incorporate vulcanised rubber bushes and integrated ball joints that endure severe impact loads from UK road potholes and urban speed cushions. The rubber bonding perishes, cracks, and pulls away from the metal sleeve, allowing excessive fore-aft movement of the front wheels. This causes unstable steering wander under braking, imprecise cornering tracking, and noticeable metallic knocking over rough road surfaces.

Est. Repair Cost: £140–£320
Warning Signs:

Steering wanders noticeably over road cambers, white lines, or when applying the brakes firmly, Dull clunking or knocking noises from the front footwell area when traversing speed cushions and potholes, Uneven tread wear along the inside or outside shoulders of the front tyres

What to Inspect:
  • Drive over speed humps and uneven road surfaces while listening for knocks and feeling for steering wheel kickback
  • Pry between the lower suspension arm and subframe using a pry bar to check for excessive bushing deflection or torn rubber
  • Inspect the front lower ball joint rubber dust boots for splits and grease leakage
Verified by IsItAGoodCar Research TeamUpdated

Ignition Coil Pack and High-Tension Lead Breakdown

MinorEngine

The direct ignition coil pack on 1.6-litre DOHC models and high-tension spark plug leads on 1.4-litre 8v engines suffer insulation breakdown from heat cycling and oil mist seepage from aging rocker cover gaskets. As the dielectric silicone insulation degrades, high-voltage spark current tracks to the engine cylinder head instead of jumping spark plug electrodes, producing pronounced engine misfires under load, rough idling, and catalytic converter damage.

Est. Repair Cost: £85–£210
Warning Signs:

Engine stumbles, shudders, or misfires under load when accelerating in a high gear from low road speed, Uneven, hunting idle speed with intermittent engine shaking and exhaust popping, Check engine management light flashes under load indicating cylinder misfire detection

What to Inspect:
  • Apply full throttle in third gear from 30mph to test for engine stuttering or hesitation under peak torque load
  • Inspect the spark plug lead boots and coil pack towers for white carbon tracking trails and oil contamination
  • Examine spark plug wells for oil pooling originating from a weeping camshaft cover gasket
Verified by IsItAGoodCar Research TeamUpdated

Buying Tips for 1998–1999 Daewoo Lanos

  • Inspect the underside sheet metal around front subframe anchor points and rear trailing arm mounts; structural corrosion is the most frequent reason for Lanos MOT test abandonment.
  • Verify that the engine starts smoothly both hot and cold; failing crankshaft position sensors frequently cause warm starting problems and sudden engine cut-outs.
  • Check the rear drum brakes for binding and fluid leakage; rear wheel cylinders frequently seize and cause severe handbrake and service brake imbalance.
  • Examine the front suspension wishbone bushes for splitting rubber; worn control arms cause dangerous steering wander when driving over speed cushions.
19972000
Check a 1998–1999 Daewoo Lanos by Registration