Chevrolet S10 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 5,827 consumer complaints across the 22 model years of the Chevrolet S10 (1983–2004) that have at least 5 complaints. 1994 has the most, with 967. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (1,884 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All S10 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 21 | 63,250 | 1 | 380 | — | Falling |
| 2003 | 178 | 46,582 | 1 | 358 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 214 | 48,406 | 0 | 311 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2001 | 308 | 49,000 | 1 | 279 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 471 | 60,300 | 4 | 252 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1999 | 231 | 60,000 | 0 | 48 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1998 | 613 | 71,125 | 6 | 36 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1997 | 469 | 83,000 | 6 | 19 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 668 | 79,500 | 7 | 3 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 911 | 115,500 | 5 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 967 | 86,000 | 5 | 1 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 233 | 131,300 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 180 | 82,163 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 174 | 132,000 | 6 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1990 | 29 | 98,858 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1989 | 48 | 68,250 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 37 | — | 1 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1987 | 27 | 83,395 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1986 | 22 | — | 1 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1985 | 11 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1984 | 8 | — | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1983 | 7 | — | 1 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes1,884 37%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)939 18%
- Engine cooling471 9.1%
- Body and structure446 8.6%
- Transmission and drivetrain412 8.0%
- Air bags373 7.2%
- Fuel system321 6.2%
- Electrical system313 6.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1995: “Passenger side rear wheel does not line up with front wheel. Passenger side rear wheel is inward approximately 1 to 2 inches. Drivers side rear wheel line up perfectly with the front drivers side wheel looking from front to back and vice versa. I was informed that this problem could be corrected by installing an adjustable panhard bar if I could find one to fit.”
NHTSA complaint #11090124, filed 2018-04, 382,653 miles2001: “My brakes do not always work; I often have to pump the brakes up just to be able to get them to apply. It is very scary. I can put my foot all the way to the floor, and the truck will barely slow down. I feel I will likely rear-end somebody or roll into a busy intersection because the brakes will not work.”
NHTSA complaint #11207865, filed 2019-05, 177,000 miles1996: “I was involved in a traffic collision in which my brakes failed to stop my vehicle. When I pressed the brakes during a sudden stop, the brakes started to slow down my truck but then the pedal went all the way down to the floor with a rubbing noise and my truck kept traveling until I hit the vehicle in front of me.”
NHTSA complaint #11078842, filed 2018-03, 340,000 milesOther Chevrolet models
19,366 complaintsChevrolet Silverado 1500
18,111 complaintsChevrolet Impala
10,408 complaintsChevrolet Tahoe
10,060 complaintsChevrolet Equinox
9,208 complaintsChevrolet Silverado
8,790 complaintsChevrolet Blazer
8,199 complaintsChevrolet Suburban
8,170 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology