1997 Chevrolet S10 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about windshield wipers that quit or run intermittently, often in rain, and many note their vehicle was outside the wiper recall's VIN range. Brake complaints are also common, mostly worn pads, rotors and calipers along with rusted-through brake lines that leaked fluid; a smaller but repeated theme is a fuel gauge that reads full or wanders, and a number of reports describe the tailgate support cables snapping.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield wipers quit or work intermittently

   • 87 complaints (19%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 8.8 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2015

   Owners describe wipers that stop, start on their own, change speed, or fail to park in the right position, often while driving in rain or after starting the truck. Some say restarting the engine or cycling the switch brings them back temporarily, and several report a dealer replaced the wiper module or motor. Many owners say their VIN was not covered when they asked about recall 03V159000, so the repair was at their own cost. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 145,000 miles, most often in rainy weather or when the wipers are first switched on.

   Recall 03V159000

   What to check: Cycle the wipers through all speeds, including intermittent, and ask whether the wiper motor or module has been replaced under any campaign or at the owner's expense. Check for a receipt.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 1997 s-10 was made in 1996. I did not receive a letter or any other documentation regarding a recall 98v150001. While driving in inclement weather the windshield wipers would intermittently work. I would have to pull over to the side of the road or wipe the windshield my self. What can I do about the problem? I have over 100,000 miles on my truck.”

   NHTSA complaint #10088230, filed 2004-08, 50,000 miles

   “About 2 weeks ago, the windshield wipers on my 1997 S10 pickup began to intermittently malfunction (there have been 4 instances of this so far). In my ensuing investigation of the problem, I learned that there is a recall to fix the problem. On 9-8-2004 I took the vehicle to southview Chevrolet in inver grove heights, mn to get the wiper module replaced. After entering the VIN number into their computer, they told me my S10 wasn't elligible to have the repairs done at no cost to me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10091054, filed 2004-09, 75,500 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake and rusted brake line failures

   • 71 complaints (15%)
   • median 95,000 mi at 8.8 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 9 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1996–2014

   Complaints describe worn pads, rotors and calipers, grinding noise, a pedal that pulses or sinks toward the floor, and brake fluid loss from lines that had rusted through. Several owners say a shop or dealer found the lines corroded and replaced them; one owner notes the ABS warning was traced to a faulty ABS unit. Others report front brakes locking at low speed after the truck sat for a few days. Mostly reported between about 60,000 and 120,000 miles, with line corrosion showing up in older, higher-mileage trucks.

   Recall 97V146001

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect the brake lines along the frame and near the engine oil pan for rust or weeping, and check pad, rotor and caliper condition along with ABS function.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Severely corroded brake lines, lines blew. Near miss accident. This is a common complaint across mfrs. . Well maintained cars with severely corroded fuel and brake lines. I bet it can be traced to a cheap supplier that supplied the big 3 for a period of years. No corrosion resistance on the steel. Can't blame this on ne winter salt. My oem 1964 looks better than my late model vehicles.”

   NHTSA complaint #10629435, filed 2014-08, 187,000 miles

   “Took my 1997 S10 pickup to a mechanic and requested he check the brakes. The brake pedal faults when continueing to apply pressure and begins to make a bouncing type of feeling and the distance to stop (especially on wet roads) cannot be determined. This is a dangerous problem. The mechanic stated that the ABS were faulty and to contact a dealer and have the VIN researched for recalls, etc. Also referred me to NHTSA.”

   NHTSA complaint #10038924, filed 2003-09, 73,166 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge reads full or wanders

   Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the gauge staying at or past full regardless of fuel level, or moving erratically between readings, which in some cases led them to run out of fuel. Complaints describe the fuel level sending unit as the source, and typically the fix was replacing the sending unit or pump assembly. A few owners also mention stalling that they connect to the same sending unit problem. Usually noticed from about 28,000 to 83,000 miles, often shortly after purchase or while still under warranty.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Fill the tank and compare the gauge against the odometer over a few tanks; ask whether the fuel pump or sending unit has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The fuel gauge on my 1997 s-10 extended cab truck does not work. The needle remains on the full position. I noticed the gauge was erratic prior to the warranty expiring, but I forgot it, so unfortunately no recorded complaint was availale when it ceased to operate. I am aware that this is a problem on other s-10 vehicles. In fact I owned a 1983 silverado and the fuel gauge on it did not work. I determine when to refuel by use of the odometer.”

   NHTSA complaint #10118472, filed 2005-04, 28,000 miles

   “Gas gauge began reading full when only 1/4 tank or less. Now gauge is all over the place regardless of how much fuel is in tank. I reset the trip odometer each time I fill up so I know approximately how much fuel I have.”

   NHTSA complaint #10049004, filed 2003-12, 45,800 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Tailgate support cables snap

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe one or both tailgate cables breaking while the gate is open or when someone leans or sets a load on it, and owners often note the cable looked rusted through. Some say the dealer would not cover it because the VIN was not in a related campaign, and were quoted a repair price instead. Reported at low to moderate miles, from about 15,000 to 90,000, and often tied to rust on the cable.

   What to check: Open the tailgate and look along both support cables for rust or fraying; replacement cables are inexpensive and worth doing as preventive maintenance.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This is in regards to a 1997 Chevrolet s-10 pickup. It's a 4 cylinder, 2 wheel drive. The left tailgate strap broke. The strap is clearly rusted throughout which caused it to snap. I noticed that there is a recall on this type of strap on a gmc truck. This is not a part for the average person to replace since it requires some dismantling of the tailgate. My Chevrolet dealer gave me an estimate of $90 to replace the left side. It would probably be wise to replace both of them. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10230466, filed 2008-06, 77,000 miles

   “I have a 1997 s-10 chev. Truck. At a party a friend and I were sitting on the tail-gate of the truck. Surprisingly the cables supporting the gate had broken. I called on local chev. Dealer and ask if they felt any responsibility. They ask me if I had received a letter regarding tailgate problems. I reported that I had not. They said then they had no responsility for this incident which damaged the tailgate to tune of over $500. The fact that they ask if I received a letter from chev. That there have been some problems with the gate supports. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10086988, filed 2004-08, 42,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light and non-deployment in a crash

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the airbag warning light staying on, sometimes with stalling and loss of power brakes and steering at the same time, traced by a mechanic to an electrical fault. One owner reports a frontal collision in which the airbags did not deploy and the seat belt did not retract. Reported from about 60,000 to 117,000 miles, with the crash report at roughly 90,000 miles.

   Recall 97V096001

   What to check: Turn the key to on and confirm the airbag light cycles off; if it stays lit, have the airbag system scanned before purchase, and check that the seat belts retract and latch smoothly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “There are 8 safety recalls on the chevy S10.1997.the companys state my vehicle is not on the list of these recalls.but my vehicles has all of these defects.and ive been very lucky I have not been in an accident yet due to these issues.ive been very lucky.but peoples luck always runs out.I cant afford another vehicle and its breaking me financially by fixing this one.”

   NHTSA complaint #10323395, filed 2010-04, 82,000 miles

   “A month ago my vehicle had a dash board light come on intermittently. It is the air bag light. During this period I took the vehicle to my mechanic, he placed it on the diagnostic and found nothing wrong at a cost of just under $100. The light has continued to come on and the vehicle has stalled twice during this time. I have searched the internet for recall notices for the dealership and have not had any success. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10254812, filed 2009-01, 117,451 miles

Buying note. Check the wipers, brake lines and fuel gauge carefully on any example, since these are the most frequently reported problems and fixes are often straightforward once identified. Ask for service records showing whether the wiper motor, brake lines and fuel sending unit have already been replaced.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.