2002 Chevrolet S10 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2002 Chevrolet S10 most often report tailgate support cables that rust through and break, usually under ordinary loading, and door hinge and latch problems that let doors sag, leak or fail to latch. Brake rotor corrosion and seized calipers also come up, along with a smaller set of fuel pump, transmission and electrical complaints. Many reports arrive at relatively low mileage, and several owners note the truck was outside warranty or outside a related recall by the time service was requested.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Tailgate support cables rust and break

   • 56 complaints (26%)
   • median 49,500 mi at 3.9 yrs old (46 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2013

   Owners describe one or both tailgate cables snapping under normal use, sometimes with a person sitting or standing on the tailgate. On inspection the steel cable is rusted through beneath its plastic or vinyl coating, which hides the corrosion until it fails. Complaints also note that the cable is not sold separately from the hinge or latch assembly, and dealers told several owners their vehicle was not covered by the tailgate cable recall applied to other models. Most reports fall between roughly 30,000 and 110,000 miles, and many describe the truck as a few years old at the time.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Open the tailgate fully and flex each cable; peeling back the plastic sheath to look for rust is worth doing. Ask whether the cables or the hinge assembly have ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have the same tailgate cable problem that every other S10 owner has. The problem is well described in the GM special policy adjustment 06020 . The dealer says my VIN is not included in the recall or special policy adjustment and refuses to fix it. One cable is already broke inside and just connected by the outer plastic. The other is still holding for now.”

   NHTSA complaint #10210166, filed 2007-11, 65,225 miles

   “Having read about the GM recall for the full size pickup tailgate cables one of two cables failed on my 2002 S10 crew cab p/u. I replaced only one because of the cost. The cable failed after the warranty had expired, approximately three and half years. This was with normal usage, no heavy weights, the cable just corroded through. The S10 uses a similar if not he same cable as the full size.”

   NHTSA complaint #10152466, filed 2006-03, 27,500 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Door hinges, latches and strikers fail

   • 34 complaints (16%)
   • median 51,437 mi at 5.1 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • filed 2002–2016

   Owners report door hinge pin bushings wearing out so the door sags, jiggles when shaken, or opens unexpectedly while driving. Others describe door latches that stop latching, door handles that break, and door strikers pulling through the frame. Complaints say dealers acknowledged the condition but declined repairs, sometimes citing the vehicle's age or warranty status. Reports cluster from about 19,000 to 150,000 miles, with several owners seeing problems within the first few years of ownership.

   What to check: Open and close every door, including the third door on crew cab models, and check for sag, sloppy hinge play, and whether each latch catches firmly. Look at the striker area on the door frame for cracks or deformation.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Drivers door latch has failed. No longer can latch, this could have been a issue at highway speeds of door coming open or rounding a curve. On 9-13-04 my 3rd door latch was also replaced due to breakage of handle .now to this date I have to replace the passenger door latch with the same failure of drivers door. The electronic system is not great and plastic latches. Some type of spring failure from dirt and water intrusion.”

   NHTSA complaint #10154771, filed 2006-04, 79,412 miles

   “The driver's side door is loose. One can literally jiggle the door approximately half of a centimeter up and down. The auto dealership in portland, maine (forest city Chevrolet - now called quirk Chevrolet) advised me that they could fail my inspection a couple of years ago - that there had been reports of this and what the progression would be of such. The door did not jiggle at all during that time and was operating properly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10175690, filed 2006-12, 108,300 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake rotors corrode and calipers seize

   • 27 complaints (13%)
   • median 42,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2020

   Owners describe brakes that pull hard to one side, seized front calipers that score or ruin rotors, and rotors with heavy surface corrosion or flaking replaced at low mileage. Some complaints describe the pedal going to the floor or the ABS not engaging as expected, with dealers saying the condition could not be reproduced. Dealers reportedly attributed rotor corrosion to road salt in some cases and declined further warranty replacement. Reported from about 6,000 to 42,000 miles on the lower end, with most cases logged under roughly 40,000 miles.

   What to check: Inspect rotor faces for pitting and heavy corrosion, especially if the truck has lived where salt is used, and test braking on a straight, empty road for pull. Ask for service records showing whether calipers or rotors have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After I'd owned the vehicle for a little over 3 years and had only about 13,000 miles on it, it began to pull hard on braking. One of the front brake calipers seized and ruined the front rotor in the process. Although the truck was just out of warranty, because of the low mileage and age of the vehicle, I took it to the dealer. Chevrolet refused to honor the repairs under warranty or acknowledge any problems. They said it was because the truck sat outside. It is parked on a paved street in front of my house. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10468400, filed 2012-07, 13,000 miles

   “The consumer stated that the rotators were bad, pictures were taken and there was unusual flaking. The rotors were worn smooth and not pitted. There was excessive noise coming from the brakes. All of the rotors were replaced due to the pitting being so severe that it could not be used. The dealer said he had seen this before. There was excessive noise in the drive train and morning brake noise as if the parking brakes were sticking. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10122218, filed 2005-06, 42,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission and rear axle noise or failure

   • 23 complaints (11%)
   • median 50,312 mi at 5.2 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2015

   Owners describe automatic transmissions that would not engage reverse, whining from the rear axle between about 50 and 70 mph, and rear differentials found with water in the fluid. One complaint ties water entry to the axle vent hose location, and another describes the rear axle locking up and needing a full rebuild. Several owners report dealers declined warranty work or could not identify the noise. Reported from roughly 17,000 to 175,000 miles, with most cases between about 20,000 and 90,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at highway speed with the radio off and listen for whine from behind the cab, and check that reverse engages promptly when cold. Ask whether the differential fluid has been serviced or the axle vent relocated.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Powertraun automatic transmission failure. Vehicle was in park and would not go into reverse. Could shift to r but vehicle would not go into reverse. Vehicle had to be towed to certified transmission, lincoln, ne. Will be repaired. This retail business, is averaging 10 repairs a month on this make and model and failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10081057, filed 2004-07, 50,312 miles

   “This 2002 chevy s-10 crew cab 4x4 is equipped with an electronic in dash buttons for 2 wheel high, 4 wheel high and 4 wheel low. A vacuum (rubber) hose connects the rear differential to the vacuum solenoid and engages the front trans axle to engaged into 4 wheel drive and back to rear wheel drive. This vacuum tube is mounted too close to the exhaust pipe and has dryrotted in two years causing the vehicle to not go into 4 wheel drive. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10108500, filed 2005-02, 52,000 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel pump module failures and fuel leaks

   • 15 complaints (7%)
   • median 86,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2001–2016

   Owners report fuel pumps or fuel pump modules replaced more than once, with some trucks quitting while driving and restarting only after sitting for a while. Complaints also describe fuel leaking during refueling that led to a dealer replacing the fuel pump, and one owner noted a repeat leak after the repair. Some reports describe stalling or extended cranking without a clear diagnosis from the dealer. Reports range from roughly 20,000 to 86,000 miles, with several failures logged in the 20,000 to 55,000 mile range.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump or module has been replaced and when. Smell for fuel around the filler neck and under the truck after refueling, and note any hard starting or cutting-out after the engine is warm.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought my 2002 chevy S10 truck in june of 2002. October 21, 2002 at 4035 miles the idler arm was replaced. January 2003 the heat sensor for the heater needed to be replaced, as the blower worked but the heat wouldn't. March 4, 2004 at 26, 345 miles the idler arm was replaced. Also, the drivers door had to be adjusted not closing properly, the drivers side visor wasn't aligned and wouldn't lock in place needed to be adjusted. July 8th the fuel pump modulator needed to be replaced. I feel this is way to many problems for a new vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10128305, filed 2005-07, 49,000 miles

   “2002 Chevrolet S10 has had to have new fuel pump module put on 03/19/03 and has now gone out again on 12/31/03. Had leak in oil pan, leak in windshield on passenger side. The truck had 29,000 miles the first time the fuel pump went out and 55,000 this time when it went out. I feel that is entirely too frequent for fuel pumps to fail.”

   NHTSA complaint #10051447, filed 2003-12, 55,000 miles

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.