2,126 of the
7,335 complaints filed about the Chevrolet S10
are about the braking system —
29% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1994.
My dad purchased my truck from the church secretary where he attended in March of 2015. At the time of purchase it only had 66,000 miles on it. The secretary’s father owned it and used it from new until 6 months before we purchased it and only used it to help feed his cows. 1. Window washer motor circuit 2. Seatbelt need’s stitched 3. The overload sticker is wrong Came in after we purchased the truck but my dad was sick and he passed away 3/8/2016 Coated brake rotor & hub assembly (86757CR)x2 Tie rod end (NCD 2693017)x2 Ball joint front lower (NCD 2601130)x2 Tie rod end control arm front left (NCD 2605330) Tie rod end control arm and ball joint front right upper (NCP 2605329) Tie rod adjusting sleeve front (NCD 2691109)x2 Idler arm assembly (NCD 2683654) Tie rod End outer (NCD 2683267)x2 Steering center link (NCD 2721591) TOO MUCH NOISE AND WHEN MAKING A PARKING LOT TURN IT FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE I WAS GONNA LOSE MY WHOLE FRONT END ON THE GROUND.
NHTSA complaint #11589037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Twice now while lightly applying brakes to come to a stop at an intersection the antilock brake system engaged. Since it was unexpected I almost didn't come to a stop in time before rolling into the intersection into traffic. The ABS warning indicator was illuminated intermittently before this with recorded DTC C0268 (Pump motor circuit shorted). Also the transfer case input shaft seal failed which caused transmission fluid to leak into the transfer case, completely filling it. That caused the transfer case vacuum switch to fail and transmission fluid was sucked into the vacuum lines and eat through them causing a vacuum leak. Because of the vacuum leak, whenever I would accelerate to highway speeds and the engine would use what vacuum it could, the 4WD actuator would lose its vacuum then regain it when the RPM's dropped and try to lock the front axle while at highway speeds which would cause the truck to jerk and the gears to grind. And lastly the Airbag warning indicator is always illuminated for reasons I do not know.
NHTSA complaint #11437098 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2003 Chevy S10 has been maintained and taking care of. Brakes in rear were sticking due to factory defective ABS control module. Rear wheel bearing gave out and started leaking axle fluid cause of a sticking drivers side brake from ABS control module malfunctioning. After much cost of replacing calipers and brake pads the culprit from a defectively ABS control module making the brake caliper stick to the rotor.. Next the coolant leaks from the intake manifold gasket and now the heater core leaks… this truck has only 146k miles on it and I always taking care of it keeping up before it’s schedule maintenance. But what I see is poor defective parts from GM. SO I have to make sure I get this work done and keep the coolant filled or there be a motor issue from overheating. This is a SAFETY concern and if the heater core leaks then breathing the toxic coolants isn’t safe at all when the AC is on or no heat in winter!. Now GM discontinued making the S10 in North America but redesigned a front wheel drive diesel version in South America.
NHTSA complaint #11430001 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
BACKING TRAVEL TRAILER INTO DRIVEWAY AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FADED AND WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE IN A SAFE DISTANCE.IT FELT LIKE THE PEDAL FADED TO THE FLOOR. PUMPING THE PEDAL SEEMED TO HAVE NO EFFECT. THE DRIVEWAY IS FLAT AND THE SPEED WAS LOW.
NHTSA complaint #11398727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TRUCK WAS PURCHASED 7/7/20. SEEMED TO WORK FINE, BUT STARTED NOTICING ENGINE TROUBLE ON 9/10/20. HAD ONLY DRIVEN IT ~150 MILES SINCE PURCHASE, NEVER ANY STRENUOUS DRIVING. TOOK IT IN TO GET SERVICED ON 9/21/20, WHERE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WERE SPOTTED, ONE OF WHICH IS TRACEABLE TO THE DEALER: 1) THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP WAS BEING HELD ON ONLY BY TWO ZIPTIES. THIS IS WHY IT SEEMED TO RUN FINE ON THE DATE OF PURCHASE, BUT CAUSED ENGINE MISFIRES WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF LIGHT USE. THE DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED ME THE DAY BEFORE I PURCHASED IT THAT THE DISTRIBUTOR WAS BEING FIXED, BUT THEY FAILED TO NOTIFY ME THAT IT WASN'T FIXED PROPERLY. TRUCK NOW MISFIRES, HAS AN ARCING WIRE, AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. 2)TRUCK WAS SOLD WITH NO PARKING BRAKE, AND NO WARNING THAT IT WAS NOT INSTALLED. THIS INFORMATION HAS OMITTED WHEN I ASKED ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES BEFORE PURCHASING. NEVER NOTICED BECAUSE PHX IS SO FLAT. HAD I NEEDED TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE, NOT HAVING ONE INSTALLED IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. 3) AN IMPACT SENSOR WAS LEFT HANGING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. A LARGE ENOUGH BUMP OR A ROCK COULD SET OFF AIRBAGS WHILE DRIVING, PUTTING MY PASSENGERS, MYSELF, AND OTHER DRIVERS AND PEDESTRIANS AT SERIOUS RISK. THIS TRUCK IS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND I WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT MADE IT UNSAFE. THE FIRST ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY A BAD REPAIR MADE BY THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE OTHER TWO NOTED ISSUES WERE NOT NOTED IN THE CARFAX OR BY THE SALESPERSON WHEN I ASKED ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES.
NHTSA complaint #11360475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A PARKING GARAGE AND MANEUVER INTO A STALL AT LOW SPEEDS, THE BRAKES LOST POWER. THEY MADE A NOISE AS IF THE ABS KICKED IN, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS VERY HARD AND THE BRAKES WERE BARELY FUNCTIONING. THE RECALL WAS FIXED ON MY TRUCK A FEW MONTHS BACK. THE TRUCK HAS 59K MILES AND THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENCE. HOPEFULLY, I CAN GET IT OUT OF THE PARKING GARAGE SAFELY WHEN I GET HOME. WILL BE CONTACTING MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO. BASED ON WHAT I READ ON HERE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL.
NHTSA complaint #11308663 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY 2018 CHEVY SILVERADO LTZ WITH 6,000 MILES ROLLED BACKWARDS OUT THE DRIVEWAY TO THE NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAY (ACROSS THE STREET) BACK TO MY DRIVEWAY. ALL WHILE IN PARK AND THE KEYS WERE IN MY HAND CAUSING IT TO KNOCK ME DOWN AND RUN ME OVER. I HAVE SUSTAINED SEVERAL OF INJURIES.
NHTSA complaint #11288228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET S10. WHILE DRIVING 26 MPH AROUND AN S CURVE, THE BRAKES PEDAL WAS APPLIED, BUT SEIZED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AND CREEK. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT AND SUSTAINED NECK, NOSE, AND EYE INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURES WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 230,000.
NHTSA complaint #11271790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 CHEVROLET S10. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ABS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ABS ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY, AND PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT. FURTHERMORE, THE VEHICLE LOST BRAKE FUNCTIONALITY COMPLETELY. GILCREST CHEVROLET BUICK GMC IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES HAD BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CITED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 99V193000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) AS A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,160.
NHTSA complaint #11031519 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TOTAL SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE I HAD TO LEAVE THE ROAD TO AVOID OTHER CARS. 40MPH FRONT RIGHT STEAL LINE FAILED AND RIGHT REAR LINE FAILED AT THE SAME TIME LINES ARE RUSTY BUT THE REST OF THE TRUCK IS OK THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNS ( LIKE DRIPS OR LOW LEVEL IN THE BOOSTER)
NHTSA complaint #11030219 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET S10. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING BETWEEN THE BRAKE HOSE AND FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE WASHER FOR THE BRAKE HOSE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 99V220000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.
NHTSA complaint #10960063 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET S10. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND THE BRAKE LINE FRACTURED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #10958225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE BRAKE LINES BURST WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND THE BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN NO BRAKING POWER. INSPECTION BY A MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKE LINES HAD SUDDENLY FAILED DURING BRAKING AND THE FLUID HAD DRAINED OUT RESULTING IN AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER DURING MY BRAKING. WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH ON A CITY STREET WHEN I STARTED TO BRAKE AND THEY FAILED, WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT INJURY DUE TO MANUAL TRANSMISSION ENGINE BRAKING AND A VERY BAD PARKING BRAKE.
NHTSA complaint #10955617 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM FAILED UNDER NORMAL USE, WILL NO LONGER ENGAGE PARKING BRAKE. PEDAL CAN BE PUSHED DOWN BUT WILL SPRING BACK AND NOT ENGAGE. UNKNOWN CAUSE.
NHTSA complaint #10955627 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 CHEVROLET S10. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000. UPDATED 07/28/16
NHTSA complaint #10876430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.