3rd Apr 2001, 20:26
Your not the only one man. I had a 99 s10 4 banger and it blew a head gaskit at 175 miles. not 75,000 but 175 MILES. I hated it. I will never buy another one. I had lots of problems after that too. so have fun with your truck. (it won't last man).
6th May 2001, 15:31
I have a 95 S10 SS 4.3 auto, it is junk.
It squeaks, I got a check engine light on, the spider injector I had to change, had to replace the transmission, it runs hot when the AC is on.
It has mad power, but what good is it if it's gonna break down. This is my second S10, DO NOT BUY S10 or any GM products, or Ford or Dodge.
18th May 2001, 13:16
I own a 98 S-10 and I dropped a 305 V8 in mine with the help of a professional hot rod specialist. He is a friend of mine at comp cams in Memphis Tennessee and he did a great job.
I have a V8, posi trac 3:73 pulleys, exhaust, custom paint, lowered, nitrous oxide (150shot), low profile tires, wheels from American Racing Wheels, 2 layers of 5 all around except on the front and 25 down front.
My truck is awesome and I can't find anyone that can beat mine that is street legal either on the bottle or off the bottle!! SPEAK FOR YOURSELVES; I LOVE MY TRUCK AND SO DOES MY GIRLFRIEND!!
24th Oct 2001, 21:42
I sold my 97 S-10 for a Silverado. I also had the 2.2L with manual transmission. I had 120k on the truck when I sold it. Not a single problem. Not only did it still have the original battery and clutch, but it still had the original brakes and tires. And 30-32 mpg to boot. Great truck.
2nd Mar 2002, 22:38
I own a 2k chevy s-10 auto x-cab got only 24k miles. I bought the truck when it had 135 miles. It fires up so good. NO PROBLEMS!!!
25th Jul 2002, 14:01
I understand your frustration. My 1997 S-10 has been nothing but problems since I got it.
12th Aug 2002, 19:30
I have a 1999 S-10 with a V6 and it is a total piece of junk. I had to replace the auto transmission at 60,000 miles.
The handle on the third door broke at about 10,000 miles. The muffler went bad at 30,000 miles. The parking brake is broken and now I have a noise while driving that nobody can figure out. Other than these problems, it has been a wonderful truck. If Chevy trucks were the only vehicle on Earth, I'd walk.
12th Sep 2002, 17:20
I have a '98 Blazer (S-10 Based) with a 4.3L 90 degree V-6 and I absolutely love it!! At 112,00 miles, I treat it like crap and it just keeps taking it and asking for more. The only failing I've ever had to replace was the water pump around 110,000 miles; but that was almost entirely due to a 8 hour drive at 90+ mph (I have 4.10 gears in the rear and a 1:1 final drive in my automatic transmission, so my engine was running 3500-4000 rpm the whole way) and the fan clutch overheated and permanately locked up (same trip). Other than that I can't seem to break anything, even in 2 feet of mud at red-line.
17th Feb 2003, 11:33
I bought a 'pre-owned' (new word for 'used') S-10 pickup truck. After reading the comments prior to mine I am beginning to see the light. I made an error. My head gasket sprang a leak. I had to have a new fuel pump installed (which meant dropping the gas tank). Then last week a service light came on telling me I needed to see a service man 'soon'. Obediently I did so. It cost me $87 for them to tell me "You need new spark plugs and spark plug wires."
"How much?" I asked. "About $230." They told me. I said I don't want to put a complete new engine in and they said that their quote actually was just to install new plugs and wires (4) each. The branch I use DOES have palm trees and is like a palace. Trouble is I don't command a Kings ransome, I'm retired. Any contributions gratefully received. Now my instrument panel light went out. I checked with another dealer. How much to tell me what's wrong? With a straight face he told me... $50. And that doesn't include fixing it either. Maybe I do have a faint resemblance to Bill Gates, but my bank account is not exactly in keeping with his. But I bet the delaers I have dealt with are catching up to Bill fast.
1st Apr 2003, 18:17
My 1997 S-10 is a headache. I bought it at 46,000 miles back in 2001. I just turned 98,000 miles last month. This thing has been a nightmare from day 1. First it was the fuel guage, then the U-joints. After that, the 4 wheel drive (push button my a**) went out. I replaced the water pump. The wipers work only when they want to. Ball joints shot at 55,000 miles. Sun visor straps are a waste of nylon. Recliner handle on seat broke. Doors squeak no matter how much you spray them. Lower main seal had to be replaced at 60,000 miles. The a/c is stuck on and will not shut off. And now, to top it all off, she's in the shop right now with a burnt transmission (auto). I really love this truck. It looks good and has tons of power in a small package. I never abused this truck, but the maintenance is getting the best of my checkbook. I'm really surprised GM would build these things so cheap. I realize that the previous owner may have abused the truck, but when they say "Certified Preowned", I thought they went through some sort of inspection before they were resold. I'm afraid to fix anything else because two more things will break.
1st Apr 2004, 23:45
I have a 97 S10 with a 4 banger and a 5 speed. I bought it with 56000 miles on it, and it now has 143000. I don't baby thee truck around either. I drive fast anytime I hit a highyway. I'm a construction worker, and frequently drive several hundred miles to get to my next job. I usually drive between 80 and 85 the whole way there and back. I use Mobil 1, and change it religiously at 10000 miles. The motor has held remarkably well. The motor runs great and I don't even a valve tap. As you can tell, I'm pleased with truck.
I've had minor problems with it. The windshield wiper motor had the same problem that most everyone else has mentioned. It was fixed for free under the recall. The AC is broken and I don't know how to repair them, so I'll have to take it to a mechanic for that. Those are the only two problem worth mentioning though.
I've noticed a lot of people on these forums complaining about things that routinely wear out. I've also replaced a battery, a u-joint, brakes and given the truck a tune up. But I know though that these are normal things to wear out on any car. So what the big deal? If cost too much to have it done, buy a repair manual, like I do, and fix it yourself.
Also, If your head cracked, it because you let the engine overheat. You can't blame Chevrolet for something that you neglected. When my truck started to run hot three months ago, instead of ignoring it I fixed the problem. I replaced the radiator cap for $3, and its been fine every since. That a lot better than paying $1000 for a head job.
3rd Apr 2001, 16:35
I wish I had bought a Daewoo. Probably would have ran better. But then again, what do I know... I'm "stupid".