Comments: 1-15, 16-29
The truck chassis is very noisy and harsh. Squeaks, rattles and scraping sounds and clunking sounds plague this truck.
Interior sound levels are very high. Wind noise, and loose interior parts make this a very loud and unpleasant driving vehicle.
Drive train noise is the worst of the troubles. The 4.3 Vortec engine, in its current state, has become a habitual noise generator. Tappet noise, and built in design defects which causes engine knocking when started warm or cold exist. Balance shaft problems cause engine noise at all speeds.
General Motors has received thousands of complaints on this engine, and has yet to resolve the problem. The noise issues are intermittent, so dealership warranty redemption is very difficult.
GM acknowledges the noise problems.
GM refuses to address them with little more than assurance that "is poses no longevity issues."
That is funny, because I have a 2003 S-10 and I find that the 4.3 L is very quiet for a big 6.
Minor interior rattles, no drivetrain noise at all.
I also have a 2003, and the drive train noise just recently started. I get a loud winding noise that gets louder with my speed. Truck currently has 77K miles on it, until now, I haven't had any problems with the truck. Engine is still pretty quiet. Noise is coming from the rear.
I had a 4.3 liter and it was a great motor, i highly suggest getting one.
I also owned a 4.3 liter motor in a S-10 truck and it was an great motor. The 4.3 motor out lasted the body of the truck. It had well over 200k miles and didn't leak any oil. And used maybe one or two quarts of oil per 4 months. No complaints here. I think you must have got a used lemon.
The 4.3 Vortec V6 in my Blazer is a quiet motor. It runs very smooth. My brother has the same motor in a fullsize Chev Pickup and has over 250K on the motor and it runs excellent. I would recommend the 4.3 Vortec V6.
I have a 2003 S-10 with the 4.3. This engine has been awesome. I pull a 4000lb boat with no problem. I'm not sure where the complaints are coming from??
The 4.3 Vortec engine in my 1988 Astro Van a gasket and cracked the block because antifreeze leaked in at 72,000 miles. I replaced it with a Jasper engine and sold it after 42,000 more miles. The original engine ran OK until the gasket problem.
Rattles, squeaks and noises on a 2003 Chevrolet? Stop your wining, it's a truck! Maybe you should drive a Volkswagen wearing a set of pink ear muffs. Try riding in an older model truck, like a 1947 1.5Ton Chevrolet Dump with an 80Hp 235ci in line six.
The first 15000mi on this truck, before you owned it, could have been where you acquired these problems. Don't complain about a vehicle's problems if previous owners abused or neglected it.
I agree with the "quit whining"...it is a truck. take a corvette, bmw, or mercedes off road and see how many squeeks, rattles or other noises become apparent. I wish everything was built to perfection too, but unfortunatly that's never the case. my s10 has been a great truck all in all with a few minor problems just like any other vehicle will have.
Hey, I'm scared. I have a NEW out of its crate GM Vortec 4.3 crate engine. I just installed it and it sounds like a rod knock. I've looked into a lot of these claims online. I found two possible culprits. One, that these engines were made with WAY too much piston clearance, causing piston slap. I can turn the engine by the front of the motor with a breaker bar and hear it!!! The other possibility is the bad clearances on the balance shaft.
Many claim it goes away in about a minute of every start up. I will try and see. AS FOR THOSE OF YOU who think this is not a problem, WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO YOU!!
That's my two cents, almost THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS LATER!!!
I agree that the 4.3 is a piece of junk! Very noisy and terrible mileage! I had to sue GM to get my truck returned and now I own a Toyota. I will never buy another truck from an American company.
The 4.3 V6 is one of GM's better engines. The longer it exists in the market the more efficient it becomes. Now why they chopped a cylinder off to invent the 3.5 inline 5 is complete mystery to me. A decrease in power and no change in fuel economy was the result.
I just recently bought a 94 s10 with a newer vortec v6 in it. The engine sounded completely sound when I got the truck, But I just recently started having problem after problem, cooling problems, I just had it completely break down... The engine only has 104K miles. And me (a 16 year old) is constantly putting money into it.
I bought a 03 zr5 S10 pick up and it is a huge piece of junk! It is laterally vibrating itself to pieces. It is because of the horrible quality of American built cars that has forced me to buy a Nissan.
GM does not stand behind their products and their warranty coverage is a joke. What is the use of a warranty if GM keeps telling its customers that the "noises" are normal or don’t pose longevity concern so they won’t fix them.
If anyone wants an example of why Asian companies are kicking our butts in the car market and why no one in American wants American cars, just look at the postings on this web site about how poor the quality of American made cars are especially GM products.
I have had my Nissan for 3 years now and not one time have I had to take it back for warranty service.