18th Mar 2011, 17:46
2003 S10 ZR2, Purchased new Sept. 2003. The first year it developed an oil leak in front of the engine. Dealer had to pick it up. Found out it was some gasket/seal.?. I drive a company van for work; the S10 now has 24,000 miles (3/2011).
I drive it on weekends, exploring the local mountains and prospecting, believe me it's seen some off roading. And about 3 years ago. I went on a 4000 mile journey from AZ to Missouri, in a roundabout way, and had no problems with it.
The only repair was the 3rd door handle. The mechanism in the door stiffens up causing this, even though it's plastic and cheaply made. I lubed the top and bottom, replaced the handle, then it works fine. But I now push on the 3rd door before pulling the handle.
All I wonder now is, in the near future, will I be replacing ball joints, ETC... I'm sorry about others that support anything else but GM.. I guess I've always been lucky and not got a lemon. It happens. Happy 4 wheeling with your S10 ZR2.
14th Jul 2011, 21:03
It's a fake, the 2003 model year was the last for the ZR2 S-10. Sorry buddy, you've been punked.
3rd Dec 2011, 20:56
To stop the 3rd door lever from breaking, just lubricate the linkage. I just did mine, and it works better now.
4th Dec 2011, 18:14
Wow, I have the same problem, and yeah I don't like it much either.
The fender flares are shoddy.
My dash makes the same noise you talked about.
I replaced my idler and pitman arm last year. They are bad within a year.
The handle for the seat recline is broke (pot metal studs).
Chevy should have not got away with selling these trucks, they are terrible. As soon as I fix mine up, I'm trading it for a Silverado.
6th Dec 2011, 13:16
Wrong... 2005 was the last year for the ZR2. It was first offered in 2WD in '04.
8th Jan 2012, 02:56
I have an 03 S10 ZR2. I love the truck. No seat issues, 4x4 issues, ball joint issues, none of that...
I've replaced the third door handle for the 4th time now. I had to replace the upper 3rd door latch this time also.
I get 14.5 highway. I got 17 mpg on the highway once, but I had a tail wind for about 200 miles LOL.
The rivets that hold the window latch on the 3rd door rattled loose and reamed the holes out. That was not fun to fix.
The blender door for the heat had stuck, so I had no heat. That was an easy fix, and I have been told that it is common for the S10's.
Other than the issues I've had, I can't complain. I love this truck, it just turned over 120000 miles, and I can't wait for the next 120000 miles.
8th Jan 2012, 10:10
Wait, you hate this truck and claim Chevy should not have gotten away with selling it, but your next vehicle is... another Chevy?!? Well, no wonder they keep producing these junk piles, when people keep coming back for more, even after they've been burned.
9th Jan 2012, 20:40
Well even people like yourself that have a harsh attitude towards GM, should know that a Silverado is a HUGE step above the S-10 as far as reliability and build quality.
By the way, I had an S-10 that had 130,000 plus miles on it before I sold it 5 years ago, and it is still on the road today.
8th Dec 2012, 16:37
A solid "aircraft rated" aluminum third door handle for the S-10 Extended cab can now be purchased on E-bay. I think it's around $30.00 and it's easy to install. It's the only way to go, as the plastic ones don't last long.
17th May 2014, 05:14
31" tires? Is that way over stock size tires? Some tires will pull codes. Reset the code a couple of times and see if it stops the brake code. Good luck. Don't trust anyone that has his hand out!
23rd Nov 2010, 20:21
2002 ZR2 4x4 S10-extend cab LS Pickup I bought brand new. Being in the military and deployed a lot, I only have 34K miles on it now Nov 2010.
1) First problem I had was the driver's seat recline lever (plastic) stripped and would not operate. It was fixed under warranty, but in three months broke again.
2) Then the BF Goodrich tire separation happened. It is clearly a defective tire. It happened just prior to the 6 year warranty Dec 2007 just as I was leaving for overseas. I found out that the tire warranty company went out of business at three months after purchase, but no one told me. The dealer would not honor the replacement costs, nor BF Goodrich. So I paid for the $250 tire.
3) Then Sept 2009 @ 30K the 3rd door (made of hard plastic) handle broke and I could not open the door.
4).. and Sept 2009 the thermostat went... brought it to another Chevy dealership to a tune of over $550 for fixing the T-stat, 3rd door and recliner mechanism...
5) Aug 2010 noticed the truck over heating with the AC on...
Recently got home and brought the truck to the dealer I purchased it... on Tuesday, I asked for a Friday appointment... sorry, we are really heavy that day, can you bring it in next Monday, we have Mon, Tues, Wed completely open... took Mon @ 10 am and show up at 930 Mon, and oh sorry we are booked solid, can you bring it in on Wed... yeah, I am angry after making an appointment and driving 40 miles!
6) The transmission slipped while driving like it was in neutral just yesterday... so that is a bad sign...
7) Also the bottom of the truck is rusting everywhere, muffler bracket, shocks, control arms, etc... not good!
8) I just put new rear brakes and rotors on already at 32K.
I really like the look of the truck, and it pretty much has been good, but I have such low miles, it should not be having any of these problems... BTW, I used to work as a cert Master tech. mechanic... I know cars and what I am talking about, and can fix it all if I had the time...
I have always been a Chevy man, and to prove it, I currently own 3 early Camaro's and 2 Pontiac's, and I have owned a 69 Nova, 69 Chevelle, 70 Caprice, 72 Vega wagon, 66 Bel-air, and more, but Chevy does not make cars like that anymore... I find this very sad for America... so now I am thinking of selling the ZR2 and buying a FORD or Toyota... I hope this helps someone.