1990 GMC S-15 Sierra Classic review from North America
"Small pickup truck, big expensive problems"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The seat belts stopped restraining properly at 90,000 miles.
The heater core stopped working and leaked antifreeze all over the passengers side floor at 95,000 miles.
Piston rings started burning up at approximately 96,000 miles.
Carrier bearing eroded away at around 100,000 miles. This made a tremendous thumping sound, shook the whole vehicle, and made some passengers "seasick".
Front and rear universals in awful shape, also needing to be replaced at 100,000 miles.
The water pump stopped working at 120,000 miles.
The oil started leaking, also at around 120,000 miles.
The starter went out at 125,000 miles.
Transmission seal needed to be replaced at around 130,000 miles.
The frame split between the cab and the bed at 135,000 miles.
The doors never shut completely, even though everything was in place. Rainy days were spent with garbage bags on the front seat.
Sometimes, when I closed the door, it would lock automatically. There are no power locks in this truck, by the way.
The air conditioner was dead when I bought the car, and I was told it just needed to be recharged. That didn't work either. The A/C was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The antifreeze leaking was so excessive, that the floorboards started to rot, and the carpeting started to mildew. No amount of vacuuming prevented or fixed this, and it certainly didn't rid my truck of the awful smell.
Stock tires are very hard to find, and usually need to be ordered. It is, however, safe to go one size up. (These tires are almost always in stock, and fit like a glove.)
Rear wheel drive. NOT good for the winter, with or WITHOUT sandbags.
No airbags, no anti-lock brake system (ABS), or any other measures to prevent personal injury.
The crew cab seats in the back are very uncomfortable for people over 4 feet tall.
The doors need to be locked before you start driving, because they will fly open at approximately 25-30 mph.
General comments?
This truck has a TOUGH body, that is resistant to rust. The rusting was very minimal, and the body is still absolutely GORGEOUS.
This truck has been in two accidents. The first, it shaved the whole side of a brand new forest green Expresso caravan clean off. There is only one small dent on the truck from that, and that's on the fender. Barely visible, but the van was TOTALED. Tough truck.
In the second accident, the truck was rear-ended, with the assailant slamming into my tailgate at almost 50 mph. I suffered minor injuries, because the truck has NO airbags, ABS, or preventative measures to injury. But the truck only suffered a severely dented tailgate, that won't close all the way anymore, but is a small price to pay for somebody else's ignorance. The damage could have been WAY more significant if the truck wasn't as tough as it is.
The truck has two fold down, crew cab style seats in the back. These are very inconvenient when all of your passengers are grown, but are an excellent size for your little ones.
The 1990 GMC S15 is an excellent size for those learning how to drive. You can see over everything, because it is only a small pickup truck, and fits perfectly against the curb when parallel parking.
Rear wheel drive is very convenient when making tight turns.
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| 1989 - S-15 S15 Sierra classic 4.3 TBI V6 One heck of a truck "GMC we are professional grade" |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1990 |
| Year of manufacture | 1989 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.3 Liter/Fuel Injection Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 89000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 148000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 23rd September, 2004 |