1998 Chevrolet S-10 LS from North America - Comments

Water pump cracked, because the Dex-Cool sludged up, causing insufficient cooling.

Transmission jolts under acceleration.

Interior pieces are coming apart.

Only the passenger side speakers work.

Leaf springs are bent, so the truck squats.

Gas pedal vibrates.

This is my friends truck, so when he first got it, I thought it was pretty nice. But looks are deceiving. It began when I started to truck up. This thing is n-o-i-s-y, and with a 2.2l 4 banger, my wife's 1987 Blazer blew the doors off this thing.

Worst of all, it rides like a Sherman Tank. The truck also has horrible overspray and orange peel in the paint (now I know that's not the trucks fault since it probably had paint work done).

But, I don't know where Chevy went wrong with this one.

The first thing wrong with the truck is the engine. Even Popular Hot Rodding named the G.M. 2.2L four as one of the top 10 worst engines of all time. It is gutless down low and noisy up top. I have the 4.3 V-6 and it has torque to spare. As far as the bits and pieces coming apart, it seems to be a G.M. trademark, hard breakable plastics all throughout the cabin. (although I will say they have come a long way with the new Sierra and Silverado, they can no longer afford to use such horrible interior pieces. Japan and even S. Korea have been light years ahead for a while now.)

I have been around several GM vehicles that have had similar problems with the coolant sludging. No matter how many times they flush the system it comes back within a few weeks. One engine was a 4.3L V-6 and the other was a 350ci Vortech. Both these vehicles were driven extremely hard with no regard to heat and the consequences of extended high RPM running. Both engines suffered from a subsequent crack in the block, allowing enough oil into the coolant lines to turn the DexCool into sludge. Both engines eventually died not to long afterward. I can imagine this may be the cause of the problem in the pathetic 2.2L you have in your truck.

I am the writer of this review, and both of you are right.

I've driven Blazers and S10's with the 4.3 Vortec and I agree, it's a far superior engine. I think the 2.2 is just outdated, and I hope the 4 and 5 cylinder engines in the Colorado and Canyon make up for this anemic 4 cylinder.