Overview & Reviews

Introduced as a response to the success of Japanese pickups at the start of the 1980s, the Chevrolet S-10 quickly became a prime competitor in the compact pickup truck segment. Affordable and highly configurable, it was an everyman's truck, meeting the needs of anyone who didn't need the towing and payload capacities of a full-size pickup.

During the S-10's 23-year lifespan, there were two generations. Most used-vehicle shoppers will be looking at the second generation. Alas, we were never particularly impressed with this S-10, finding it to be inferior to competing small trucks from Dodge, Ford, Nissan and Toyota.

Most Recent Chevrolet S-10

The second-generation Chevrolet S-10 was produced from 1994-2004. It was offered in regular, extended and (later on) crew cab bodies with short and long beds. The Sportside bed arrived in 1996 along with the optional three-door access cab. The ZR2 package was available on regular-cab short-bed models (it was available with the extended cab in 1995), as was an SS package that included a high-output V6, sport suspension and alloy wheels.

The boulder-crawling ZR2 package added some machismo to the S-10 that the regular and LS versions lacked. ZR2 S-10s featured larger off-road tires, tougher suspension components and standard four-wheel drive.

The S-10 extended cab model was offered with a third-door access panel on the driver side that aided loading cargo, pets or an unfortunate passenger into the rear compartment with its fold-down jump seat. This third door tended to rattle on broken pavement, though.

The 1994-'97 S-10 featured a standard 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine on rear-wheel-drive models that made 118 horsepower. Optional with 2WD and standard with 4WD was a 165-hp 4.3-liter V6. The high-output V6 put out 195 hp. These V6s were upgraded in 1996 to provide more horsepower and torque. Transmission choices included a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

Safety was never a point worthy of applause for the Chevrolet S-10, and the early years of this generation were light on safety equipment. Rear antilock brakes were standard, but four-wheel ABS was optional on four-cylinder models and standard with the V6. (All S-10s had four-wheel ABS after 1996.) A driver airbag became available in 1995, but there was no passenger protection until the 1998 update. For this reason, and the shabby interior, we'd steer clear of these early second-generation S-10s.

This S-10 underwent a midlife freshening for '98 that saw more aggressive front styling and an improved interior with dual airbags. The S-10 Xtreme that debuted in 1999 was the street-oriented counterpart to the ZR2. It was offered only in rear-wheel drive with a 2-inch-lower ride height. It also added a body-color grille and bumpers, full ground effects with wheel flares, the sport suspension and 16-inch aluminum wheels. The only other major change for this S-10's run was 2001's new four-door crew cab model with five-passenger capacity.

The Chevy S-10 was loaded with value and versatility for the compact pickup truck buyer, but we were never thrilled with it. The revised interior featured good ergonomics, but the materials were low rent, and the driver sat low, facing a tall steering wheel and dash. The S-10's tendency to squeak and rattle didn't provide the feeling of brawny quality we'd like from a pickup. Nor did lousy crash test scores provide the feeling of invincibility one expects from a pickup. In a comparison test we conducted for 2001, the S-10 finished fifth out of five trucks. Production soldiered on until 2004, at which point Chevy replaced the S-10 with the all-new Colorado.

Previous Chevrolet S-10 Models

The original Chevy S-10 was built from 1982-'93. This S-10 was also available in extended and regular cab styles, with the latter available in two wheelbases. It, too, was available with four- and six-cylinder engines, although the 2.5-liter four-banger made only 105 horsepower.

User Reviews:

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  Small is better - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By Joe - August 27 - 10:29 am

  I like the my S-10 for its performance, road handling and driving comfort.

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  what was I thinking - 2002 Chevrolet S-10
  By stang fan - August 18 - 2:39 pm

  I have 107,000 and I work at a chevy dealer ant the people there say its just broken in. I have had the truck for a little over 2 years and i have put over $2500-$3000 into fixing it and another $1200 to do yet. it gets the same gas milege as a fullsize truck I barely get 20 mpg on the highway for long trips. I cant wait to trade it in, I will never buy another GM product again, this isnt my first bad experience with GM. GO FORD

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  Reliability and Miles - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By James B - August 3 - 2:54 am

  I have not had one single major problem with this truck. I absolutly love this truck. When I first bought the truck my freinds said, "The transmission is gonna break down first. 225,000 miles later and still no problem. This is a very well built truck. Truly the heartbeat of my needs and Chevy is truly The Heartbeat of America.

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  Great Truck - 1994 Chevrolet S-10
  By p8md - July 25 - 8:10 am

  Overall this truck has been great! I drive 50 miles a day and have had no major problems. The 4.3L is peppy and gets 22 MPG on highway (not bad for a 6 cylinder). I have 175,000 miles on this truck, it does not burn or leak oil, and have had no problems except routine maintenence.

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  Good companion, but not made well enough - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By Jumperus - July 1 - 3:17 am

  Purchased this truck in 1998 and I inherited it in 2000 as my only vehicle and daily driver. It has run fairly well and performed as I needed, but my experiences have been similar to others. Seat handle broken (by a thief who smashed the window, however), front grille plastic has cracked and had to be safety wired back together. Alternator replaced, battery replaced, hole in the radiator, water pump replaced, A/C compressor leak, some intermittent starting issues, oil and transmission pan seepage. For a 9 year old inexpensive truck, its performed adequately. Little power, but nimble enough in my hands. Good beater, decent to drive, but not made very well.

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  Why Chevy lost me as a customer - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By Pete792 - June 21 - 5:11 pm

  I bought a 97 S-10 brand new, at the end of 96. It was a great looking truck, and appeared to be a decent vehicle when I test drove it. Little did I know what a lemon this piece of junk would turn out to be! Until I bought this truck I was a Chevy fan. But it didnt take long before I felt like they had taken advantage of me. I read many of the reviews, and was amazed I had identical problems with my S-10. Like the rear view mirror falling off, and the gas gauge breaking after about 3 years, and the A/C problems. Not to mention the engine repeatedly over heating and eventually burning up and had to be replaced. Pieces continue to fall off and things break regularly. Avoid this lemon!

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  Great little truck - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Mike - June 17 - 5:38 pm

  Got truck for my daughter last year. She need transportation to work. It still looks new. Only had to replace the battery the other day. That was normal and good for 4 years. I put a top on it and it work well for shopping. No leaks.

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  Dependable - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Virginian - May 23 - 12:11 pm

  Bought the truck with 5K miles on it from a young couple having their first baby. I have almost 140K on it and it has been the most depenable daily driver I have owned. I knew about the potential ball joint problems and had grease inserts put in. I replaced the shocks at 50K,not because they were bad. Light trucks tend to fish tail over gravel and wash boards and I wanted better stability. I had the rotors turned and new pads put on at 75K, and the lower balls joints replaced at 135K. At 104K I changed the plugs, plug wires, flushed the radiator, replaced the lube in the transmission and rear end. Other than normal maintenance nothing else has failed. Oh, I replaced the battery.

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  Looks cool, but thats about it. - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By Scott - May 21 - 10:07 am

  This is a cool looking truck because of the big tires and how high it sits. However, I have had this car for about a year and have spent over $5,000 in repairs. The whole front end needed to be replaced, body fell apart rapidly, and truck makes all kinds of funny noises. Truck look very nice when it was purchased, now I am almost embarressed to drive it.

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  2003 S-10 LS 2 dr - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By bdjr-s10 - May 21 - 4:15 am

  Bought brand new in June 2003, excellent value at time of purchase. Initially was a temporary replacement for my daily driver that needed transmission repair and planned to sell after 2 years of use but was extremely satisfied with overall performance, average 24-25 mpg and cheap maintenance. No breakdowns in 4 years, 50k miles that I held off selling and may just keep until another great deal comes along.