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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  looks good but falls apart - 2000 Chevrolet S-10
  By johnson - January 26 - 3:17 pm

  it started out great and offroad capability is great... started to fall apart about a month after having it. had about 7000 dollars in repairs including a new engine, rear end, seals, bearings, water pump, alternator, cooler lines, oil pump lines, O2 sensor, and had a bad moisture problem that leaked water into the passenger floor mats... had lots of problems with the third door... vacuum pump went out twice.. would never get one again and couldnt wait to get rid of it!

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  2001 chevy s-10 2.2 j. motor - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By jessie fritz - November 28 - 2:02 pm

  The ride quality is not very good ,needs more power for such a heavy truck with an automatic 4 banger (120hp isnt enough).even with a 4 cyl. it still gets horrible gas mileage. (15mpg)I like the styling though, wish i had a 4.3 with the zq8 suspension. the ball joints go bad and my door hinge pins need replaced and at 96k miles it already has seal leaks all over the engine. I like the style of truck. A good truck for the money i guess.

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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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  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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  Piece of junk - 1996 Chevrolet S-10
  By ptlytch07 - September 20 - 4:04 pm

  I purchased this truck with about 80,000 miles on it from a private seller. I only kept the vehicle for 6 months because it was constantly having problems. A/C went out, transmission had to be repaired, radiator had to be replaced, etc. Of course, none of the repairs were cheap or simple. I finally got all the bugs out and got rid of it before something else could go wrong. I wouldnt buy another one of these if I had to. I would rather walk! Piece of junk!

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  Many Electrical and Engine Problems - 1997 Chevrolet S-10
  By jack - August 12 - 11:29 am

  I purchased this truck used from a local dealer with around 97,000 miles on it. It has had constant problems with electrical shorts in the wiring bundle. ECM circuit problems including fuel pump and ignition . I will never buy a S-10 again after reading all the comments on numerous sites . Chevy will continue to lose capital if they dont do a better job on quality control. Any one want a 97 s-10 cheap? Looking at Toyota after reading consumer reports.

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  Gas Hog - 2001 Chevrolet S-10
  By Stephen Wilson - January 23 - 3:18 am

  The truck sounds great when it starts up. It has a hard time reaching a good speed without laboring. last time I checked it was getting around 12mpg on highway. When I go up a hill it will slow down quickly and lag behind. The gas pedal is too close to the brake pedal and can be dangerous if not carefull. That was an engineering blunder. The truck looks great, but what good it it to me that way. I wish I had my Toyota Tundra back.

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  Last Chevy Ill Ever Buy - 1998 Chevrolet S-10
  By floridaboy - December 27 - 10:11 pm

  This truck has been in the repair shop continuously since I purchased it. I purchased this truck with 11,000 miles. Two weeks after the warranty ran out, the CD player started sending an error message and would not load CDs. I have had to replace the fuel pump 3 times on this vehicle to the tune of 600 per pump. The pump is in the gas tank and the tank has to be dropped. The pumps themselves cost $300 to $500 depending where you buy it. I have had to replace the starter 4 times. Seriously! Faulty starters chewed up the flywheel. Another $600 repair! I have had to replace the front shocks, front and rear brakes, alternator, rear CV joint, Trans fluid. Avoid S-10s!

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  Toyota here I come - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Caps - December 14 - 1:00 pm

  The S10 in general is lacking in all dept. The engine design for 98-2003 is based on a design from 1986!! If you want a track record, look no further, the engine itself is bullet proof, as it should be, near 20 yrs of constant improvements and they should get it right. However your also getting technology from 1986. GMs vehicles have been inferior for a long time, my loyalty is going to be looking elsewhere. I have 45k on mine and it has been in and out of the shop 6 times, thats about 5 times too many for me. I just wish GM would ante up and bring something comparable to the table in this race of "best vehicles" --- Could be worse I guess, I mean i could be driving a 5-cylinder Colorado

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  4 Wheel Drive Nightmare - 2003 Chevrolet S-10
  By Frustrated - December 11 - 3:05 pm

  We have had this truck 2-1/2 years. The 4 wheel drive module has failed 3 times this year (2005). The first time (January,2005) the replacement was on backorder for several weeks. It was replaced again in September and it just failed during a snowstorm (December 9). We bought the truck to get to work in the winter, but the 4 wheel drive never is available when we need it.