1995 Chevrolet S10 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

1,151 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1995 Chevrolet S10, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 6 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports.

Avoid this year if you can. The 1995 Chevrolet S10 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1992, 2002–2004.

1,151Complaints
100/100Trouble index
8Recalls
122,000Typical trouble mileage

Avoid

Where 1995 sits among all S10 years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Brakes & stability 365 complaints (32%)
“Anti lock brakes activate, too often and in any situation (small bumps, manhole covers, wet ground.)”— owner report to NHTSA, 1995 S10
Visibility & wipers 215 complaints (19%)
“Windshield wiper failure, recall on component however vehicle denied due to vin #. Mjs”— owner report to NHTSA, 1995 S10
Airbags 120 complaints (10%)
“Involved in frontal collision at 30mph and the airbag did not deploy. Please describe. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1995 S10
Engine 91 complaints (8%)
“Vehicle engine noise while driving the vehicle, dealer said it was normal operating noise. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1995 S10
Transmission & drivetrain 54 complaints (5%)
“Transmission failure, 30-50% loss of power when the fan clutch engages, equipped with automatic transmission with a v6 engine. Tt”— owner report to NHTSA, 1995 S10
Other 48 complaints (4%)
“The cable of the spare tire hoist parted and the spare tire fell from the vehicle. Other vehicles following me had to swerve to avoid the spare rolling down the street.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1995 S10

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 32 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 122,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 88,000 and 170,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (8)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 09E025000 2009

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…

Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER 07E021000 2007

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN…

Fix: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 99V193000 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN 4-WHEEL DRIVE PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ABS (ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM) MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 1989 THROUGH AUGUST 1996. UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS THE SWITCH WHICH SIGNALS THE ABS SYSTEM…

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE OR REPAIR THE 4-WHEEL/2-WHEEL DRIVE SWITCH.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 99I006000 1999

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, OR MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH 3-SENSOR ABS…

Fix: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE COMPUTER PROGRAM WHICH OPERATES THE ABS UNIT ON SOME VEHICLES, OR REPLACE THE COMPUTER ON OTHERS TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ABS ON THESE SURFACES.

VISIBILITY 98V150001 1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, 2 AND 4-WHEEL DRIVE. SOLDER JOINTS NEAR THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR CAN CRACK CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY.

Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER.

SEAT BELTS 97V096001 1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 60/40 FRONT BENCH SEATS AND EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCKS AND 2-DOOR UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL LOCKING RECLINER BUCKET SEATS. THE OUTBOARD SAFETY BELT WEBBING ON THE DRIVER'S AND/OR…

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE RECLINER MECHANISM.

STEERING 96V195000 1996

THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT LOOSENS AT THE STEERING SHAFT TO STEERING GEAR COUPLING. WITH THIS LOOSENESS, THE YOKE PINCH BOLT CAN WEAR ON THE SPLINES OF THE SHAFT UNTIL THERE IS NO LONGER AN INTERFERENCE BETWEEN THE SPLINES AND THE BOLT.

Fix: DEALERS WILL RETORQUE THE UPPER AND LOWER BOLTS TO CORRECT SPECIFICATIONS.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 95V180000 1995

FAN BLADE RIVET BREAKAGE CAN OCCUR CAUSING THE FAN BLADE TO SEPARATE FROM THE SPIDER.

Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE FAN WITH A NEWER FAN HAVING THICKER-HEADED RIVETS.

Federal defect investigations

LOSS OF POWER ASSIST EA00008 opened 2000, closed 2001
SPARE TIRE SEPARATION FROM VEHICLE EA99018 opened 1999, closed 2000
SEPARATION OF SPARE TIRE FROM VEHICLE PE99004 opened 1999, closed 1999
WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE EA97022 opened 1997, closed 1998

Led to recall campaign 98V150001.

WINDSHIELD WIPER PE97028 opened 1997, closed 1997
ABS BRAKING SYSTEM EA94038 opened 1994, closed 2000

Led to recall campaign 99I006000.

Technical service bulletins

21 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and brakes & stability — are on file for the 1995 Chevrolet S10. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 1995 S10 TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

1995peak 223 in 19992019

Questions buyers ask

Is the 1995 Chevrolet S10 reliable?

The 1995 Chevrolet S10 drew 1,151 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (1995).

What are the most common 1995 Chevrolet S10 problems?

The top reported problems for the 1995 Chevrolet S10 are brakes & stability (365 complaints), visibility & wipers (215), and airbags (120).

At what mileage do 1995 Chevrolet S10 problems show up?

Owners most often report 1995 Chevrolet S10 problems around 122,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 88,000 and 170,000 miles.

Does the 1995 Chevrolet S10 have recalls?

8 recall campaigns apply to the 1995 Chevrolet S10. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.