1997 Chevrolet S10 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
574 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1997 Chevrolet S10, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 43/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 87,500 miles.
Below average
Where 1997 sits among all S10 years
What owners report
“Windshield wipers sometimes stay on and sometimes they will not come on. When they stay on they intermittently work. Mr”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 S10
“Brakes failed resulting in accident, recall notice on brake system after incident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 S10
“Weak springs used in the clutch assembly causing noise and eventual failure. Transmission also jumps out of 3rd gear when vehicle hits a bump or crosses a railroad track.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 S10
“No deployment of air bag when consumer hit a horse. Consumer experienced alot of pain and with bruising. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 S10
“There are 8 safety recalls on the chevy s10.1997.the companys state my vehicle is not on the list of these recalls.but my vehicles has all of these defects.and ive been very lucky i have not been in an accident yet due to these issues.ive been very lucky.but peoples luck always runs out.i cant…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 S10
“Engine experiences a chattering/tapping noise. Dealer replaced engine valve guide seals. However, engine continued to be noisy.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 S10
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 132 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 82,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 49,773 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
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.
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.
ON CERTAIN MINIVANS, PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITH CERTAIN MODEL-ENGINE COMBINATIONS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DUE TO CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE CONTROLLER CIRCUIT BOARD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY OR NOT AT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER MOTOR CIRCUIT BOARD AND COVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 19, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ELECTRIC PICKUP TRUCKS. A CONDITION IN WHICH THE FUEL-FIRED HEATER FILL PIPE GROUND STRAP CONTACTS THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE PIPE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL RELOCATE THE GROUND STRAP ATTACHMENT, INSPECT THE BRAKE PIPE FOR WEAR, AND REPLACE THE BRAKE PIPE IF NECESSARY.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: GENERATION 1 ELECTRIC LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A CHARGE PORT ASSEMBLY THAT COULD FAIL DURING A CHARGING EVENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CHARGE PORT ASSEMBLY WITH A REDESIGNED CHARGE PORT ASSEMBLY.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRIC DRIVE. RAPID FOGGING OF THE INTERIOR GLASS CAN OCCUR WITHIN TWO MINUTES AFTER THE HEAT IS TURNED ON IF (1) THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS BETWEEN 35 AND 76 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND (2) WATER HAS…
Fix: OWNERS ARE BEING PROVIDED WITH A CAUTION LABEL AND SUPPLEMENTAL INSERT FOR THEIR OWNER'S MANUAL ADVISING THEM TO FOLLOW A "STOP AND WAIT" PROCEDURE TO HELP AVOID WINDOW FOGGING WHILE DRIVING.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PASSENGER PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 4.3L ENGINES. THE FRONT BRAKE LINE CAN CONTACT THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE ENGINE OIL PAN CAUSING THE BRAKE LINE TO WEAR TO THE POINT OF BRAKE FLUID LOSS DURING BRAKE APPLICATION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE OIL PAN AND THE BRAKE LINE. IF THE CLEARANCE IS 6MM OR LESS, DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL BRAKE LINE CLIP AND IF THERE WAS CONTACT BETWEEN THE…
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.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 97V096001.
Led to recall campaign 99I006000.
Technical service bulletins
63 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 1997 Chevrolet S10. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1997 Chevrolet S10 reliable?
The 1997 Chevrolet S10 drew 574 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 43/100, scored against the model's worst year (1995).
What are the most common 1997 Chevrolet S10 problems?
The top reported problems for the 1997 Chevrolet S10 are visibility & wipers (118 complaints), brakes & stability (116), and transmission & drivetrain (55).
At what mileage do 1997 Chevrolet S10 problems show up?
Owners most often report 1997 Chevrolet S10 problems around 82,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 49,773 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 1997 Chevrolet S10 have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 1997 Chevrolet S10. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
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.