1997 Chevrolet S10 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other S10 years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 469 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Chevrolet S10. That ranks 5th out of 14 S10 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (113 complaints, 24%), typically at around 84,250 miles. Complaints mention 63 crashes, 8 fires, 38 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 469owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 63complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Chevrolet S10 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility problems | 113 | 24% | 84,250 | “windshield wipers” (75%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 95 | 20% | 89,000 | “stopping distance” (15%) | — |
| Power Train | 49 | 10% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 47 | 10% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 40 | 9% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 26 | 6% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 4% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 20 | 4% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 20 | 4% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 4% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 13 | 3% | 120,850 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 11 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 2% | 113,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 2% | 136,753 | — | — |
| Equipment | 8 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 1% | 124,586 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 1% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 1% | 41,890 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 1% | 64,950 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 1% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 83,213 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 0% | 168,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 82,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Chevrolet S10 recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer
Problem: 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 all.
Risk: If this were to occur during bad weather, driver visibility would be reduced, which could result in a crash.
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 do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, gmc at 1-800-462-8782, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Vehicle description: electric pickup trucks. A condition in which the fuel-fired heater fill pipe ground strap contacts the rear passenger side brake pipe.
Risk: This could wear off the corrosion protection on the brake pipe, leading to premature corrosion and eventual loss of brake pipe integrity. When brake pipe integrity is lost, brake fluid leakage can occur.
Fix: Dealers will relocate the ground strap attachment, inspect the brake pipe for wear, and replace the brake pipe if necessary.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery
Problem: 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.
Risk: Heat could build up within the charge port and a fire could result.
Fix: Dealers will replace the charge port assembly with a redesigned charge port assembly.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system
Problem: 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 collected on the heat exchanger during previous operation of the air conditioning.
Risk: If rapid fogging were to occur during driving, it could obstruct the driver's vision increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: 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.
Risk: Brake fluid loss can reduce braking effectiveness and increase stopping distances resulting in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
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 oil pan and brake line, the front brake line will be replaced.
Seat belts
Problem: 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 passenger's seat can separate during a frontal impact.
Risk: If a separation occurred and there were secondary crash events or vehicle rollover, there would be no belt restraint of the occupant and increased injuries could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a protective cover over the recliner mechanism.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Driver's seat belt buckle assembly (RQ04002) — opened Feb 18, 2004, closed May 27, 2004.
- Seat belt webbing separation (EA97004) — opened Feb 28, 1997, closed Aug 5, 1997, led to recall 97V096001.
- Seat belt webbing separation (PE96061) — opened Oct 25, 1996, closed Feb 28, 1997.
- Abs braking system (EA94038) — opened Oct 31, 1994, closed Feb 28, 2000, led to recall 99I006000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet s10. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a flat tire. The contact was unable to release the spare tire from underneath the vehicle. The contact indicated that the spare tire hoist assembly retainer had malfunctioned. The cause of the failure was not…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet s10. When the contact started the vehicle, the windshield wipers activated intermittently. The failure occurred in rainy weather, which caused a reduction in visibility. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 03v159000 (visibility). The vehicle was…
The windshield wipers operate sporadically when turned on. Some times when you turn them on, they will operate normally and other times they will not turn on at all. The vehicle make and model were included in a recall but my vin was not included in the recall. The problem can occur when the…
When slowing down to enter the garage, the engine accelerates when applying the brakes. Letting off of the brakes and reapplying them and pushing harder has eased the issue somewhat. It does this very frequently. *tr
Occasionally about 5 or 6 times and counting when initially applying the brake at either 45mph or 10 mph my 1997 chevy s10 vehicle starts to accelerate with my foot off the gas and cruise control off at what appeared to be full speed/throttle. My first reaction was to brake even harder, but then…
Other Chevrolet S10 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 S10 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 S10 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 S10 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006 S10 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 S10 | 21 | 1 |
| 2003 S10 | 178 | 1 |
| 2002 S10 | 214 | 0 |
| 2001 S10 | 308 | 1 |
| 2000 S10 | 471 | 4 |
| 1999 S10 | 231 | 0 |
| 1998 S10 | 613 | 6 |
| 1997 | 469 | 6 |
| 1996 S10 | 668 | 7 |
| 1995 S10 | 911 | 5 |
See all Chevrolet S10 problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Chevrolet S10?
Owners most often report visibility, service brakes, hydraulic, power train problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 113 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet S10?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Chevrolet S10 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other S10 model years, the 1997 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.