The Lemon IndexChevrolet S-10 reliability.
Is it reliable? It's mixed. Somewhat fewer complaints than the average car.
About average · 2000–2003
What owners say on YouTube
1994–2004 S-10 · 192 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Fixes owners look up most
- Intake, EGR & engine sensors1.1M views
- Fuel pump, filter & tank997K views
- Steering & suspension973K views
Before you buy, watch
Top 5 Problems Chevy S-10 ZR2 Truck 2nd Generation 1994-041A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know · 776K views
Top 5 Problems Chevy S-10 Truck 2nd Generation 1994-20041A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know · 272K views
Chevy S10 2nd Gen Buyers Guide 1994-2004 (Exterior, Interior, Specs, Common Issues)Useful Vids · 235K viewsPraise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Fewest complaints
2003.
Only 4 Chevrolet S-10 years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2003 drew about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Show 6 older years (1994–1999, YouTube reviews only, no complaint data)
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 10 Chevrolet S-10 years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/chevrolet-s-10/" title="Chevrolet S-10 reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="307" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/chevrolet-s-10/">Lemon Index</a> (Chevrolet S-10 reliability by year)</p>Scores before 2010 are rough: fewer owners filed complaints back then.
YouTube rank: we read 197 YouTube videos about the Chevrolet S-10, 1994 to 2004, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 1996. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Chevrolet S-10.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Chevrolet S-10 reliable?
It's mixed. It draws somewhat fewer complaints than the average car, but YouTube owners complain about it more than about most cars its age. Fewest complaints: 2003.
Is the Chevrolet S-10 a good car?
It is about average, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2000-2003: Lemon Index 86; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2003 drew the fewest complaints and 2000 the most.
What are the best Chevrolet S-10 years to buy?
Only 4 Chevrolet S-10 years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2003 drew the fewest complaints (about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car).
What Chevrolet S-10 years should you stay away from?
Only 4 Chevrolet S-10 years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet S-10 have?
24 safety recalls across the 5 model years we track. Most: 2000 (9), 2001 (5), 2003 (4). Each year's page lists them, and every Chevrolet S-10 recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Chevrolet S-10 problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name brakes, transmission & drivetrain and body structure most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 101 | about average | 236 | service brakes, hydraulic (28%) | 9 | — | 16–23 |
| 2001 | 91 | about average | 157 | service brakes, hydraulic (23%) | 5 | — | 14–22 |
| 2002 | 72 | about three-quarters as many complaints as the average car | 111 | body structure (29%) | 3 | — | 14–22 |
| 2003 | 67 | about two-thirds as many complaints as the average car | 75 | transmission & drivetrain (20%) | 4 | — | 14–22 |
| 2004 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 9 | service brakes, hydraulic (44%) | 3 | — | 15 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: goodcarbadcar.net. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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