Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Chevrolet S10 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 41 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 41, in the owner's own words
STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE HAZARD/BRAKE LIGHT FUSE BLOWING OCCASIONALLY ABOUT 2.5 YR AGO... RECENTLY THE FUSE BLOWS ALMOST AS SOON AS YOU TURN THE VEHICLE ON. BULBS ARE GOOD AND LIGHTS WORK UNTIL THE FUSE BLOWS. I'VE REPLACED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE STEERING COLUMN TWICE IN THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME. THE MOST RECENT TIME HAD NO EFFECT ON THE FUSES BLOWING. *TR
I HAVE REPLACED MY HEADLIGHT SWITCH 3 TIMES NOW, THE 2ND TIME I WOULD DRIVE AND HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLASH HIGH AND LOW LIKE A POLICE CAR, NOW MY DAY TIME HEADLAMPS DO NOT WORK? INCIDENT DATES ARE NOT CORRECT NOT SURE. *NM
DT: ONE OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD SHORTED OUT, AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. EVERYTIME STARTING THE VEHICLE SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE VEHICLE, AND ONE CAN SMELL BURNING PLASTIC. SATURDAY GOT THE OIL CHANGED AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANY PROBLEMS.*AK
WIRING HARNESS FAILURE. CAUSES TRUCK TO SHUT DOWN WHEN MOVING. WILL NOT START. HAD REPAIRED ( RIGGED ) BECAUSE THE COST TO REPLACE THIS IS IN EXCESS OF 400 DOLLARS, NOW IS ACTING UP AGAIN. HAD TO REPLACE FAN CLUTCH AS WELL. *AK
CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING. THEN, VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK
...FOR 3 YEARS CHEVROLET DEALERS TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH ABS. THEN IN 2000, RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE LABELED CAMPAIGN #C99046. ON 03/28/2000 TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP. BILL STATES REPROGRAM PCM FOR NEW ANTILOCK PROGRAM ...CALLED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER TODAY, BECAUSE BRAKES FAILED TODAY THE SAME WAY THEY DID BEFORE REPAIR IN 2000. ...I EXPLAINED THE S10 HAD BEEN BROUGHT INTO DEALERSHIP ON 03/28/2000, AS SOON AS I RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE, AND THAT IT APPEARED REPLACEMENT WAS DEFECTIVE. ...I WAS ADVISED THAT CAMPAIGN ENDED 12/2002. WHEN I REITERATED THAT I HAD WORK DONE WITHIN PARAMETERS OF CAMPAIGN,BUT NOW SAME PROBLEM HAD REOCCURRED, I WAS ADVISED IT DIDN'T MATTER, THE CAMPAIGN ENDED 12/2002. ...WHEN I SARCASTICALLY SAID, SO IF I KILL SOMEONE ON WAY TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW BECAUSE OF ABS FAILURE, YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE? THE RESPONSE WAS: ONLY IF IT HAPPENED BEFORE 12/2002.
TURN SIGNALS MALFUNCTIONED. THE A/C STOPPED WORKING DUE TO A FAULTY EVAPORATOR. THE STABILIZER BAR BROKE ON RIGHT SIDE WHICH CAUSED DRIFT/PULL. ENGINE COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE LEAKED. THE BALL JOINT FOR THE RIGHT-FRONT TIRE GAVE OUT. THE ALTERNATOR HAD TO BE FIXED AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. SPEEDOMETER SEEMED TO BE OFF BY 5 MPH. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK PROPERLY AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A DOWN-POUR. THE DEVICE TO LOWER THE SPARE TIRE HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT
WHILE DRIVING 65MPH VEHICLE STALLED, LOSING POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING. DRIVER TURNED IGNITION OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. DEALER SAID IT NEEDED A NEW CONTROL MODULE. *AK DEALER REPLACED VEHICLE COTNROL MODUDLE AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THAT MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM AND HAD ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (SB66-65-06) TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE CONTROL MODULE. *TT
WHILE TRAVELING IN AN RAINSTOM HEADLIGHTS SHORT OUT WITHOUT ANY INDICATION. CONSUMER TURNED HEADLIGHTS ON/OFF TO RETURN TO NORMAL TRAVEL . DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
DEALER CANNOT FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING JUST SHUT DOWN, THERE WAS A SHORT IN IGNITION .*AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE WHEN VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT. WOULD HAVE NO WARNING A PROBLEM WOULD HAPPEN. CHANGED FUEL BUT PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. HAVE NOT BEEN TO DEALER.*AK
THIS BATTERY HAS FAILED TWICE IN 2 YRS. THE BATTERY TERMINALS PULL OUT LEAKING ACID ON CABLES AND SURROUNDING COMPONENTS AND HAS ALSO CAUSED THE ALTERNATOR TO FAIL. I SAW A NEWS BRIEF IN AN AUTO PUBLICATION THAT YOU HAD BEGAN LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM ON SUBURBANS AND TAHOES. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER GM CARS. I PERSONALLY SEEN THIS HAPPEN ON MANY GM CARS WITH AC-DELCO BATTERIES, I WAS AN EMPLOYEE IN A GM DEALER FOR 21 YEARS. I HAVE CONTACTED GM BUT HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY ASSISTANCE AND THIS HAD HAPPENED OVER 2 MONTHS AGO
FRONT WHEEL BEARING LEAKED FLUID CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR OF THE BRAKE PADS. *MJS
THERE WAS A BATTERY LEAK. FLUID LEAKED ONTO THE WIRING HARNESS COVER AND ATE THROUGH TO SEVERAL WIRES. ALSO, DEFECTIVE BRAKES CAUSED BRAKE PADS TO WEAR OUT AND ROTORS TO CORRODE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
DUE TO A DEFECTIVE FUSE WHICH CONTROLS THE LIGHTING IN THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKES, POWER BECAME INOPERATIVE AND VEHICLE STALLED UNEXPECTEDLY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. REPLACED THE FUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
DIES INTERMITTENTLY ANY SPEED. CRANKS-NO START. STARTS AFTER 5 MIN/OK. *AK
ENGINE SPEED WILL INCREASE FROM IDLE TO 2400 RPM WITHOUT THROTTLE INPUT. THIS CONDITION HAS OCCURRED BOTH WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. WHEN IN MOTION, THIS CONDITION CREATES A SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE ONLY WAY FOR THE DRIVER TO GET ENGINE CONTROL BACK FROM THE COMPUTER (?) IS TO SHUT OFF ENGINE AND RESTART. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM - FOR A YEAR NOW - AND OCCURS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT LIGHT HADN'T COME ON. I HAVE ALSO E-MAILED CHEVROLET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, BUT HAVE RECEIVED NO REPLY OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. ASIDE FROM BEING AN INCONVIENIANCE, THIS PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE SPEED CONTROL IS CONTRIBUTING TO EXCESSIVE BRAKE AND CLUTCH WEAR, AND HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF PUTTING THE VEHICLE OUT OF CONTROL WITH POSSIBLE ASSOCIATED LOSS OF LIFE. PLEASE HELP. I HAVE READ OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER 1996 S-10'S THAT SEEM TO BE RELATED TO A BAD COMPUTER PROGRAM IN THE PCM COMPUTER. CHEVY DON'T SEEM TOO INTERESTED IN HELPING OUT, SO YOU'RE MY LAST HOPE IN GETTING THIS PROBLEM ADDRESSED. THANK-YOU. *AK
ALTERNATOR FAILED. MJS
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STARTER ENGAGING ITSELF WITHOUT ANYONE IN VEHICLE OR KEY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ONE INCIDENT RESULTED IN CRASHING INTO GARAGE DOOR DUE TO FAILURE OF THE STARTER RELAY WHICH WAS SHORTING OUT. MJS
WIRING HARNESS FOR IGNITION GOT BURNT. WAS TOO CLOSE TO MANIFOLD & INSULATION HAD FUSED TOGETHER. WAS REPAIRED. ELECTRICAL PROBLEM HAS SINCE REAPPEARED & VEHCLE HAD CUT OFF. VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. WILL BE TAKING BACK TO DEALER TO CHECK OUT PROBLEM*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
NO SUMMARY
WHILE DRIVING ALONG TRUCK WILL SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ONCE WHEN THIS HAPPENED LUCKY NO ACCIDENT. MOST OF THE TIME IT WILL START BACK UP AFTER YA LET IT SET BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE HAD TO HAVE TRUCK TOWED TO SHOP. THEY ARE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM AND THE SAME DEALER HAS ANOTHER S-10 SAME YEAR SAME MOTOR DOING THE SAME THING.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .