1999 Chevrolet S10 Engine Problems

IT'S A 99 S-10 V6 / 4.3LITER RARELY DRIVEN, 62,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. NO REAL EVENT LEADING TO THE PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW IT IS LEAKING RADIATOR FLUID FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. I CANNOT SEE WHERE THE LEAK IS DIRECTLY AS IT PICKS AND CHOOSES DAYS TO LEAK AND NOT LEAK. IT HASN'T OVERHEATED OR ANYTHING YET. IT STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL RADIATOR FLUID IN IT FROM WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I KEEP TELLING MY MECHANIC WE NEED TO FLUSH OR JUST CHANGE THE FLUID. FOR OVER 6 MONTHS HE KEEPS SAYING ITS FINE. IT DRIPS ONTO THE SKID PLATE UNDER THE ENGINE AND DRIPS FROM THERE. NEVER A HUGE PUDDLE JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE A 2 FOOT DIAMETER WET SPOT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET. MECHANIC SAYS TO PUT KARS RADIATOR STOP LEAK IN IT. I HAVE A LONG ROAD TRIP COMING UP IN 2 WEEKS AND AFRAID TO TAKE IT OUT OF TOWN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10277231

Incident

Jun 20, 2009

Mileage

63,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET S-10. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THICK RUST DRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLDS WERE RUSTED OUT, AS WELL AS THE WATER PUMP, RADIATOR, AND ALL OF THE HOSES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SERVICED FOR THE FAILURES AND HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,636 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 63,000.

NHTSA ID

10234855

Incident

Sep 18, 2005

Mileage

63,000 mi

TSB #030601024A -- RATTLE NOISE IN ENGINE. *TT (NHTSA ID #10004301, MARCH 01 2004) #6 ROD CAP STRETCHED, CAUSING BEARING TO FAIL. ALSO OTHER BEARINGS BEGAN TO FAIL. POSSIBLY DUE TO COOLANT LEAK FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET OR JUST VERY DEFECTIVE PART - MECHANIC UNSURE THIS OF A VEHICLE THAT IS PROPERLY (SOMETIMES OVERLY) MAINTAINED. HAVE ALL SERVICE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. EVEN MECHANICS COMMENTED ON UPKEEP OF VEHICLE. SERVICE FACILITY REFUSES TO MAKE REPAIRS - TRYING TO FORCE COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH CRANK JOURNALS CAN BE POLISHED, NEW BEARINGS CAN BE PUT IN AND ROD CAN BE REPLACED. BASICALLY THEY AND GM ARE LOOKING FOR A BIG PAYDAY - THEY ARE SADLY MISTAKEN. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, WITH EACH REPAIR BECOMING MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE. I NOW HAVE TO GET RID OF THE TRUCK AND HAVE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP DUE TO THE COSTLY REPAIRS. THE SAD PART ABOUT THIS IS GM DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS / SERVICES, A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR THIS PROBLEM AS IT IS VERY COMMON TO THEIR ENGINE FAMILIES, SIMILAR TO THE PISTON SLAP ISSUE WITH THE TRUCK LS-SERIES OF ENGINES. *JB

NHTSA ID

10184815

Incident

Mar 7, 2007

Mileage

73,960 mi

FOR THE SECOND TIME MY 1999 CHEVY S-10 PICKUP HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE TRANSMISSION SHOP BECAUSE I HAVE LOST SECOND GEAR AND REVERSE. THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR, THE FIRST TIME IT COST ME $1,600.00 TO REPLACE A $44.00 PART BECAUSE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE OVERHAULED. THE TRANSMISSION IN THE CHEVY IS MADE WITH INFERIOR PARTS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED TO HAVE ALL THE GEARS REPLACED. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT WHEEL HUBS AND A MOTOR. THE S1-S OF THIS ERA NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AND THE CONSUMER SHOULD BE PROTECTED!! *NM

NHTSA ID

10165514

Incident

Aug 15, 2006

Mileage

78,000 mi

ENGINE RATTLES DUE TO BALANCE SHAFT BETWEEN 1800 AND 2000 RPMS, REPLACE WITH TIMING TENSIONER KIT. GM HAS A FIX FOR THIS WITH A TSB NUMBER AND ALL, BUT WILL ONLY FIX VEHICLES WITH ORIGINAL 3 YEAR 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. THEY LITERALLY INVENTED A PART TO INSTALL THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY DUE TO OVERWHELMING COMPLAINTS. I WAS UNDER MY GM 5 YEAR 75,000 MILE WARRANTY AND THEY EVEN HAD MY ENGINE APART REBUILDING UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD NOT INSTALL THE NEW TIMING CHAINTENSIONER TO ELIMINATE RATTLE. THE RATTLE INDICATES METEAL ON METAL CONTACT, AND EVENTUAL WEAR. I HAD A WARRANTY, AND THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT. VERY FRUSTRATING. WE ENDED UP BUYING A TOYOTA TACOMA FOR MY WIFE, THUS ENDING ANY FUTURE PURCHASES WITH GM. I STILL HAVE TRUCK, AND MAY PURSUE THIS IN COURT. IT BASICALY AFFECTS EVERY 4.3L EQIPPED GM VEHICLE, SO THEY ONLY PICK AND CHOOSE WHO TO FIX. IT IS HOT OR MISS AT SOME DEALERS ACCORDING TO OTHER OWNERS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10088530

Incident

Sep 1, 2003

Mileage

15,000 mi

THE CONSUMER HEARD A RATTLING NOISE THEN THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE HE WAS BACKING OUT OF HIS DRIVE WAY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10080249

Incident

Jun 30, 2004

Mileage

118,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY STALL. CONSUMER WOULD COAST TO A SAFE AREA, AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES, VEHICLE WOULD START UP LIKE NOTHING EVER WAS WRONG. *AK

NHTSA ID

10046375

Incident

Sep 16, 2003

Mileage

50,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION DID NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. IT FELT AS IF THE GEAR WAS IN NEUTRAL, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT WATER AND TRANSMISSION FLUID CAME OUT OF THE TRANSMISSION BREATHER WHICH CAUSED THE FLUID TO TURN PINK, AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO THE ENGINE STALLED ON OCCASIONS. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID

10009606

DEALER HAS REPLACED FUEL PUMP, 4 CAT CONVERTER SETS, O2 SENSORS, VCM COMPUTER UNDER WARRANTY AND VEHICLE STILL STALLS RANDOMLY. DT

NHTSA ID

768790

Incident

Jun 25, 1999

WHILE DRIVING 30-35 MPH, A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *AK THE ENGINE HAD ALREADY STOPPED AND VEHICLE WAS COASTING WHEN THE FIRE BECAME EVIDENT. THE BRAKES WERE NON-FUNTIONAL, CONSUMER STOPPED THE VEHICLE BY MEANS OF EMERGENCY BRAKE. TRUCK WAS CONSUMED AND TOTALLY ENGULFED IN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. TOTAL LOSS. *SCC

NHTSA ID

8012835

Incident

Jun 17, 2002

VEHICLE CUTS OFF CONSTANTLY, AND NO ONE CAN FIND CAUSE. *AK

NHTSA ID

884030

Incident

Mar 23, 2001

MY OIL LINES HAVE FAILED TWICE. BASED ON AN S-10 MAILING LIST I BELONG TO, FAILURE OF THESE IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. IN FACT, AFTER 1 WEEK OF BUYING THIS TRUCK NEW, I NOTICED THE OIL LINES WERE LEAKING. *AK

NHTSA ID

740984

Incident

Dec 1, 2000

LEFT OUTER DOOR SCRAPES FELL OFF. NLM

NHTSA ID

557943

CONSUMER HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. A/C WIRES BURNED OUT THE CLUTCH FAN. DEALER CLAIMED WIRES WEREN'T WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO BE. COOLING FAN WENT THROUGH THE HOOD. DEALER SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. A MONTH AGO WHEN THE A/C WIRES BURNED OUT, THEY DETECTED IT. DEALER DIDN'T OFFER A LONER VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

872498

Incident

Aug 2, 2000

DEFECTIVE BALANCING SHAFT MAKE A HORRIBLE NOISE WHICH SOUNDS LIKE THE ENGINE IS GOING TO DROP. DEALER DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE "NOISE". PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

864869

Incident

Aug 1, 1999

WHILE TRAVELING AT 30MPH, ENGINE WILL STAY AT MID-IDLE (2500RPM) AND NOT GO DOWN TO 900RPM UNTIL COMPLETELY STOPPED. HAS CAUSED A RUN-A-WAY ENGINE ONCE. *AK

NHTSA ID

723009

Incident

May 15, 1999

THE ENGINE RACES AT 2000 AND 2500 RPM'S IN SLOW TRAFFIC AND PARKING LOTS, IT WILL NOT BEGIN TO REV DOWN UNLESS VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP (TRUCK RUNS AWAY). NLM

NHTSA ID

551620

VEHICLE BEEN EXPERIENCING ONGOING / INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND SOME REPAIRS WERE MADE. BUT DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PROBLEM WILL NOT REOCCUR. SEEKING HELP IN THIS MATTER FROM NHTSA. *AK

NHTSA ID

852972

Incident

Oct 27, 1999

AFTER VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN AND THEN PARKED THE ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER, EVEN WITH ALL THE POWER ON. DEALER CAN'T FIND THE SOLUTION.*AK

NHTSA ID

847401

CHEVROLET CONTENDS PROBLEM DOES NOT EXIST BECAUSE THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE

NHTSA ID

710510

Incident

Jul 16, 1999

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE STALLS AND SOMETIMES CUTS BACK ON. DEALER CAN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

844733

EXHAUST SYSTEMS IS RUBBING A FRAME. IF A HOLE DEVELOPS IN EXHAUST PIPE, CARBON MONOXIDE COULD ENTER CAB AREA.

NHTSA ID

701949

Incident

Jan 4, 1999