2003 Chevrolet S10 Engine Problems

2003 Chevy S10 has been maintained and taking care of. Brakes in rear were sticking due to factory defective ABS control module. Rear wheel bearing gave out and started leaking axle fluid cause of a sticking drivers side brake from ABS control module malfunctioning. After much cost of replacing calipers and brake pads the culprit from a defectively ABS control module making the brake caliper stick to the rotor.. Next the coolant leaks from the intake manifold gasket and now the heater core leaks… this truck has only 146k miles on it and I always taking care of it keeping up before it’s schedule maintenance. But what I see is poor defective parts from GM. SO I have to make sure I get this work done and keep the coolant filled or there be a motor issue from overheating. This is a SAFETY concern and if the heater core leaks then breathing the toxic coolants isn’t safe at all when the AC is on or no heat in winter!. Now GM discontinued making the S10 in North America but redesigned a front wheel drive diesel version in South America.

NHTSA ID

11430001

Incident

Aug 21, 2021

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET S10. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT OBSERVED AN UNKNOWN FLUID LEAKING UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO OBSERVED CORROSION AROUND THE HEATING COIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. UPDATED 02/23/16*LJ THE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND LEAKS IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND HEAD GASKETS. AN INSPECTION REVEALED, THE GASKET WAS COMING APART AND WAS CORRODED. THE HEATER COIL WAS CORRODED AND LEAKING. UPDATED 03/03/16.*JB

NHTSA ID

10806220

Incident

Sep 9, 2014

Mileage

130,000 mi

WHEN TRYING TO USE THE WIPERS THE SWITCH REFUSES TO OPERATE CORRECTLY. BEEN REPLACED TWICE ( THIS HAPPENS UNDER ALL THREE SWITCHES). WHEN YOU TURN IT ON IT WILL NOT RESPOND AND DOES NOT WIPE. WHEN YOU USE THE SINGLE WIPE WILL WIPE CONTINUAL AND NOT SHUT OFF AT TIMES. SOME TIMES WHEN YOU USE THE FLUID WILL NOT TURN OFF UNLESS YOU TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. WHEN IN THE FIRST TWO NOTCHES FOR WIPING WILL START TO WIPE AND STOP ABOUT 1/4 OF THE WAY UP THE WINDSHIELD. IN HIGH POSITION OPERATES AS IF NORMAL, MUST SET IT ABOVE HIGH TO GET IT TO OPERATE IN HIGH. SOMETIMES IT ONLY OPERATES AT ONE SPEED NO MATTER THE POSITION EXCEPT WHEN IN HIGH MODE. MANY TIMES WILL NOT TURN ON WHEN YOU TURN IT ON AND WHEN YOU TURN IT OFF WILL NOT TURN OF IF WORKING. THIS IS THE THIRD SWITCH THAT HAS DONE THIS TO ME. ? IS THERE A RECALL ON GM SWITCHES AS I CAN FIND NONE AND MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED SAME RESULTS ON OTHER GM VEHICLES OR HEARD OF IT OCCURRING UPDATE 9/15/15*CW THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE WIPER CONTROL MODULE FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED AND THERE WERE NO MORE PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE FAILED, PREVIOUSLY. UPDATED 10/13/15*JB

NHTSA ID

10743643

Incident

Oct 15, 2014

Mileage

122,250 mi

ENGINE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET IS LEAKING COOLANT. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR IS NEEDED, COSTING MORE THAN $500. I HAVE DRIVEN THIS VEHICLE VERY GENTLY AND ALWAYS MAINTAINED IT, REPLACING THE ENGINE OIL WHEN NEEDED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10694216

Incident

Feb 2, 2015

Mileage

110,067 mi

2003 CHEVROLET S10. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ELECTRICAL ISSUES.* LD THE CONSUMER STATED THEN THE ENGINE HOT, AND HE CAME TO A STOP, THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DROPPED BELOW NORMAL. *JB

NHTSA ID

10650181

Incident

Oct 1, 2014

I WAS PARKED IDLING WHEN THE ENGINE WENT OUT. COOLED DOWN AND STARTED. GOT ON 10 AT 60 MPH AND THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE SPEED DROPPED INSTANTLY TO ABOUT 30 MPH. TWICE ON THE WAY HOME DID THE SAME, THEN CONKED OUT. TRIED TO DRIVE TO SHOP AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THEY REPLACED THE CAM SENSOR AND ACTS MOSTLY OKAY. BUT EVERY SO OFTEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND THE SPEED DROPS DRAMATICALLY THEN RECURS. THERE IS NOT A CODE BEING PUT IN THE SYSTEM TELLING THEM THE ISSUE WHY BUT THERE WAS A CODE ONE ABS SENSOR IS TURNING ON. IT IS LIKE THE ABS IS ENGAGING WITHOUT ME HITTING THE BRAKES AND THEN CUTTING OFF. AGAIN THIS ONLY HAPPENS SPORADICALLY WILL BE TAKING IT INTO THE DEALER ASAP. NOTE AGAIN NO INDICATOR THE CAM SENSOR WAS BAD OR ANYTHING ELSE. UPDATED 08-20-14 *BF THE DEALER STATED THERE WAS A CODE IN THE SYSTEM, FOR THE SPEED SENSOR, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO CLEAR IT. UPDATED 09/15/14 UPDATED 08/28/2017*CT

NHTSA ID

10621077

Incident

Aug 4, 2014

Mileage

104,550 mi

2003 CHEVROLET S10 PICK-UP. MANY RECALLS FOR REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET WHICH GM WILL NOT COVER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10375450

Incident

Jan 7, 2011

Mileage

112,000 mi

AT APPROXIMATELY 83,456 MILES THE HEATER CORE BROKE. I FIRST NOTICED SMELL ETHYLENE GLYCOL, IT CAUSED (SOMEWHAT GREASY) FOGGING OF THE WINDSHIELD ABOVE THE WINDSHIELD HEATER VENT. GLYCOL LEAK DIRECTLY INTO THE CAR, CAUSING WET UPHOLSTERY OR CARPETING. COOLANT SPRAYED DIRECTLY INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FOLLOWED WITH WHITE COLORED SMOKE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10350429

Incident

Aug 16, 2010

Mileage

84,354 mi

I BOUGHT A NEW CHEVROLET S-10 IN 2003. FROM THE VERY FIRST TIME I DROVE IT I NOTICED THE A/C COMPRESSOR MADE A GRINDING NOISE WHICH WAS MUCH NOSIER THAN ANY OTHER COMPRESSOR I'VE EVER HEARD ON ANY VEHICLE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SUPPOSEDLY "CHECKED IT OUT", ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND CLAIMED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE A/C. ALL I KNOW IS TWO MONTHS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, MY A/C COMPRESSOR STARTED SMOKING, BLOWING HEAVY CLOUDS OF WHITE SMOKE INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, AND THE AIR COMING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WAS HOT. THE CLUTCH HAD WENT OUT ON THE COMPRESSOR. NOW I HAVE A FAIRLY NICE TRUCK THAT I HAVE TO BAKE IN WHEN I DRIVE IT. THIS IS THE FIRST CAR I'VE EVER OWNED IN MY 52 YEARS THAT EVER HAD THIS TO HAPPEN. I CERTAINLY FEEL CHEATED IN THAT I WAS AT THE TIME STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH I BOUGHT BRAND NEW AND TOOK GOOD CARE OF. DO I HAVE ANY AVENUE OF RECOURSE? I FEEL MY A/C COMPRESSOR WAS DEFECTIVE FROM DAY ONE, AS DOES MY BROTHER, WHO OWNS A LARGE PROFESSIONAL HVAC COMPANY HERE IN TOWN. PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ID

10228717

Incident

Jul 5, 2007

Mileage

29,896 mi

2003 CHEVROLET S-10 ZR2'S FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED CAUSING ACCIDENTS. *KB THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THE ENGINE WOULD ALSO MISS. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXHIBITED PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW, HEADLIGHTS, TAILLIGHTS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, CRUISE CONTROL AND TRIM. THE VEHICLE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED ONCE WHILE DRIVING. THE TAILGATE HAD TO BE ADJUSTED. *NM

NHTSA ID

10167969

Incident

Jun 11, 2004

I ACCELERATED TO MERGE ONTO INTERSTATE 95 AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE. I HAD TO KEEP THE BRAKE DEPRESSED AS HARD AS I COULD TO KEEP THE TRUCK UNDER CONTROL BEFORE I GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY. I FEEL LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A CHEVY DEALER, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY TOOK IT VERY SERIOUSLY.*JB

NHTSA ID

10136713

Incident

Sep 15, 2005

THE VEHICLE'S WIRE HARNESS MELTED AGAINST THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. AS A RESULT, THE FUSES BLEW OUT AND THE CHECK ENGINE SENSOR LIGHT STAYED ON. *AK

NHTSA ID

10087713

Incident

Aug 9, 2004

Mileage

9,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID

10075707

Incident

May 6, 2004

Mileage

5,000 mi

EXCESSIVE COOLANT (ANTIFREEZE) USAGE AND DISCOLORATION OF COOLANT (RUST) IN A 7 MONTH OLD CHEVROLET, S-10. MILEAGE IS 8500 MILES. COOLANT IS DEX-COOL.*AK

NHTSA ID

10054705

Incident

Jan 20, 2003

Mileage

8,500 mi

I BOUGHT THE 2003 CHEVROLET [XXX], LS EXT CAB TRUCK ON 11/13/03 LATE EVENING. THE MILEAGE JUST ONLY 23 MILES. THE INDICATE SHOWING NEED SERVICE, I AM VERY SHOT IT IS BRAND NEW 2 DAYS DROVE TO WORK. I BELIEVE THE ENGINE IS SOMETHING WRONG AND I DO NOT WANT TO GET THE POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. PLEASE HELP ME. THANKS [XXX] *LA INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10047044

Incident

Nov 15, 2003

IVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH EMISSIONS (SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON,)WASNT FIRING (DEALER SAID COULDNT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH RADIO DOESNT TURN DOWN ANY MORE WHEN VECHILE SLOWS DOWN DEALER SAYS NOTHING WRONG. ALSO HAVE PROBLEM WITH AUTO-TRANSMISSION ROLLS BACK ON HILL AFTER TAKE FOOT OFF BRAKE, DEALER SAYS COULDNT FIND ANY PROBLEM WHEN THEY HAD IT. ALSO REAR VENDER MOLDING HAD TO BE REPLACED CAME AWAY FROM BODY TWICE TO FIX THAT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10043652

Incident

Feb 20, 2003

WHEN VEHICLE IS AT A COMPLETE STOP ACCELERATION HESITATES SOMETIMES. *MR THE TRANSMISSION WAS DELAYED WHEN SHIFTING, AT TIMES WHEN HOT, THE GEAR FAILED TO SHIFT TO OVER DRIVE. THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *SCC *JB

NHTSA ID

10033716