Your vehicle report
2003 Chevrolet S10
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 178
- Received Jan 2003 to Oct 2021
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Rear door latch fails to open or close17 complaints · 9.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines16 complaints · 9.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tailgate or trunk latch fails11 complaints · 6.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V132000Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 16 crashes, 1 fire, 12 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 18 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 23 |
| 2004 | 22 |
| 2005 | 17 |
| 2006 | 13 |
| 2007 | 16 |
| 2008 | 14 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 12 |
| 2011 | 7 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 178 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 17 | 9.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 16 | 9.0% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 11 | 6.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 5.1% | – | NHTSA recall #04V132000 |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 9 | 5.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 6 | 3.4% | – | |
| Transfer case shifts into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly | 5 | 2.8% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 2.8% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 5 | 2.8% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 5 | 2.8% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 4 | 2.3% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V132000March 18, 2004183,922 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection."
Some of these vehicles include incorrect statements on one of the air bag warning labels.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with correct labels and installation instructions. Owner notification began on june 4, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Gmc at 1-866-996-9463.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Chevrolet S10.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN