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Used 1997 Chevrolet S-10 Regular Cab Consumer Reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
23 reviews

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3.88 out of 5 stars

little red truck

bird, 01/18/2004
1997 Chevrolet S-10 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful

The truck was not what I wanted. Small, no frills. But when I drove it my mind changed. It's fun to drive around the city, if you like to drive. Oh it's a 5 speed and I use it. Like most things we drive it could use more power, but then again I wouldn't be passing as many gas stations. I plan on keeping it until it or I give out. So far other the regular maintenance it's got all the factory parts except the rear U joint. Great Driver

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5 out of 5 stars

Great truck. 97 Zr2 S10 4x4.

Carl Shepard, 03/25/2016
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab 4WD SB (4.3L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful

I would recommend this truck to anyone. Great performance, great power, goes excellent in snow & mud. I have the 97 ZR2 S10 4x4 5 speed with the 4.3 engine. Compared to Ford, previously owned, there's no comparison. This truck will run plum off & leave a 4.0 Ranger!

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Big Results from a Little Truck

Jay, 08/29/2009
1997 Chevrolet S-10 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful

I bought my truck used from a friend who had two trucks. This is a great and dependable truck. I use my truck for work and decided since I was going to school to drive it. I drove from North Carolina to El Paso Texas no issue. The only thing that I did was change the timing belt and started using synthetic oil. Awesome truck!!

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4.38 out of 5 stars

Best pick-up I've had in years

Dave Simon, 05/07/2002
1997 Chevrolet S-10 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful

This is the best pickup I've ever had. I go through everything with it. I go up in the mountains about every month and it's a very smooth ride. I can go anywhere I go camping with the truck also.

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4.88 out of 5 stars

Great little truck

BigRed3195, 06/16/2008
1997 Chevrolet S-10 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love this truck and I would recommend one to anyone. Chevy made a big mistake when they stopped making them. They are very reliable and are a joy to own and drive. Great on gas too, I'm currently getting 30+ mpg on the highway and 25+ mpg city driving. Great performance for a 4-cylinder truck, even when loaded. Easy to modify to. This S10 is the 2nd one that I've owned for a work truck and I have had 3 others for project trucks/ street machines. Love em.

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4.5 out of 5 stars

S-10 Truck

Tom, 06/21/2008
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab LB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This truck has been and continues to be a good little truck. I use it for hauling and driving back and forth to work. It now has 141,000 miles on it and I have not had to do anything major except for replacing the transmission a few years ago. I was very disappointed in the way this whole issue was handled by GM. At one pont they said they would stand by what they sold and I ended up with a different person and the whole thing was stopped and I ended up having to pay $2500 out of my pocket.

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4.5 out of 5 stars

Low Price for Excellent Quality

squire46, 09/06/2002
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Chevrolet made an excellent small truck in 1997. The mechanical and structural aspects have stood the test of time. The engine and drive train have aged nicely without any major repairs. The engines hummes the same way as when I first bought it. It is an excellent vehicle for someone with light duty chores, but at the same time offers a smoother ride than more sedans.

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4.38 out of 5 stars

Lots of Fun packed into a Small Package

Brocnizer, 10/08/2002
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

She maybe small, but don't let the looks deceive you. I put around 25,000 miles a year on this truck with current mileage of 127,000 and it has yet to see the shop. Don't think that I baby it either. She pulls a 6,000 pound boat atleast once per week and deals with stop and go traffic every week day. The Vortec V-6 is the absolute perfect match, suprising all those that drive it and watch it work. I usually get a comment at the boat ramp from someone telling me that my truck won't be able pull the boat up the steep launch ramp, and boy are they supprised when they see it come out without any wheel spin.

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4.38 out of 5 stars

Great looking, great on gas

ChristopherS, 11/26/2002
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I've used this truck for 5-1/2 years and have only replaced one radiator (under warranty). Never had any major work. I've driven this truck from Vancouver over the Cascades into Leavenworth several times, as well as down to California twice and Calgary a few times. Great reliable truck! Don't try stacking three guys into a standard cab (did that in LA with no A/C - Oi!) but fits great for two. Super little features (3 cig-lighter- type outlets, many lights, HUGE mirrors) make this truck a pleasure, whether parked (perusing a map) or driving!

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4.5 out of 5 stars

My first compact pick-up

hadleybradley, 01/29/2003
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This vehicle siutes my needs very well. It has never let me down, ecsept for the ocational battery failure, but all automobiles have this concern. The four cylender is OK on gas, but has potient torque off the line, even when towing. The S-10 i think is the perfect first vehicle for your kids, very reliable, stylish good looks, and easy on the bank! Oh and dont forget the drivers side air bag, a must have now a days!

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4.25 out of 5 stars

super fun

mike's'97, 02/09/2003
1997 Chevrolet S-10 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

this truck us super fun to own service and drive. the cab is a little small for three people but well designed.

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4.75 out of 5 stars

Can't wait to drive it again!

BillMe, 12/27/2003
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab LB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Fantasitc truck. Very fun to drive. Looks great! I hate to get where I'm going. Fuel economy has been excellent. Holds just enough in the bed and we can squeeze 3 in the cab. Wish I had another one!

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5 out of 5 stars

A1 really dependable truck

James Eury , 06/04/2020
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab 4WD LB (4.3L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

It has 315,000 and still going strong,no complaints.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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2.75 out of 5 stars

Do not Purchase

BB, 02/28/2002
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
1 of 3 people found this review helpful

The overall build quality is very poor. Had transmission in to repair twice; luckly during the warrantee. Interior rattles, squeeks, and parts have cracked. Rearview mirror has fell off several times, because the unit weighs 7-10lbs and the repair kit cannot hold it up. Emergancy brake has broke twice. Have trouble starting the vehicle several times when its damp and cold (left me strainded many times) mechanics cannot find out the problem.

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3 out of 5 stars

1997 S10 2dr LS Regular Cab

Mawarikomi, 02/06/2009
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

I bought my truck used from a dealer at 44k miles and took it only to 120k before I had enough. Quality was atrocious - interior panels cracked and fell off, mirrors fatigued and broke off. The truck would not start in humid (90%+), cold weather (especially 32-45F), really cold weather was fine. I got a head gasket leak at 80k and had to repair the tranny at about 110k (both those seem normal for the driving I did so not really a gripe). My brake lines blew out despite having been regularly inspected. Here's a positive note, the engine was awesome despite the head gasket and tranny. If the rest of the truck could have kept up with the engine the truck would have been a keeper.

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4.13 out of 5 stars

Decent truck

Travis, 10/21/2009
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

I've owned this truck since 2004 (I bought it with 120K miles) and I've put about 50K miles on it. Recently I've been using it to do a 400 mile round trip each week: its comfy for the long ride, its been reliable, and I regularly get between 22 and 25 mpg on these long trips. I've had no major problems with it. About 10K miles ago, the fuel gauge stopped giving an accurate reading (it drops rapidly and then hovers above empty). And simple maintenance is all but impossible because everything is packed-in tightly. Granted I'm not mechanically inclined... Installing a custom stereo was a pain-- the dash is hard to remove. I'd love to get a new car, but this thing just won't seem to die.

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3.25 out of 5 stars

1997 Chevy S10 LS 2WD Regular Cab Review

BCJ, 07/11/2003
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

This truck is real nice to me. I drive it a lot, but mechanically it is not to strong. I've had to replace the water pump and fan bracket and this truck only has 69,000 original miles on it.

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2.75 out of 5 stars

A bit disappointed

oxguru, 02/23/2004
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

I have been rather disappointed in this vehicle, considering my father's 1993 Chevy Silverado is still going strong at over 100K miles. I only have about 66K miles, and have had, in the past three months, to put almost $1500 into this for things that should still be working fine. I have been pretty good about regular maintenance, so I've been pretty annoyed of late. Time to trade in for a (gasp) foreign car make.

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4.5 out of 5 stars

Most Reliable Vehicle I Ever Owned

OregonDan, 08/18/2004
1997 Chevrolet S-10 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

I just read through a few of the S-10 reviews and thought I should add my 2 cents. Purchased the truck for $10K drove it over 100,000 miles and never had any problems except for a burned out fuse ($5) and I replaced myself... and I'm NOT mechanically inclined. I sold the truck in 2001 for $5100 with 110K miles and regret not keeping it longer. Used it for commuting to college and hauling firewood. Great little truck. I may have gotten the 1 out of 1000... but sold the truck to a manager at Pepsi for his daughter and he informed me that Pepsi runs a fleet of lil S-10 trucks and all of them have passed 100K miles+ with little to none problems.

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4.13 out of 5 stars

Good so far

jpearce, 09/17/2005
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab 4WD SB (4.3L 6cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Just bought the pickup in sept 2005. It is a black reg cab SB LS/ZR2 model.An excellent, sharp looking truck! I picked it up with only 20,000 miles, being a 1997!! and have put around 600 0n it. So far it is great but the rear wheels' ABS sensor failed and is being replaced on warranty.

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2.13 out of 5 stars

Why Chevy lost me as a customer

Pete792, 06/21/2007
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

I bought a '97 S-10 brand new, at the end of '96. It was a great looking truck, and appeared to be a decent vehicle when I test drove it. Little did I know what a lemon this piece of junk would turn out to be! Until I bought this truck I was a Chevy fan. But it didn't take long before I felt like they had taken advantage of me. I read many of the reviews, and was amazed I had identical problems with my S-10. Like the rear view mirror falling off, and the gas gauge breaking after about 3 years, and the A/C problems. Not to mention the engine repeatedly over heating and eventually burning up and had to be replaced. Pieces continue to fall off and things break regularly. Avoid this lemon!

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4.13 out of 5 stars

Very Reliable & Inexpensive Lil Truck

Daniel Brown, 03/20/2002
1997 Chevrolet S-10 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

I realize that there are better trucks out there, but for the price that I purchase my truck new 5 years ago at $11,000 I have no regrets. My little S-10, stripped w/no original extras, has been a blessing. I have had no problems whatsoever, which is good because I am not mechanically incline, with it and I currently have 110,000 miles on it. The only real drawback is that the 4cyl does not have much power-but hey, I get above 25mpg!

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4 out of 5 stars

s10

mercedes, 08/21/2018
1997 Chevrolet S-10 LS 2dr Regular Cab SB (2.2L 4cyl naturally aspired 5M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

This truck is a great little truck to drive...love it

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
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