Used 1998 Chevrolet S-10 Extended Cab Consumer Reviews
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Will last forever
I bought mine used in 2000 with 34k miles. Sold her in 2011 with 240k miles. Pros -never replaced clutch -brakes last long time -never any major work done -decent on gas -took the abuse I gave to it. -motor and transmission are very good Cons -cosmetic & electrical issues -a/c issues ( I gave up after 3rd time) -leaks oil at 100k miles -cluster went out at 200k Would highly recommend if you are looking for a reliable cheap truck.
1998 s10
This is a great little truck for a first truck. Got mine with 129 K miles. And just sold it for something bigger. The double Cardan u joint did make a noise but that just happens with the post 1995 models.overall was reliable and a great daily driver with the 4 cylinder engine. Not worth a lot of money but it gets you a bed and up to 26mph for inexpensive purchase prices.
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- BaseMSRP: $9,991598 mi away
- Base Regular CabMSRP: $12,900730 mi away
- 1998 Chevrolet S-10MSRP: $3,900884 mi away
1998 S10 ZR2 Ext Cab
An extremely reliable vehicle from the day I drove it of the lot. Very limited repairs needed over the 5.5 years I have owned it. Ask your mechanic about these 4.3 liter Vortec V6 engines, he'll tell you that they are built for the long haul. I tow my 19' Sea Ray, haul mulch, furniture, and anything else that will fit in the bed, and racked up about 60,000 miles the first 2 years working the MD/VA territory - all highway, and I don't baby this truck. It still runs like the day I drove it off the lot.
Missing the little trucks
I've owned my S10 for quite a few years and have moved things that most full-sized trucks couldn't. With the zr2 package I had the advantage of a large truck in a small build and it has never let me down, but as I grow older I realize I need a larger truck. A shame to loose ( almost a family member) it.
No Problems
The only problem that I have had is the seat back adjuster handles have both broken off. This is a common problem with this truck(there is a technical service bulletin on this). I've got as high as 27mpg on a 700 mile trip and average about 20. The 2.2L is no powerhouse but it gets the job done. I would surely buy another.
Last Chevy S10
Junk, junk, and more junk from the GM people. I owned an older S10 (1985) and put 169,000 miles on it. This one has been one nightmare after another. I used to be a GM mechanic, so I saved myself a lot of repair bills. But fuel pump,O2 sensors, map sensor, two coils, various distributor caps, they say napa has the best one, I'm going to try it next. K&N filter helps on gas mileage just as long as you don't spray much oil on it. Intake gaskets leaked antifreeze out instead of in ,so it didn't blow motor, lucky! The check engine light is almost always on and I can't get my brake lights to go out, which by the way is a common problem usualy caused by the master switch.
ZR2 Extended cab, 4wdr
Oil coolant lines have leaked from about 2 months after purchasing the vehilce. Seat side levers are very poorly designed, broke off by just from the climate cahnges and vibration of the truck. Universal needed to be replaced prematurely....bad design
Good little truck
For a 4 cylinder, it's got a nice little bit of pep taking off, but after 3rd gear the torque numbers drop dramatically, mainly because of the gearing. Good truck for a commuter, and can also hold it's own when you've got the bed loaded down. I've hauled anything from four wheelers to 900 pounds of rocks in the back of it and she never falters.
Never again
I should have never bought this piece of junk. This truck will be my first and last GM vehicle I will ever own. The 4cyl engine is awfully underpowered and automatic transmission is sluggish. The cheap material used in this truck is overwhelming, the dashboard is falling apart. The interior rattles all the time. The seat recliner handles broke off, I bought new ones and those broke. A lot of wind noise and rain water occasionally drips inside. The engine service light is always on. Replacing the spark plugs is a nightmare. Heater core leaked and replacing that is also difficult. AC doesn't work. Shocks and struts need to be replaced. Beginning to rust. Low resale value. Poor design.
Hate this vehicle
Literally the biggest piece of junk I've ever had the displeasure of owning. Purchased it with 40,000 miles. If you enjoy replacing endless front end suspension and steering parts, then this is your baby. The interior levers and latches seem to be made of card board. Had to repair intake manifold gasket, oil lines, AC compressor, ball joints twice, front axle shafts twice, sway bar, steering gear box, and pitman arm. This is before 130K.The engineering team at chevrolet should be take out back and shot for the creation of this monetary black hole. If you are considering buying one of these bang your head against the wall a dozen times and you will have the same experience I have had.
Chevy S-10 Overview
I bought it with about 70,000 miles on it and have 143,000 now. Uses no oil. Got the V6, A/T, 3rd door option. Had major A/C repair in year two and replaced engine control module recently. Cranks and drives reliably. Keep oil changed and routine service on transmission. Overall, it's been a good truck.
2nd time around
This is #2 S-10 for me. 2002 Std with 4.3 Vortec. Tranny rebuild and fuel pump at 200,000 miles on first. sold at 225,000. This truck now runs mail route in rural NC. Went through 2 Canyon disasters and then purchased this truck with 51,000 miles on it. Replaced H20 pump, AC unit, alternator, battery,and radiator. had to have drive shaft rebuilt at 85,000. My fault because I let the rear shocks go bad and the rear end had excess drag when towing. Rye Valley Gear in SW Virginia has a rebuild kit for the connector to the rear coupler. Simple inexpensive repair for this problem. Excellent truck and I am very happy. 21 to 23 mpg without trailer. 19 to 21 when towing. Use Shell 87 for fuel.
Great truck
I purchased my S-10 after I drove my Neon through a very large mudpuddle and blew the engine, I figured I'd get something that can handle more abuse. and boy was I right. mine has been through everything imaginable, I have even pulled a 05 Silverado out of a ditch and continued to drag him while he applied his brakes. I have 214,000 miles on this truck (original trans and engine) Long story short, if you are in the market for a small truck get an S- 10
Good Little Truck
I bought this new w/ 2.2L 4 cyl engine. Engine has enough power to get you around and pull a 1-ton trailer fully loaded. I get 21mpg driving 20 min to work, each way, in mixed county/city driving. 3rd door rattle and both seat levers were fixed under warranty. No ignition wiring issues so far, 8+ years and 91K miles. Oil pan leaked couple of drops when left parked for 5 days -that is how I found out. Chevy split cost of repair eventhough it was out of warranty. Windshield wipers, sometimes, take longer than normal to change speed after stalk position has been changed, annoying. Since problems were fixed to my satisfaction I bought another Chevy ('03 Avalanche) and been very happy with that.
terrible
terrible, great ride, but terrible on reliability, it just brakes! and chevy doe not stand behind it!
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Great 4x4 truck
Good solid riding and handling truck. Got 19 MPG average on an 80mph trip to Colorado from California and back. Traveled 160 miles of dirt roads across N. Nevada deserts with no problems.
lot of power in a small package
I bought myself this truck for christmas last year after the trans. went out in my lumina (115,000 miles). I love this thing. the truck is perfect. except for one thing. i wish it had a tad more power from the factory. maybe a high flow exhaust or underdrive pulleys. both of which would also increase gas mileage.
Excellent Truck & "race car"
This truck has pick-up and rides and handles like a race car. It has been extremely reliable which is a rare find now a days. Other than the regular upkeep, it has been an excellent vehicle. Excellent gas mileage too. After 4 years of driving I wouldn't trade it for any other truck.
S-10, best car ever!
I have only driven chevys and american cars and of all the cars I have owned or driven I have to say that my '98 s- 10 is the best I have ever owned. Powerful, comfortable, looks like a million bucks and above all it is very dependable. I have 98000 miles on it over four years of ownership and it has been in the shop only three times for fairly minor repairs. I have been in all types of climates and roads you can imagine, deserts, mud, dirt roads and highways. Getting groceries or camping this truck does it all. It rules!
Never buying American again.......
I have a 1998 Chevy S-10, 4WD extended cab, 55000mi....waste of my hard earned money. I DO NOT ABUSE THIS TRUCK. My driveshaft snapped out and dropped out my truck....please explain how this can happen? From day one nothin but problems. Interior: visor broke off in my hand, passenger seat adjustment broke off in my hand and intermittent power window problems. Exterior: wash and wax regularly and everytime I do I find chipped paint and rust spots, cracked side view mirror casing, 3rd door hand broke off in hand. Mechanical: front cv joint boot just came off, spare tire holder broke, brakes are less than par DON'T BUY THIS TRUCK!
S10 ZR2
This vehicle has been through everything from drag racing to off roading. The only problem I've had was the reclining handle on the drivers seat broke off. I haven't been very nice to this truck but it has treated me awesome.
I love my S-10
I bought this truck last spring because I was in a pinch and had to act fast. It has turned out to be the best vehicle I have ever owned. I use it as a daily driver, and I pull a 17' fiberglass bass boat with it frequently. The truck gets the job done, and looks great. I put a water pump in it this winter, and had some minor problems with the ignition wiring, but nothing major has gone wrong even though there are 74,000 rough miles on this truck.
Aggravating seats
No problems with the engine, transmission, or rear end. V-6 Vortec engine runs good and has plenty of power. Front driver seat is poorly designed. I have replaced the seat adjusters twice, and the backrest adjustment is broke again. None of the drivers weigh over 150lbs. The lumber adjustment is broken. Just recently had problems with rust in the gas tank. Turns out the tank is completely rusted, and had to be shot peened and recoated. Ruined two fuel pumps before the problem was properly diagnosed and corrected. I did not expect these kinds of problems with less than 55000 miles on the truck.
1998 ZR2
Truck does very well in snow when using 4x4. Does well off road except that it does not like to make sharp turns. However, that is expected with extended cab trucks. V6 engine has plenty of power. I had to replace the powersteering pump at 35,000 miles and the ball joints at 50,000. Good design overall, just wish that it was built better. My seat adjustors are broke, the handle to my 3rd door is broke. Fender flares are ate up and I only have 54,000 miles on the truck.
98 S-10 Ext Cab Pickup
Original truck was 1.06 inches lower on left side. After much stalling, and finally arbitration, GM replaced w/truck that was 0.8 inches lower! Performance OK. Engine much smoother than '92. Brake problems persist. Had to replace pads & turn front rotors at 19,400 miles, at my own expense. Construction somewhat shoddy (poor fitup in sheet metal on roof).
Great Little Truck
Purchased my S10 LS extended cab new and added a bed liner and topper. Had trouble with the seat back latch breaking off but Chevy replaced those at no cost. Also developed a minor oil leak after 30,000 miles but hasn't gotten any worse with nearly 50,000 miles on the odometer. Great fuel economy with the 4 cylinder engine but not much pickup around town. Highway driving is a different story-the engine will keep up with the cruise control demands with little variation at almost any speed you want. Fun to drive with the 5-speed manuel. Very reliable and a real work horse.
NiCe~!
I like how it runs. Esp the fuel econ. is great
Good 4x4
Have to watch the ball joints and the oil cooler lines but my dad has a 2x4 that has 179,000 miles on the 4.3 motor and it still runs great.
Never Again!
I have a S10 LS extended cab with the four cylinder and manual transmission. The four cylinder is a weak engine but get very good mileage. My problems have been: 1) Interior rattling. 2) Bolt felt off exhaust manifold. 3) Seat handles on passenger and drivers side have broken off in my hand. (I got the passenger side handle fixed and it busted off again!) 4) Wipers would only work intermittently after the first year. General Motors is the largest car company in the world, you would think they would be able to make a seat where the recliner handles won't fall off!
Great Truck All Around
This is my second S-10 and have been very happy with it, I have had more minor issues with this one all mentioned already. lumbar, seat adjusters, 3rd door handle and ignition wires have all broken at least once most several times dealer support varies depending on the milage. but it gets great millage for a truck always around 23mpg and handles great very comfortable. exterior remains in great shape, even after fairly heavy work use. the 4 cyl. is fine to get around but would be wise to go with 6 if you will be haulling or towing much
never buy a chevy truck
I bought this truck used so i can get around to and from work and haul somethings here and there. i think that the vortec V6 is a great engine, it has alot of power and it does respond good.i havent had any problems as of yet,except for the interior rattling like crazy. i have now owned a ford and a chevy and i must say that i think a ford is built much better. i never had the ford rattle and squeak like this s-10 and i hear its a common problem with them.i will tell you this i will never buy a chevy truck again.
Small is better
I like the my S-10 for it's performance, road handling and driving comfort.
great little truck
I bought it in 2012, 135k miles. now 2017 149k miles. minimal repairs brakes, belts. some bigger items that go with the territory of an older truck and things needing done/replaced, average it out to about 500 per yr in repairs vs a 20, 30 0r 45k new(er) truck pymt, repairs seem better and a small truck, not these big ass trucks now as an only option. with the right tires, mine rides along and you can't hear anything, smooth and quiet. Great small truck that can haul whatever and not even hesitate. Cons - issues like everyone else, they might as well not have bothered with the side adjustment on the seats (both are broke off) and the extended cab on everyone out there has rust issues.
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Still have mine, still dependable. great truck!
I bought the truck brand new, ordered it from the factory with all options I wanted including the color and a matching shell on the bed, tow package, 4x4 4.3 liter V6 vortec engine it's been extremely reliable, only tires, (obviously) and batteries (obviously) and routine oil changes, I run synthetic blend oil and it runs like new, you would never know it's 27 years old (actually turns 28 this year as it arrived from the factory in 1997 when they first rolled them out) the paint is less glossy and the shell is sun faded (it used to match the paint colors on the truck, gel coated fiberglass, it's faded now) it's never had any major issues, the alternator has been replaced, the AC system has been recharged and had to replace one of the studs that screws into the battery on the negative side post, the original one eventually started to get rounded off so it made it hard to tighten it or loosen it, always thought that was a weird design idea, as they tend to stop out over time... the rest has been regular maintenance, as far as looks, it's looking it's age, well probably still looks pretty good for its age, it's pushing 28 years old! The engine runs like new, proof of what regular oil changes can do to prolong an engine, especially running a synthetic oil blend, no engine sludge or buildup or anything and protects against wear and tear as the miles pile on, it's hard to believe it's almost 28 years old. Runs very well... Probably helps that most work I've done myself on it, it's never been ridden hard, that likely is part of why the engine still runs so well and no major repairs. It's been the lowest maintenance vehicle I've ever owned and one of the best things about these trucks is the fact that so many parts are available if you need them, and the prices are reasonable. Also the truck is easy to work on so it saves money there too. When I bought the truck, never did I imagine I'd still have it today and it's a daily driver, runs great. Fantastic.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value