1999 Chevrolet S10

Typical pattern

14.3% of complaints about the 1999 Chevrolet S10 came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 1999 vehicle — around the middle of the 201 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.2 yr in service. The most-reported system is seats (29 complaints), typically at 3.7 yr or about 49,000 miles.

Complaints: 244
Median age at failure: 4.2 yr
Median mileage: 60,620 n=100
Crash / fire / tow: 17.6% of reports
Safety recalls: 5

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Seats

29 reports · 49,000 mi

3.7 yr

10.3%

Service brakes, hydraulic

29 reports · 52,000 mi

2.2 yr

17.2%

Structure

26 reports · 81,408 mi

6.2 yr

11.5%

Power train

24 reports · 56,000 mi

4.1 yr

8.3%

Air bags

20 reports · 87,861 mi

4.3 yr

80%

Engine cooling

18 reports · 63,000 mi

2.5 yr

5.6%

Electrical system

18 reports · 120,000 mi

4.8 yr

11.1%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09E025000 2009-05-11

Exterior lighting:headlights

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

09E012000 2009-04-07

Exterior lighting

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

07E021000 2007-03-12

Fuel system, other:storage:tank assembly:pressure relief devices

CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN O'RING AND RETAINER.

FUEL MAY LEAK, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

06E065000 2006-07-17

Exterior lighting

CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

06E060000 2006-06-29

Exterior lighting

CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."

LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH

In owners’ own words

Engine cooling mileage not reported 4 mo in service

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

Engine cooling mileage not reported 1.1 yr in service

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

Engine cooling mileage not reported 8 mo in service

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

Electrical system mileage not reported 6 mo in service

HAD KEY IN THE IGNITION & STEERING WHEEL & TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. *AK

Other S10 model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.