Problems · by component
1997 Chevrolet S-10 air bags problems
47 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Chevrolet S-10 cite air bags, 10% of all 469 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
47
10% of all complaints
Crashes
37
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“VEHICAL PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME I HIT HIM RUNNING 55 MPH MY SAFETY BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY RESULTING IN SEVERE SEATBELT AND STERRING WHEEL DAMAGE TO MY BODY AND TERIBLE NECK PAIN AND BACK PAIN RESULTING FROM LACK OF AIR BAGNEGLECT”
“AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ON,#5 FUSE BLOWS CONTINUOUSLY IN FUSE BLOCK, RUNNING LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS DIM. HAVE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, DIAGNOSTICS RAN EVERYTHING OK ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP. *NM”
“WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS WHEN HIS HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. *AK *NM”
“AIR BAG LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. ALSO, ENGINE STALLED, AND THERE WERE NO POWER BRAKES OR POWER STEERING. IT WAS AN A ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *AK *NM”
“CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING. THIS WASTHE SECOND TIME THAT THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK”
“WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY.*AK”
Showing 6 of 47 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.