Research · complaint index

Chevrolet S-10 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say

We compared 8 model years of the Chevrolet S-10 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. No single year stands far above the rest.

01 —Complaint index

Complaints per year on the road

1.0 = typical year for this model
View as table
Model yearComplaints per year since release
199622
199716
199822
19999
200019
200112
200210
20039
YearComplaintsPer year on roadIndexRecallsCrashesSignal
200320590.5017Typical
2002239100.6020Typical
2001319120.8021Typical
2000514191.2055Typical
199923890.5033Typical
1998638221.4064Typical
1997469161.0062Typical
1996686221.40110Typical
  • 2003205 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 2002239 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 2001319 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 2000514 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 1999238 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 1998638 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 1997469 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 1996686 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026
02 —FAQ

About this comparison

What Chevrolet S-10 years have the most complaints?

No Chevrolet S-10 model year drew more than twice the typical complaint rate among the 8 model years compared. The highest was 1996.

Is this a reliability rating?

No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.