1986 Chevrolet S10 problems & reliability
22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1986 Chevrolet S10. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 6 | 27% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 14% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 9% |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 9% |
| Seats | 2 | 9% |
| Tires | 2 | 9% |
| Visibility | 2 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Power Train | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The lights in the dash either stay on and you have to take the bulbs out for them to not light. Also all the lights in the dash flicker whenever you stop or excillerate. You push in the lighter you lose the radio and everything on that fuse. Has been fixed once before but the problem came back.*ak”
Interior Lighting · filed Oct 2, 2001
“The tread of the tire separated from the casing and came through the bed of the truck and caused extensive damage to the undercarriage (defiance centennial). Nlm”
Tires · filed Dec 5, 2000
“Steering linkage has very bad squeaking problem. I had been informed by an individual that there was a recall on the 1986 s10 blazers for that particular problem. I just wanted to do some research to see if there was any truth to it. It has been squeaking ever since I bought it but it has gotten worse since about…”
Steering · filed Sep 5, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARE TIRE CARRIER FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE90039 · opened Feb 5, 1990 · closed Jun 29, 1990
- REAR AXLE SHAFT
Engineering Analysis EA89003 · opened Nov 7, 1988 · closed Aug 24, 1990
- REAR AXLE FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE88047 · opened Apr 19, 1988 · closed Nov 7, 1988
Technical service bulletins
3 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1986 Chevrolet S10.
Water leak at the a/c recirculation door (install new hood hinge seal). *tw
GM561204 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1995
End gate latch rattle (install revised striker). *tw
GM161514 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1995
Front door side glass binding/track disengagement. *tw
9310A343 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1993
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1986 Chevrolet S10 in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1986 Chevrolet S10?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.