1989 Chevrolet S10 problems & reliability
48 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1989 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 10 | 21% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 13% |
| Tires | 6 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 8% |
| Structure | 4 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 6% |
| Steering | 3 | 6% |
| Power Train | 2 | 4% |
| Seats | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 18 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I had a tie failure on a goodrich p225/70-r14 m&s tire. The sidewall split on the tire without warning. The tire was taken to the dealer who examined it and said that the sidewall failure was due to some sort of manufacturing defect. When the other tires were examined, one of them was found to have a sidewall crack…”
Tires · filed Dec 12, 2004
“Paint peeling on hood and top. Contacted gm 5 years and 2 months after purchase and was told nothing would be done as it wasn't their problem. Also, the vehicle was out of warranty and they would not do anything to work with me!! Contacted again after I read about class action suit and was treated with no respect!!!…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 22, 2004
“Steering wheel turned 180 without warning and locked up. While driving the steering column turned 180 degrees without warning and locked up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the bolts were loose. The dealer reinstalled them with thread lockers. *nlm”
Steering · filed Oct 3, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA94029 · opened Jul 29, 1994 · closed Jul 31, 1996
- HIGH IDLE FLARE
Engineering Analysis EA92015 · opened May 22, 1992 · closed May 28, 1993
- HIGH IDLE FLARE
Preliminary Evaluation PE92001 · opened Jan 7, 1992 · closed May 22, 1992
- HEADLIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE91057 · opened Mar 6, 1991 · closed Jul 12, 1991
- LIFT GATE FALLS OFF
Defect Petition DP90006 · opened Apr 13, 1990 · closed Jul 24, 1990
Technical service bulletins
4 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1989 Chevrolet S10.
Diagnostic information for intermittent transmission downshift, slip, busy/cycling tcc or noisy cooling fan. *tt
990730016A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2002
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 1989 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 1989 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.