Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1995 Chevrolet S10 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
From what I have been able to find out, there is a carbon build up in the engine, and when some of this carbon flakes off it causes the EGR valve to stick open slightly. This in turn causes the engine idle very erratically and most of the time causes the engie to stall. This always occurs when slwoing down and stopping which is quite the safety hazard as when the vehicle begins to lose power and stall all the power options such as steering and brakes are also lost. This has almost caused me to rear end people numerous times especially in situations when I have had to stop quickly. I was informed by my mechanic that this actually a recall and wheni contacted Chevrolet they said it was not an official recall but if my vehicle had less than 75,000 miles on it I could have the problem fixed. Of course I had more than 75,000 miles and so they refused to do anything. …
The vehicle has an ongoing problem with the oil coolant line failing while driving at various speeds. This failure results in the vehicle stalling, but it will restart within minutes. The vehicle was driven to the dealership, where the failure recurred. The coolant line has been replaced twice. The first failure occurred at 30,000 then 60,000 and now at 120,000. It seems to be occurring every 30,000 miles. The intake was leaking oil.
I own a 1995 S10 (4x4) pick up. I purchased this vehicle new in 1994. I had to replaced the remote oil filter lines 3 times!!! My third set is currently leaking. The remote oil filter lines fail where the rubber hose is crimped to the aluminum tubing. This is a very poor design. Apparently, Chevy doesn't acknowledge the problem.
Engine compartment fire: while driving engine compartment caught on fire without warning; insurance co report inconclusive; vehicle available for inspection. Reported by state farm insurance co.; carolyn; claim #24-1073-095; phone #[phone].
The coolant used in the cooling system is dex-cool. The engine overheated, so I decided to add more dex-cool. When I opened up the radiator, I noticed this rust-colored dirt-like substance packed inside the radiator. When the dealer that serviced my truck inspected the cooling system, every component had this substance packed in it (water pump, heating core, thermostat, all hoses, radiator, the engine block, etc.). They couldn't clean this substance out of the components and had to replace the whole cooling system. Further inspection of the components of the cooling system shows that they are in perfect working condition other than the substance that can't be removed. The substance isn't rust or corrosion because the components aren't rusted or corroded. This substance, in my opinion, is solidification of the dex-cool coolant. …
The EGR system continualy failed numerous times. When this failure happened, the idle would flucuate wildly resulting in the loss of the engine vacuum and the loss of power brakes. This happened over 5 times, thankfully on uncrowded streets. The car would often have little to no stopping power when below 20-25 MPH. Often I would have to apply the emergency brake to stop the car. The problem was fixed with a replacement of the EGR valve, but hopefully this horrible problem wil not occur again. Currently I am in the process of trying to get Chevrolet to pay for the replacement, since apparantly this is a result of their bad fuel injectors. Chevrolet has just issued a recall on their fuel injectors which apparantly failed, and lead to carbon buildup on the EGR, which causes this tremendous safety problem. …
On and about April 15th of 1999, I had my oil changed at my service station. They told me that I was low on coolant and they spotted a leak on the outside of the cylinder head. This leak was very small and almost un-noticeable. I had them fill the coolant tank and continued to monitor the problem. I contacted my Chevrolet dealer and was told that the truck had just gone out of warranty. Since that time the leaking problem has continued to get worse. I have been able to find out that there have been "many" reports of this same problem. I work for a napa auto parts store and our machine shop is a member of a national company that has specification stats for engines and they have a bulletin issued on my problem which states it is a casting problem that was caused when the cylinder heads were manufactured. I really do believe that GM knows about this and should make good for repairs. …
Twice under warranty I had GM fix an oil leak from the oil pan gasket and the third time it was out of warranty so GM would not work on it. The oil leak has gotten worse. I feel since the problem was noticed at 12K miles and a new gasket put on and at 32K miles GM again worked on it but just torqueing the oil pan bolts tighter that they should be held accountable! They told me there would not be a problem after the warranty ran out to follow up on any further leaks! Well, after warranty it began to leak again but this time I hit a "wall" with GM! They will not work on it at their cost! This was a problem early in the vehicle's history and persisted. Oil is a vital need for an engine to perform... You would think that such a leak would be looked into rather than ignored or shrugged at. Please help me with this. …
Failure of the e.g.r.value almost cause a wreak, because the braking system, became inorperble. Also there was no warning giving to me by any of the vehicules warning devices. Fortunally I was able to steer to the right and miss the vehicul in front of me. At no time did a warning come on to let me know that I had no brakes. Now I understand that if the e.g.r.value gets carbon inlodge in it this is what will happen. Because you have a internal vaccum leak, resulting in the lost of the ability of your braking system to properly working. This time my wife and I were lucky, I hope this will never happen again, altho there is no guarantee it won't.
While driving consumer noticed the service engine soon light come on, consumer proceeded to slow down and pulled over to emergency lane, just as consumer came to a stop and was about to shut off the engine she heard a clunk, consumer turned off engine and called dealership vehicle was towed and after inspection of the vehicle, it was determined that an oil cooler line had blown and all the engine oil was lost, this in turn caused the engine to sieze up, dealership advised consumer that a new engine was needed and various other repairs.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Fan
Fan blade rivet breakage can occur causing the fan blade to separate from the spider.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace, if necessary, the fan with a newer fan having thicker-headed rivets.
Engine complaints in other S10 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1995 Chevrolet S10?
NHTSA has 84 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1995 Chevrolet S10, 9% of the model year's 917 complaints. The component named most often is engine › gasoline (29 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1995 Chevrolet S10 engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 95V-180 (fan, Sep 22, 1995). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1995 Chevrolet S10 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.