Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet S10 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was moving my truck around in my drive way and the brakes failed and I hit the garage. After inspection I found that my brake line had rusted through and broke. This is the second time this has happened and I think it is ridiculous that something this important to the safety of a vehicle is this poorly made. Please look into this matter.
1999 Chevrolet s-10 truck with 4cylinder engine, brakes fail in panic stop situation immediately following initial acceleration after a stop. Result is loss of power brakes and extended stopping distance causing possible incidents.
ABS on a slightly bumpy road, caused accident. I had plenty of time to stop but the ABS kept kicking in for no reason making me slide right into the guy. Truck is still damaged, 2200$ worth of repairs needed.
I have a 1999 Chevrolet s-10 pickup, extended cab, 4wd, zr2. When I purchased the vehicle used with approximately 70,000 mi. It was exhibiting the same premature ABS lock up at low speeds, causing the vehicle to have unpredictable stopping distances, as the GM full size trucks included in the recent recall. I took the vehicle to a local GM dealer to have it diagnosed. The dealership determined that it was the passenger side, front ABS wheel speed sensor. However, currently GM light duty trucks are not included in this recall. I feel that this May be of concern as I am sure I am not the only one with a light duty truck that has exhibited this type of dangerous vehicle behavior. I hope that the recall is revised to include all GM trucks including light duty ones such as mine. I had several close calls at gas stations, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings because of this. …
When traveling over slight bumps in the road, the truck feels as if it has no brakes. I am not talking huge potholes or extreme dropoffs, but bumps as low as approximately. 2 to 3 inches. The problem happens most often near my home traveling at 35 MPH, using the brakes to slow to around 28 MPH when I hit the 2 to 3 inch bump. At this point the truck starts coasting and the brake pedal is stiff, approximately. 10 feet past clearing the bump the braking is restored. I don't know if this is normal for ABS.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet S10 4wd cr2. The contact was driving 5 MPH when the vehicle failed to stop properly when the brakes were depressed. The vehicle coasted to a complete stop and the brakes emitted a loud noise when they were depressed. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic and the diagnosis was that the front speed sensor low signal was faulty. The manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 68,276 and the current mileage was 68,326.
A brake line failed in a parking lot as I was backing out of a parking space. The dealer said the line was corroded and spliced in a compression fitting at a cost of $222.50. Since then, there have been 2 other failures of brake lines due to corrosion. The second failure, I replaced about 10 ft of brake line myself. The 3rd brake line failure occurred while an independent mechanic was fixing a broken upper control arm that had failed due to (wow) corrosion.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet s-10. The contact stated while traveling at speeds of 10 MPH, the brake lines snapped causing a loss of braking power. The emergency brake was used to bring the vehicle to a stop. The contact confirmed he had experienced brake leakage two years prior to the failure and the rust issue was not brought to his attention. The failure and current mileages were 52,000. Updated 06/17/10. Updated 06/18/10.
I drive this vehicle almost everyday of the week. When I step on the brakes it feels like the anti-lock brake system is activating. This happens about five times a week. It happens, most notably, when the pavement is dry. I step on the brakes and feel the left front wheel ABS kick in, after the ABS pulsing stops the brake pedal goes down a considerable distance. It seems like it is only the left side and not the right side front brake that does this. This is a serious safety hazard as I don't know how the vehicle would respond in an actual ice/snow condition.
When brakes are applied in a sudden stop, the ABS will engage, and causes severe extented stopping distance. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified at this time. The consumer states that when the brakes are appliedon bumpy or slick roads, the ABS disengages the vehicles brakes. The brake pedal must be released and re-applied to re-engage the brakes. The vehicle was wrecked due to defective ABS brakes on a on smooth road, on bumpy roads at 15 MPH the vehicle takes 25 feet to stop.
Brake complaints in other S10 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 1999 Chevrolet S10?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the brakes of the 1999 Chevrolet S10, 15% of the model year's 231 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet S10 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 1999 Chevrolet S10. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet S10 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes 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.