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 2003 Chevrolet S10 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
2003 Chevy S10 has been maintained and taking care of. Brakes in rear were sticking due to factory defective ABS control module. Rear wheel bearing gave out and started leaking axle fluid cause of a sticking drivers side brake from ABS control module malfunctioning. After much cost of replacing calipers and brake pads the culprit from a defectively ABS control module making the brake caliper stick to the rotor.. Next the coolant leaks from the intake manifold gasket and now the heater core leaks... this truck has only 146k miles on it and I always taking care of it keeping up before it's schedule maintenance. But what I see is poor defective parts from GM. SO I have to make sure I get this work done and keep the coolant filled or there be a motor issue from overheating. …
Twice now while lightly applying brakes to come to a stop at an intersection the antilock brake system engaged. Since it was unexpected I almost didn't come to a stop in time before rolling into the intersection into traffic. The ABS warning indicator was illuminated intermittently before this with recorded DTC C0268 (Pump motor circuit shorted). Also the transfer case input shaft seal failed which caused transmission fluid to leak into the transfer case, completely filling it. That caused the transfer case vacuum switch to fail and transmission fluid was sucked into the vacuum lines and eat through them causing a vacuum leak. …
Truck was purchased 7/7/20. Seemed to work fine, but started noticing engine trouble on 9/10/20. Had only driven it ~150 miles since purchase, never any strenuous driving. Took it in to get serviced on 9/21/20, where several problems were spotted, one of which is traceable to the dealer: 1) the distributor cap was being held on only by two zipties. This is why it seemed to run fine on the date of purchase, but caused engine misfires within a few months of light use. The dealership notified me the day before I purchased it that the distributor was being fixed, but they failed to notify me that it wasn't fixed properly. Truck now misfires, has an arcing wire, and is unsafe to drive. 2)truck was sold with no parking brake, and no warning that it was not installed. This information has omitted when I asked about safety issues before purchasing. Never noticed because phx is so flat. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet S10. The contact was approaching a traffic stop when he applied the brakes and the vehicle failed to respond. The brake pedal became stuck to the floorboard, causing the contact to become involved in a crash that involved four additional vehicles. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the brake lines were corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 136,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 04/29/14
Total sudden brake failure I had to leave the road to avoid other cars. 40mph front right steal line failed and right rear line failed at the same time lines are rusty but the rest of the truck is OK there was no warning signs ( like drips or low level in the booster)
Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet S10 with an odometer reading of 15800 miles. The contact started having problems with the vehicle at 1100 miles when the brakes began to make loud noises. In August o 2003 the contact took the vehicle to don hall Chevrolet of ashland kentucky, and the service personnel determined that the brake pads were not compatible with the factory rotors, thus causing the brakes to make a v loud noise. The rotors were turned and new brake pads were installed. Three days later the noise continued. A mechanic installed wagner brake pads. The manufacturer's pads installed at the dealer were not as efficient. At 11, 000 miles the brake pedal rattled when driving over speed bumps. The service personnel at mcfarland murray chevorlet dealership of grayson kentucky removed the dashborad, and replaced the bushing on the brake pedal. …
The antilock brakes on my Chevrolet s-10 pick-up fails while trying to stop in bumper to bumper traffic of between 15 to 20 miles an hour fortunately I ran into the back of a full size Chevrolet truck and there were no injuries, only damage to the vehicles. Prior to this incident for about a month the brakes would pulsate after driving a a while and stopping at low speed or during light pedal pressure. The brakes were check for warped or defective rotors and possible worn pad. The rotors and pads were found to be OK and so were the rotors which are smooth. The brake pads and rotors are the factory originals and the vehicle has under 36,000 miles. The truck is use as an occasional local commute vehicle and for pleasure, and not for work, or to carry heavy loads. After I found two 020525006a and 02052500 which describes the problem of low speed ABS activation. …
My wife was picking up our 2 year old and 6 year old granddaughters from their home and bringing them to our house to babysit them. Traveling at 35-45 MPH she depressed the brake pedal to stop and the pedal slowly went to the floorboard. She finally made it home and she told me about it. I looked under the vehicle and noticed something leaking from the under carriage. I jacked the vehicle up and inspected the brake lines and discovered that the brake lines were rusted and one had cracked. I am a retired vehicle technician with over 50 years of experience on all types of automotive repair. I have never seen this much rust on a vehicle (2003 Chevrolet S10 with only 55,000 miles) in all my years of service. We inherited this truck from my father-in-law who passed away. He lived in kentucky, so it was subject to unpaved roads, snow, salt, etc. …
Four days prior to incident date, I had applied brakes very hard, could be described as a "panic stop". On the days following, I had noticed a small amount of fluid under left front of vehicle when approaching vehicle. Then, after four days, I noticed at a stop light the vehicle began to creep forward and required more pressure on the brake peddle to remain stopped. Brake peddle also went further towards floor. Upon returning home I opened hood and confirmed brake fluid level was low. Took vehicle to shop and was told all brake lines needed replacing because of corrosion. The brake fittings on the lines and bleed screws on calipers were almost nonexistent, nothing but rust. The line itself had split, which had caused the leak. I feel this could have caused a catastrophic incident had I not hastened discovery by having to apply heavy brakes at a slow speed. …
Bought 2003 s-10 v6 one year ago.(11/2009) truck has less than 45000K on it brakes on the vehicle squeal and lock up all the time. I have had my brakes worked on 4x's by a GM certified mechanic, the problem still is not fixed. I have turned rotors, changed brake pads, loosened back brakes, etc. Nothing works! If it is raining outside vehicle is unsafe to drive due to skidding into car in front of you. As a matter of fact it is unsafe to drive all the time due to skidding/brakes locking up/increased stopping distance. Mechanic has looked online to see if anything is mentioned about what to do next. I have looked and looks like more people are having the same problem. I have spent already close to $700 on this brake problem. One diagnosis is to replace rotors but I feel this should be something GM does since more people are having this problem and the severity of this issue. …
Brake complaints in other S10 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2003 Chevrolet S10?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Chevrolet S10, 21% of the model year's 178 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet S10 brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2003 Chevrolet S10, though it has 1 recall for other components. 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 2003 Chevrolet S10 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.