IllustrationFIRST INCIDENT OF THIRD DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY FAILURE. PLASTIC ASSEMBLY HANDLE SHATTERED DURING OPENING AND DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED. SECOND INCIDENT OF FAILURE WAS IN FEBRUARY 2012. SAME INFERIOR PLASTIC HANDLE ASSEMBLY CRACKED AND SHATTERED UPON ATTEMPING TO OPEN THIRD DOOR AND HAD TO BE REPLACED.
2002 Chevrolet S10
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most S10 years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet S10 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 42.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all S10 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
350–25K
3925–50K
3250–75K
1675–100K
10100–150K
7150K+
139 reports with mileage · 75 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 73 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports2 fire reports16 injury reports
Unknown Or Other complaints
5 reports18 MONTH OLD VEHICLE, PAINT PEELING OFF IN SHEETS DOWN TO BARE METAL ON LOWER FENDERS AND UNDER DOORS ON 2002 EXTENDED CAB S-10, RUSTING IN THOSE AREAS. TRIED TO GET CORRECTION FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. DEALER AND GM CONTACTED, REFUSED TO FIX, STATED WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, MY EXPERIENCE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE METAL WAS NOT PR…
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18 MONTH OLD VEHICLE, PAINT PEELING OFF IN SHEETS DOWN TO BARE METAL ON LOWER FENDERS AND UNDER DOORS ON 2002 EXTENDED CAB S-10, RUSTING IN THOSE AREAS. TRIED TO GET CORRECTION FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. DEALER AND GM CONTACTED, REFUSED TO FIX, STATED WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, MY EXPERIENCE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE METAL WAS NOT PROPERLY CLEANED BEFORE PAINTING. NEVER IN MY 70 YEARS HAVE I OWNED OR SEEN A VEHICLE'S FINISH PEEL OFF IN SHEETS. I FINALLY GAVE UP AND HAD RHINO TRUCK BED FINISH SPRAYED ON FENDER EDGES, ROCKER PANELS AND LOWER DOORS TO STOP THE RUSTING. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SERVICE FOR THIS AND OTHER DEFECTS (BROKEN LATCHES AND TAILGATE CABLES) ON MY S-10. *NM
DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT ON HIS 2002 CHEVROLET S-10 SPARE TIRE BROKE LOOSE FROM THE CABLE THAT IT WAS ATTACHED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT 20-25 MPH. THE CONSUMER HEARD THE NOISE WHEN THE TIRE FELL OFF. THEN, THE TIRE FELL OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND ALMOST CAUSED ANOTHER VEHICLE TO CRA…
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DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT ON HIS 2002 CHEVROLET S-10 SPARE TIRE BROKE LOOSE FROM THE CABLE THAT IT WAS ATTACHED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT 20-25 MPH. THE CONSUMER HEARD THE NOISE WHEN THE TIRE FELL OFF. THEN, THE TIRE FELL OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND ALMOST CAUSED ANOTHER VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO IT. THE CABLE SNAPPED IN HALF. THE THIN STEEL CABLE WAS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT. AFTER THE CABLE BROKE THERE WAS A LITTLE OF THE CABLE LEFT. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED CHEVROLET AND FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE DEALERSHIP. *AK *JB
I NOTICED ONE OF THE TAILGATE CABLES ON MY 2002 CHEVEROLET S-10 PICKUP (45,000 MILES) APPEARED TO BE STREACHED. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION I FOUND THE CABLE WAS SEPARATING UNDER THE COATING. THE OPPOSITE SIDE WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE SAME CONDITION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY DEALER AND WAS TOLD GM HAD NOT ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN O…
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I NOTICED ONE OF THE TAILGATE CABLES ON MY 2002 CHEVEROLET S-10 PICKUP (45,000 MILES) APPEARED TO BE STREACHED. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION I FOUND THE CABLE WAS SEPARATING UNDER THE COATING. THE OPPOSITE SIDE WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE SAME CONDITION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY DEALER AND WAS TOLD GM HAD NOT ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE S-10, ONLY THE SILVERADO. SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THE DEALER REP. TOLD ME IF I WANTED TO REPLACE THE CABLES I WOULD HAVE TO PURCHASE THEM. WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS BOTH CABLES BROKE WHEN MY 3 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB UP ON THE TAILGATE. THE TAILGATE FELL OPEN TO THE BUMPER BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. I HAVE SINCE PURCHASED AND REPLACED THE BROKEN CABLES. THE OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE.
ZR2 S-10 4X4 EXT.CAB PICKUP (2002). NO MENTION OF COMPONENT FAILURES. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA05008 · Tailgate Support Cables
Opened Apr 14, 2005 · Closed May 19, 2006
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Latches/locks/linkages:tailgate:latch
GENERAL MOTORS IS CONDUCTING A SPECIAL POLICY PROGRAM FOR 903,464 OWNERS OF 2000 - 2003 MODEL S/T VEHICLES THROUGH WHICH OWNERS MAY, AT THEIR OPTION, EITHER (1) PERIODICALLY INSPECT THE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLE AND HAVE THE CABLES REPLACED IF THE CABLE COATING EXHIBITS ANY INDICATIONS OF DAMAGE OR DETERIORATION OR (2) REQUEST THAT THE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. GM WILL HONOR ALL REQUESTS BY OWNERS WHO OPT FOR REPLACEMENT WITHOUT QUESTION REGARDLESS OF THE CONDITION OR APPEARANCE OF THE CABLES. GM HAS AGREED TO MAIL REMINDER NOTIFICATIONS TO OWNERS EVERY TWO YEARS UNTIL THE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED OR UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS 12 YEARS OLD.ODI'S INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT A SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY OF THE REPORTED COMPLAINTS (87%) AND INJURIES (94%) HAVE OCCURRED IN MY 2000 - 2003 S/T VEHICLES.
RQ04012 · Tailgate Support Cable(s) Break
Opened Nov 22, 2004 · Closed Apr 14, 2005
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:support Device/strut
ODI IS UPGRADING RQ04-012 AND OPENING AN EA TO INVESTIGATE THE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES INSTALLED IN 1998 - 2004 MODEL YEAR SONOMA AND S10 MODEL VEHICLES.GENERAL MOTORS IS CONDUCTING RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V-129 TO REPLACE THE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES ORIGINALLY INSTALLED IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2000-2004 SIERRAS AND SILVERADOS AND CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2004 AVALANCHES AND ESCALADE EXTS (C/K MODELS).GENERAL MOTORS HAS ADVISED ODITHAT THE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES INSTALLED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE FABRICATED USING IDENTICAL OR SIMILAR SHEATHING MATERIAL AS THE RECALLED VEHICLES.HOWEVER,GENERAL MOTORS HAS ADVISED ODI THAT SONOMA AND S-10 VEHICLES DIFFER FROM C/K MODELS IN SEVERAL WAYS: THE VEHICLE HEIGHT IS LOWER; THE TAILGATE DISPLACEMENT (DROP) WHEN NOT SUPPORTED BY THE CABLES IS SMALLER AND THE TAILGATE COMES TO REST AT A LESS SEVERE TIP ANGLE WHEN NOT SUPPORTED BY THE CABLES; THE TAILGATE MASS IS SMALLER; AND THE SIZE, PAYLOAD, AND USAGE CHARACTERISTCIS ARE LESS DEMANDING THAN C/K MODEL VEHICLES.GM ALSO STATED THAT SONOMA AND S-10 WARRANTY CLAIM INFORMATION INDICATES A LOWER CLAIM COUNT AND A LOWER CLAIM RATE THAN RECALLED C/K MODELS.NOTWITHSTANDING THE ABOVE INFORMATION, ODI HAS RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL 73 NON-INJURY COMPLAINTS AND 10 INJURY COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DURING RQ04-012 (SINCE NOVEMBER 2004 TO DATE), WHICH JUSTIFIES OPENING AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE.