1986 Chevrolet S10 problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
22 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
Not available median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1986 model year. Data updated: . 0 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly is the most frequently named component, appearing in 2 of 22 complaints (9.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 3 | 13.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 13.6% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 4.5% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 4.5% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | 2 |
| Interior Lighting | 2 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage | 2 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | 2 |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 2 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 1 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 1 |
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly: 2; Interior Lighting: 2; Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage: 2; Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 2; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings: 2; Tires:Tread/Belt: 2; Electrical System:Ignition: 1; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
No usable failure mileage is recorded. 22 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 7 |
| 1996 | 4 |
| 1997 | 2 |
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 4 |
| 2001 | 2 |
1995: 7; 1996: 4; 1997: 2; 1998: 2; 1999: 1; 2000: 4; 2001: 2
Pattern summary
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 3 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 482907 · 1995-04-11 (April 11, 1995)
BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. *AW
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 482907 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 819081 · 1997-12-15 (December 15, 1997)
UPON COMING TP STOP SIGN APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN TO 20 MPH BUT LOAD IN BOX OF TRUCK STARTED TO SHIFT. LET UP ON BRAKES. WHEN BRAKES WERE REAPPLIED, PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, VEHICLE DID NOT STOP WENT INTO A DITCH AND ROLLED OVER TWICE. RIGHT FRONT BRAKE HOSE BROKE.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 819081 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 481501 · 1995-01-09 (January 9, 1995)
GAS TANK SPARKED DUE TO BEING CORRODED. *SKD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 481501 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 706962 · 1999-05-28 (May 28, 1999)
THE ADL LINK SAYS EVERYTHING IS OKAY, BUT WHEN I AM DRIVING THIS THING THE MIL BLINKS ON AND OFF SHUTTING ALL POWER OFF TO THE IGNITION, HEADLIGHTS, TURN& TAIL LGHTS, FUEL PUMP. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS STILL WORKING BUT EVERYTHING ELSE IS DECEASED.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 706962 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 968088 · 1995-06-30 (June 30, 1995)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE, DOME LIGHT MELTED, WIRES WERE ALSO MELTED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 968088 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 729462 · 2000-08-29 (August 29, 2000)
STEERING LINKAGE HAS VERY BAD SQUEAKING PROBLEM. I HAD BEEN INFORMED BY AN INDIVIDUAL THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 1986 S10 BLAZERS FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM. I JUST WANTED TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY TRUTH TO IT. IT HAS BEEN SQUEAKING EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT BUT IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE SINCE ABOUT 10/21/99. IF YOU HAVE NO INFO, CAN YOU DIRECT ME WHERE I COULD CONTACT SOMEONE WHO MAY? THANK YOU.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 729462 at NHTSA ↗
Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
22 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2004 | 2006 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | 29.5%ODI 10043960WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 14.8%ODI 10080071 · 6,600 miWHILE PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY ANOTHER VEHICLE T-BONED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE ON THE RIGHT FRONT. THIS CAUSED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO BECOME AIR BORN. WHEN THE VEHICLE DESCENDED IT WAS STRUCK HEAD ON WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS, BUT THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES TO THE LEGS, CHEST, AND ARMS. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND CITED THE CONSUMER. *AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure:Body:Tailgate:Hinge And Attachments | 14.8%ODI 10288605 · 840,000 miI HAVE A 2004 S-10 PICKUP AND HAD A NEARMISS A PERSON WAS SITTING ON MY TAILGATE AND THE LEFT TAILGATE CABLE BROKE AND THE RIGHT ONE IS BULGING I BELIEVE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE HOW DO I GET THESE CABLES CHANGED. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train:Automatic Transmission | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No usable records for this analysis. | ||||
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2017: 0 complaints · 2018: 2 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | Interior Lighting | Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage | Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | Tires:Tread/Belt | Electrical System:Ignition | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires:Tread/Belt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.