1997 CHEVROLET S10 Complaints

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM STATING THERE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR ON MY 1997 CHEVROLET S10 PICKUP. THE LETTER STATED THIS WAS NOT A RECALL AND THAT THE PART SHOULD BE REPLACED ONCE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. I STARTED TO EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM AFTER THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THE LETTER. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP ME. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT. THEY ADVISED THAT I SHOULD CONTACT GM. I CALLED GM ON MONDAY OCT 24, 2005 AND SPOKE TO JEFF KENLY AND WILL BLECHEL, BOTH OF WHICH WERE VERY RUDE AND UNCOOPERATIVE WITH ME. I ASKED ABOUT THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THE LETTER, AND HOW THAT DATE WAS CHOSEN AND WILL TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A DECISION MADE BY GM AND THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TO REVEAL THAT INFORMATION TO ME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A DATE CAN BE PUT ON A KNOWN DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. MONDAY MORNING, I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN MY WIPERS DECIDED TO STOP WORKING. THE RAIN WAS COMING DOWN PRETTY HARD AND IT WAS STILL DARK OUT. ALL OF A SUDDEN I COULDN'T SEE, I SLAMMED ON THE BREAKS AND TRIED TO GET OFF THE ROAD, I CAME VERY CLOSE TO CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WHICH COULD HAVE INJURED ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ON THE INTERNET AND LET ME JUST SAY; IT WAS NOT DIFFICULT AT ALL TO FIND ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I FOUND DOCUMENTS FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES. SOME HAVE HAD RECALLS WHILE OTHERS HAVE NOT. I DON''T UNDERSTAND HOW CAN THEY RECALL SOME, BUT NOT THE OTHERS? I UNDERSTAND THAT ON JULY 22, 2004 GM WAS FINED $1 MILLION TO SETTLE CHARGES THAT IT FAILED TO CONDUCT A TIMELY RECALL TO CORRECT A SAFETY DEFECT. THE PROBLEM INVOLVED WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURE IN 581,344 TRAILBLAZERS, BRAVADAS, ENVOYS AND ISUZU ASCENDERS MANUFACTURED IN 2002 AND 2003. I JUST THOUGHT THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM THAN YOU MAY BE AWARE OF. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER. *NM

DT: 1997 CHEVROLET S10. THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES DO NOT WORK. ALSO, THEY A WILL STICK. A RECALL WAS ISSUED, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THIS HAPPENED SINCE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE ON MARCH 23, 2005. THE CONTACT THOUGHT IT WOULD GET BETTER SO THEY LET IT GO. THE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THEY DID NOT FEEL THEY SHOULD PAY TO FIX IT.*AK

DT: 1997 CHEVROLET S10. THE CONSUMER STATED THE UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATED ON THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE STATION, AND THEY STATED IT WAS A COMMON THING. THEY HAD A LOT OF VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED CHEVROLET. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2005. THIS HAPPENED LATE AT NIGHT AND NO ONE WAS AROUND, THEREFORE, THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT.*AK

I HAD A P0300 CODE WHICH IS A RANDOM MISFIRE CODE AFTER REPLACING ALL THE PARTS THAT I WAS TOLD THAT GIVE THIS CODE I STILL HAD THE PROBLEM. AFTER DOING SOME IN DEPTH RESEARCH I FOUND THAT GM HAD PURCHASED DEFECTIVE DISTRIBUTOR DRIVE GEARS THAT WERE NOT HARDENED PROPERLY CAUSING THEM TO WEAR OUT. THE KNOCK SENSOR WOULD PICK UP THIS WEAR AND THE COMPUTER WOULD RETARD THE TIMING AND CAUSE CROSSFIRE OR A SPARK JUMP THAT CAUSED THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP TO PREMATURELY BURN OUT. GM NEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND NEVER DID A RECALL ON THIS. I SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON PARTS I DIDN'T NEED IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS THIS. INFORMATION NEEDS TO GET OUT TO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE CHASING THIS P0300 CODE ON GM VEHICLES. MY VEHICLE IS A 97 S10 4.3 VORTEC. WHEN THE COMPUTER KICKS THIS CODE OUT THE ENGINE SKIPS OFF IDLE AND THE VEHICLE SHAKES AND STUMBLES. AFTER REPLACING THE DISTRIBUTOR THAT HAD A NEW DRIVE GEAR THE VEHICLE RUNS LIKE NEW AGAIN AND NO CODES ARE SET. *JB

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. ON ONE OCCASION THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL I STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE TRUCK. ON 3 OTHER OCCASIONS THE WIPERS WOULD NOT TURN ON AND STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE TRUCK DID NOT IMMEDIATELY REMEDY THE PROBLEM. MOST OF THE TIME THE WIPERS FUNCTION NORMALLY. *JB

THE FUEL GAUGE CONTINUALLY READS PAST FULL NO MATTER THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE TANK. THIS BEGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MI. WHEN I RAN OUT OF FUEL THINKING THE GAUGE TO BE CORRECT. *NM

BRAKING FOR DEER AT NIGHT EXPERIENCING TOTAL MASTER CYLINDER FAILURE, IE, BRAKE PETAL GOING DOWN TO FLOOR BOARD AFTER INITIAL SMALL RESISTANCE. AFTER AVOIDING DEER THE BRAKE PETAL WOULD GO TO FLOOR WITH NO RESISTANCE. NO BRAKE FLUID LOSS. RESERVOIR FULL

MY S10 STALLS CONTANTLY. GOING 60 OR GOING 15, DOESNT MATTER. ALL GAUGES SLAM TO ZERO AND SOMETIMES IT RESTARTS, SOMETIMES IT DOESNT. I LOSE STEERING AND ITS REALLY DANGEROUS. HAPPENS ON THE FREEWAY, I HAVE TO THROW IT INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTART, SOMETIMES IT DOES, OTHER TIMES IT DOESNT. INCIDENT DATE STARTING 6/25/04 AND STILL CURRENTLY HAPPENS. STARTED OUT ONCE IN A WHILE. NOW ITS A FEW TIMES A DAY. SEEMS TO HAPPEN A LOT MORE IN COLDER/MOIST WEATHER

1. DOOR SPEAKERS STOPPED WORKING. STILL DO NOT WORK. 2. BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING (FUSE KEEPS BLOWING). UNKNOWN CAUSE, POSSIBLY LIVING ON A ROUGH DIRT ROAD. STILL DO NOT WORK.

DT: THE VEHICLE WAS IN ACCIDENT WHERE IT HIT TREES. ON A RAINY DAY IN FEBRUARY AS VEHICLE WAS GOING ALONG AT OR BELOW 55 MPH. WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED AND DID NOT WORK. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE VEHICLE. DRIVER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, VEHICLE HYDRO PLANED, AND DRIVER LOST CONTROL. CALLER UNSURE IF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAD FAILED BEFORE. VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED. UPON LEAVING THE ROAD AND UPON IMPACT DRIVER SUSTAINED FEET INJURIES. *AK