The contact owned a 2003 Chevrolet S 10. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign, another vehicle T-boned his vehicle at a high rate of speed. The contact stated that the air bag did not deploy and the contact hit his head on the windshield. The contact was taken from the scene to a local hospital where they initially ran a test and found no injuries on his body. The contact stated that his head remained in pain and went back to the hospital the next day. The next day, the contact was informed that a blood clot was discovered near his brain, and was transferred to another hospital for surgery. The contact was sent to outpatient rehabilitation once he was released from the hospital. The contact stated that the other driver did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where it was deemed a total loss and his insurance had taken possession of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle was a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
2003 Chevrolet S10 airbags problems
15 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,048. 9 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 100,048
- crashes
- 9
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Frontal6
- Frontal: sensor/control module1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Chevrolet S10 airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Chevrolet S10 airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2003 Chevrolet S10 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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. Because of the vacuum leak, whenever I would accelerate to highway speeds and the engine would use what vacuum it could, the 4WD actuator would lose its vacuum then regain it when the RPM's dropped and try to lock the front axle while at highway speeds which would cause the truck to jerk and the gears to grind. And lastly the Airbag warning indicator is always illuminated for reasons I do not know.
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. Had I needed to use the parking brake, not having one installed is a significant safety issue. 3) an impact sensor was left hanging from the rear of the vehicle. A large enough bump or a rock could set off airbags while driving, putting my passengers, myself, and other drivers and pedestrians at serious risk. This truck is very unsafe to drive, and I was not responsible for any of the issues that made it unsafe. The first issue was caused by a bad repair made by the dealership, and the other two noted issues were not noted in the carfax or by the salesperson when I asked about safety issues.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet s10. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact reached down to access an item and crashed into the preceding vehicle. None of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The officers also wondered why the air bags had not deployed due to the extensive damage to the front end of the vehicle. The contact sustained whiplash and minor bruising, which required medical attention. The seat belt managed to restrain the driver securely. The insurance company towed the vehicle to a yard. It was unknown if the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer had not issued any air bag recalls for the year, make, and model vehicle; however, there was one air bag technical service bulletin. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 100,048.
Light for air bags reads the air bags are not working. Mechanic says he has to go into the computer to see what the problems is. It is a lot of work involved to see what the problems is. The light constantly on while vehicle running.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet s10. The contact stated that the driver side air bag warning indicator illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (hometown chevrolet buick gmc inc, 2009 barnes st, reidsville, nc, 27320) where it was diagnosed that it could be one out of two failures: an air bag warning sensor or something behind the steering wheel. The diagnosis was incomplete until the vehicle could be serviced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer confirmed that there was no recall on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet s-10. When the contact started the parked vehicle, the service engine light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local mechanic where it was diagnosed and produced code b0036 (air bag impact sensor). The mechanic told the contact that the sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.
I was going through a green light at an intersection,when another vehicle ran the red light at a high speed. The vehicle hit the front center of my bumper and the airbags did not deploy and the seat belts did not hold. I was headed south,and the other vehicle was headed west,when it hit me. It turned me into the westward direction. When I came to, my head was hanging out the window and my son(who was in the passengers seat )was on top of me. He was thrown across the console,our seat belts did not hold. I was transported to the er by ambulance. If need be I have photos of the accident scene...updated 09-03-14 *bf updated 09/10/2014
At 37000 miles my s-10 pickup started displaying a airbag warning light on the dash. The light is not constant and appears more on warm days. Being concerned I researched this problem om the internet. I found that this is a very common problem with this model of gm vehicle. I contacted gm to see if this was a warranty or recall issue and they stated no. With the air bag light on it is my understanding that the airbags will not deploy as long as the warning light is being displayed. This is a safety issue that needs to be corrected. Another problem gm just ignores.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet s-10. While driving approximately 45 MPH on a dirt road, the contact drove over a patch of wet grass and lost control of the vehicle. He attempted to regain control of the vehicle, struck a tree, and the vehicle flipped over. The air bags failed to deploy and the vehicle was completely destroyed. The contact sustained three broken ribs and bruises. A police report was filed. The failure and current mileages were 50,000. Updated 07/22/08 *bf updated 07/24/08
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet S10 airbags
Does the 2003 Chevrolet S10 have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the airbags of the 2003 Chevrolet S10, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet S10 airbags problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,048 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet S10 airbags?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Chevrolet S10 have bad airbags?
The Chevrolet S10 model years with the most airbags complaints are 1995 (111 complaints), 1996 (74 complaints) and 1997 (47 complaints).
Other 2003 Chevrolet S10 problems
Brakes 38Body 30Engine 17Transmission 17Electrical 15Visibility 15Fuel system 14Tires 12Locks 11Acceleration 6Steering 6Wheels 5Lights 4Suspension 4Seat belts 2Driver assistance 1Seats 1
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