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 May 3, 2007
Used Vehicle Review:
Discuss this story in the forum at CarTalkCanada Find this vehicle in CanadianDriver’s Classified AdsFind this vehicle in CanadianDriver’s Classified Ads Looking for a little springtime pick-me-up? While springtime often awakens the desire for a sports car, homeowners with landscaping on their minds might find an inexpensive used pickup truck a handy addition to the driveway.
The 1994 S10 and Sonoma were available with two engines: a 2.2-litre four-cylinder (120 horsepower) was standard, and a 4.3-litre V6 (190 horsepower) was available. Transmissions were a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic.
It's worth noting that older versions of these second-generation trucks were introduced before dual front airbags were standard, so very early trucks have none. In 1995, a driver's side airbags was made standard; dual front airbags were standard from 1998 onward. These trucks got rear-wheel anti-lock brakes in 1994 and 1995; four-wheel ABS was standard from 1996 on.
The S10 and Sonoma wouldn't be among my first choices for a daily driver, as there are more reliable, more refined and roomier trucks out there that can be had for a little more cash. Notable among these is the Nissan Frontier. I would, however, recommend the GM trucks for someone who wants a simple and basic truck for hauling stuff; the torquey 4.3-litre V6 is well-suited to towing tasks. For these jobs, the S10 and Sonoma's low prices, reasonable reliability and simple-and-easy-to-fix design make these little trucks a decent value.
Pricing
Red Book Pricing (avg. retail) May 2006:
Related stories on CanadianDriver
Online resources
There are a few good places to go for S10/Sonoma information, including S10Planet.com and MyS10.net. Then, there are the S10 and Sonoma forums at general forum site Topix.net. Finally, the S10 section at ChevroletForum.com is a useful resource as well. In terms of specific topics, look here for basic maintenance and performance tuning info for the 2.2-litre engine. This thread details what to do to swap a V8 into an S10 or Sonoma engine bay. Also, S10.forum.com has a couple of threads dedicated to the 2.2-litre and 4.3-litre engines.
Manufacturer's Website
Recalls
Transport Canada Recall Number: 1999135; Units affected: 72,445
1991-1996: Certain four wheel drive vehicles may experience increased stopping distances during ABS stops while in the two-wheel drive mode. A switch can erroneously signal the ABS system that the vehicle is in four-wheel drive when the vehicle is actually in two wheel drive. Correction: Dealers will replace the switch on affected vehicles.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 1994180; Units affected: 1496
1994: NOTE - VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.2 LITRE ENGINES. THE VACUUM HOSE MAY DETACH FROM THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE AS A RESULT OF ENGINE BACKFIRE. THIS WOULD RESULT IN INCREASED ENGINE IDLE AND LOSS OF BRAKE POWER ASSIST AFTER DEPLETION OF THE BOOSTER VACUUM RESERVE. A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE EXPERIENCED BY THE DRIVER COMBINED WITH INCREASED ENGINE RPM WHEN MINIMAL STOPPING DISTANCES ARE REQUIRED COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH. CORRECTION: A CLAMP WILL BE INSTALLED ON THE POWER BRAKE BOOSTER HOSE AT THE BRAKE BOOSTER CHECK VALVE END.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 1994013; Units affected: 5,547
1994: VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH C.M.V.S.S.301- FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY. FUEL TANK FILLER PIPES MAY NOT BE TO SPECIFICATION. THUS WHEN TESTED TO C.M.V.S.S.301 THE VEHICLE MAY LEAK FUEL IN EXCESS OF THE STANDARD. CORRECTION- FUEL FILLER PIPES WILL BE REPLACED.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 1996094; Units affected: 2,020
1996: THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT COMPLY WITHE C.M.V.S.S. 1105 - EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS. FUEL INJECTORS MAY EXHIBIT LEAKAGE OF FUEL VAPOUR DUE TO A STRESS OF THE PLASTIC ENCAPSULANT. CORRECTION: FUEL INJECTORS ON AFFECTED VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED FOR INVOLVED DATE CODES AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 1996040; Units affected: 808
1996: NOTE - 2-WHEEL DRIVE WITH STANDARD TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THESE VEHICLES MAY CONTAIN PARTS WHICH ARE NOT MACHINED TO SPECIFICATION. THESE TRANSMISSIONS COULD SEIZE AND LOCK THE REAR WHEELS WHILE THE TRUCK IS BEING OPERATED. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CORRECTION: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION MAIN SHAFT OUTPUT TORQUE AND OF THE TORQUE DOES NOT MEET THE SPECIFICATION CRITERIA, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2003064; Units affected: 323,584
1997: Certain vehicles (not involved in recall 98-150), may experience a windshield wiper failure due to cracked solder joints on the controller circuit board. If this were to occur in a severe weather situation, driver's visibility could be reduced, which could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning. Correction: Dealer will replace defective wiper motor until 7 years or 112 000 km from date vehicle was originally placed into service or for those vehicles currently outside of this coverage, until March 31 2004.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2001263; Units affected: 63,484
1998-1999: Certain vehicles: Light duty trucks. passenger vehicles and sport utility vehicles. Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of C.M.V.S.S. NO. 118, "POWER-OPERATED WINDOW, PARTITION & ROOF PANEL SYSTEMS." When the hazard flasher switch is used to turn the hazard flashers on or off, the retained accessory power (RAP) feature can be activated without a key in the ignition. Correction: There is no detrimental effect on vehicle safety so no corrective action is necessary.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 1997201; Units affected: 775
1998: DUE TO CLOSE PROXIMITY THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CLIP COULD MELT AND DRIP ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE CLIP MATERIAL ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD COULD IGNITE AND SUBSEQUENTLY IGNITE OTHER COMBUSTIBLE COMPONENTS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CORRECTION: ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS WILL BE REROUTED.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2000055; Units affected: 984
2000: Certain vehicles may have an Antilock Braking System (ABS) motor containing an out of specification spring clip which could in time become misaligned. This could cause retainer bearing friction, higher motor current draw and eventually render the ABS non-functional. This would cause the warning lights to illuminate and the Dynamic Rear Proportional (DRP) system to become inoperative. The base brakes would still remain functional and if the operator were to ignore the red brake warning light, the higher rear brake input could cause rear wheel lock up with the possibility of a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the back pressure module valve assembly.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 1999151; Units affected: 24
2000: Certain vehicles do not comply with the requirements of CMVSS. 105 - Hydraulic Brake Systems. The right hand ABS module feed pipe and/or brake crossover pipe tube nuts may have been tightened without seating the pipe flared ends enough to withstand normal assembly and vehicle inputs without partially unseating. If the seating seal is broken, brake fluid leakage could occur. Correction: Dealers will inspect the union for signs of brake fluid and, if necessary, install a new union.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2004105; Units affected: 1,018
2003-2004: On certain vehicles, the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) caution label contains an incorrect statement. However, in every case, the owner's manual provided with the vehicle correctly describes the acceptable rear-facing child seat location for the particular vehicle configuration. Correction: A correct pressure-sensitive sunshade label and instructions for its application are to be mailed to owners.
Used vehicle prices vary depending on factors such as general condition, odometer reading, usage history and options fitted. Always have a used vehicle checked by an experienced auto technician before you buy.
For information on recalls, see Transport Canada's web-site, www.tc.gc.ca, or the U.S. National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA)web-site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
For information on vehicle service bulletins issued by the manufacturer, visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
For information on consumer complaints about specific models, see www.lemonaidcars.com.
Chris Chase is an Ottawa-based automotive journalist.
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